UC Berkeley (Haas) Application Essays for 2010-2011

Recently we wrote about the Haas application deadlines for the coming admissions season. Today we'll dig into the school's admissions essays for 2010-2011.

You may notice that Haas has barely changed its essays since last year. When we school make few or no changes, that tells us that its current essay prompts are doing the job. By "doing the job," we mean that they help the admissions committee get to know each applicant better, and they help the committee separate the great applicants from the rest of the pool. As long as the school gets what it needs, there's no need to tinker with the formula too much.

Here are Haas's MBA admissions essays for the coming year, followed by our comments in italics:

Berkeley (Haas) Admissions Essays

Short Answers:

1. What are you most passionate about? Why? (250 words)
   
   Whoa! Did Stanford's Derrick Bolton slip into the Haas admissions office? Actually, this question carries over from last year. The key here is to write about something that you really, really care about. A good litmus test is this: How knowledgeable are you about the subject? Many applicants will be tempted to go bold and say something like "Fighting income inequality is what I'm most passionate about," because they feel like that's just what one is supposed to say here, but then can't back it up with facts... and passion. Admissions officers will see right through this, so try any stunts here!


2. Tell us about your most significant accomplishment. (250 words)
   
   This question also carries over from last year. Ideally the story you choose will demonstrate at least one or two of the key themes in your application. All things being equal, a story from your professional life will serve you best, but don't feel that your significant accomplishment MUST be from the workplace.


3. At Haas, our distinctive culture is defined by four key principles -— question the status quo; confidence without attitude; students always; and beyond yourself. Give an example of when you have demonstrated one of these principles. (250 words, Review Berkeley-Haas' Defining Principles)
   
   This question is new this year, replacing a question that put emphasis on innovation and creativity. The fact that the admissions office directs you to the school's defining principles sends a very clear message that those ideas/traits matter to Haas A LOT, and that the admissions office will be looking closely for evidence of those throughout your application, not just in this essay. Any of the four should make for a good starting point for a compelling essay, although we have noticed the admissions office frequently bring up the the "confidence without attitude" one in our discussions with them. If you're unsure of which one to choose, we'd say go with that one.


4. There are many ways to learn about our program, what steps have you taken to learn about the Berkeley MBA? (250 words)
   
   Haas slightly reworded this essay since last year, although it essentially remains the same. One subtle but importance difference: The addition of "There are many ways to learn about our program," almost says to us, "Please skip past the obvious ones like our web site and brochures... Show us some real effort, please." Our stance on essays like this is always the same: You'd better have better reasons for applying than "Because it's a top-ten program!" The Haas admissions team seeks evidence that you've really done your homework on the school.

Required Essays:

1. Give us an example of a situation in which you displayed leadership. (500 words)
   
   This question has remained the same for the past several years. Haas hits on it directly: The admissions office wants you to show how you are a leader. This should give you a clear idea of how important this trait is to the Haas admissions office when evaluating applicants. You don't need to have a big job title or have a team of ten people reporting to you. Think about any time when you showed leadership -- maybe by overcoming an obstacle, or by helping a colleague or was struggling -- regardless of your role or the circumstances.


2. What are your post-MBA short-term and long-term career goals? How do your professional experiences relate to these goals? How will an MBA from Berkeley help you achieve these specific career goals? (1000 words)
   
   This question also carries over from last year. Note that last year Haas added the "post-MBA" part to the question, suggesting that some applicant had perhaps been speaking in terms that were too "big picture." Pretty standard question here: Where do you see yourself in a few years (and beyond that), and why do you need an MBA to get there? Specifically, why do you need a Haas MBA to get there? Even though you will answer another "Why Haas"-type question, clearly it's very important to the school that you answer this question.

Plan on applying to Haas or another top MBA program this year? Veritas Prep now offers the ability to start working with an admissions consultant today and pay over time. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!

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UC Berkeley (Haas) MBA Admissions Deadlines for 2010-2011

UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business has published its MBA admissions deadlines for the coming year. We'll dig into the school's admissions essays shortly, but first, here are the Haas deadlines, followed by our comments in italics:

Haas Application Deadlines
Round 1: October 13, 2010
Round 2: December 2, 2010
Round 3: January 20, 2011
Round 4: March 16, 2011

Note that Haas is fairly unique in that it actually has four rounds of admissions. In a way this makes it easier on you as you plan your Haas application -- it gives you the option of applying at an "off-peak" time, such as early December, when you're probably not yet cramming on a lot of other applications. Aiming for Round 1 and Round 2 is still your best bet, although we expect that Haas gets many more Round 3 applicants than most other schools do.

Like many other top MBA programs, Haas has moved its Round 1 deadline a bit earlier this year (by one week). However, unlike some other top schools, Haas won't send your decision until mid-January, so you will have to have most of your Round 2 applications in order before you hear back from Haas. Most of the school's other deadlines also moved forward by a week or two, with the exception of the Round 4 deadline, which is actually about a week later than it was last year.

Plan on applying to Haas or another top MBA program this year? Veritas Prep now offers the ability to start working with an admissions consultant today and pay over time. And, be sure to subscribe to this blog and follow us on Twitter!

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Five Things that Make Haas Unique

The third round deadline for UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business is still a few weeks away, but there's still plenty of time for you to craft a winning application. Continuing our series of admissions insights clipped from Veritas Prep's Annual Reports, our in-depth guides to 15 of the world's top business schools, this week we look at a few of Haas's distinguishing characteristics. (Our Annual reports are absolutely free -- all you have to do is register to access all of them -- but we thought we'd share some snippets here to help get you started in your Haas research.)

• The Haas Culture: An emphasis on collaboration inside and outside of the classroom is the cornerstone of the Haas experience. Small groups are formed in practically all classes, allowing students to exercise different team roles based on their interests and areas of expertise. Versatility is often a prized attribute of Haas students in the eyes of employers, and is one reason why the school tends to enjoy such success placing graduates into a broad range of industries and functions.


• Technology: One of Haas' truly distinctive elements is the school's focus on technology and its ability to place students into the tech industry. Haas sends 30% of each graduating class into the tech sector, which is not only the highest percentage among elite business schools, but is also twice that of the next closest programs (Ross and MIT Sloan). This emphasis, combined with Berkeley's tradition for innovation, leads to truly unique programs such as the school's latest push for the commercialization of clean technology. Student members of the Berkeley Energy and Resources Collaborative have teamed up with scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) to create a program called Cleantech to Market (C2M) which sends five student teams out each year to study the commercial opportunities that might arise out of the various clean energy technologies under development at LBNL.


• Leading Through Innovation: One of the principles that a visiting student is likely to encounter at Haas is the idea of "Leading Through Innovation." Born out of current dean Rich Lyon's time as the Chief Learning Officer at Goldman Sachs, the Haas approach to developing leadership is to establish confidence without breeding attitude. The school accomplishes this by providing a combination of theoretical and experiential learning opportunities that develops strong confidence and judgment for real-life situations. The experiential learning offerings at Haas range from the "Haas@Work" program, which puts student groups into actual company projects, to the International Business Development (IBD) program, a global management consulting initiative. Overall, Haas provides students with two overlapping skill sets: an ongoing emphasis on leadership and a toolkit of knowledge and relationships that provide the foundation for effective decision making.


• Social Responsibility: Haas prides itself on being the preeminent educational institution for research, teaching, experiential learning, and community outreach in areas of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Woven into the core curriculum, Haas offers more than a dozen different programs and initiatives around social responsibility and business sustainability.


• Global Reach: Nearly every business school currently espouses a "global perspective," but Haas is one of the few that combines its international focus with its emphasis on experiential learning. IBD places students (the number of spaces in the program is set to double, from 80 to 160 per year) in all corners of the world for a three-week consulting project. This program allows students to confront and solve business challenges in unknown business settings, forcing the students to apply innovative thinking and problem solving skills while developing a global business mindset.

This advice was clipped from our Haas Annual Report, one of 15 completely free guides to the world's top business schools, available on our site. If you're ready to start building your own application for Haas or other top MBA programs, call us at 1-800-925-7737 and speak with an MBA admissions expert today!

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Berkeley (Haas) Admissions Essays for 2009-2010

Recently we posted the Haas School of Business' application deadlines for 2009-2010. Haas has since posted its admissions essays for the coming year. Our comments follow in italics:

Haas Application Essays

(Note that we present these essays in a different order than what you will see on the Haas web site.)

Required Essays:

1. Give us an example of a situation in which you displayed leadership. (500 words)
   
   (This question carries over from last year. Right out of the gate, Haas wants you to show how you are a leader. This should give you a clear idea of how important this trait is to the Haas admissions office when evaluating applicants. You don't need to have a big job title or have a team of ten people reporting to you. Think about any time when you showed leadership -- maybe by overcoming an obstacle, or by helping a colleague or was struggling -- regardless of your role or the circumstances.)


2. What are your post-MBA short-term and long-term career goals? How do your professional experiences relate to these goals? How will an MBA from Berkeley help you achieve these specific career goals? (1000 words)
   
   (This question carries over from last year, with the addition of "post-MBA" to the question. Pretty standard question here: Where do you see yourself in a few years (and beyond that), and why do you need an MBA to get there? Specifically, why do you need a Haas MBA to get there?)

Short answer:

1. What are you most passionate about? Why? (250 words)
   
   (This is new this year. This question reminds us a little bit of Stanford's "What matters most to you, and why?" question. The key here is to write about something that you really, really care about. A good litmus test is this: How knowledgeable are you about the subject? Many applicants will be tempted to go bold and say something like "Fighting hunger is what I'm most passionate about," because they feel like that's just what one is supposed to say here, but then can't back it up with facts... and passion. Admissions officers will see right through this, so keep it real!)


2. Tell us about your most significant accomplishment. (250 words)
   
   (This question carries over from last year. All things being equal, a story from your professional life will serve you best, but don't feel that your significant accomplishment MUST be from the workplace.)


3. At Haas, we value innovation and creativity. Describe a time when you created positive change in a group or an organization. (250 words)
   
   (This one also carries over from last year, although it's worded a bit differently to take the emphasis off of an "innovative solution" you created and instead emphasize the impact you had on those around you. We consider this type of impact to be one of the real signs of leadership, so it's not surprising that Haas asks for it here. Be mindful of that when you answer this question... What real, tangible impact did your solution have?)


4. What steps have you taken to learn about the Berkeley MBA program, and what factors have influenced your decision to apply? (250 words)
   
   (This one also carries over from last year. Regular readers of this blog know how we feel... You'd better have better reasons for applying than "Because it's a top-ten program!" The Haas admissions team seeks evidence that you've really done your homework on the school.)

Supplemental questions:

1. If you have not provided a letter of recommendation from your current supervisor, please explain; otherwise, enter N/A.


2. List in order of importance all community & professional organizations and extracurricular activities in which you have been involved during or after university studies. Indicate the nature of the activity or organization, dates of involvement, offices held, & average number of hours spent per month.


3. List full-time and part-time jobs held during undergraduate or graduate studies, indicating the employer, job title, employment dates, location, and the number of hours worked per week for each position held prior to the completion of your degree.


4. Please explain all gaps in your employment since earning your university degree.


5. Beyond the courses that appear on your academic transcripts, please discuss other ways in which you have demonstrated strong quantitative abilities.


6. If you have ever been subject to academic discipline, placed on probation, suspended or required to withdraw from any college or university, please explain. If not, please enter N/A. (An affirmative response to this question does not automatically disqualify you from admission.)
   
   
   (Note the comment following that last question. If you have a blemish in your past, don't try to hide it. Better to address it directly, explain what you learned and how you've changed, and move on.)
   

For more advice on applying to UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, visit Veritas Prep's Haas information page, or download our FREE Veritas Prep Annual Reports!. And be sure to follow us on Twitter!

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Berkeley (Haas) Application Deadlines for 2009-2010

The Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley recently released its application deadlines for the 2009-2010 admissions season. Haas has not yet released its essays for the coming year, although you can review the Haas site to see last year's essays and get a feel for what the school looks for in its applicants. Our comments follow in italics:

Haas Application Deadlines
Round 1: October 20, 2009
Round 2: December 10, 2009
Round 3: February 2, 2010
Round 4: March 10, 2010

(Haas has always been a little different than most other top MBA programs in how it manages its deadlines, keeping four main application rounds. Like other top programs, Haas has moved up its Round 1 deadline this year by a couple of weeks, although its deadline falls in late October, not early October. However, note that Round 2 deadline on December 10 -- that gives you a nice opportunity to pace yourself if you want to apply to Haas along with a handful schools that have Round 1 deadlines in October. However, if Haas is your first choice, we still recommend applying earlier rather than later.)

To plan your application strategy for Haas, visit the Veritas Prep UC Berkeley (Haas) information page, or call us and talk to one of our MBA admissions consultants.

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UC Berkeley (Haas) on Admissions Interviews

Peter Johnson, the Director of Admissions at the Haas School of Business, recently posted a message on the Haas blog to answer some questions and soothe some nerves regarding Haas's admissions interview policies.

On the blog, Peter writes:

Contrary to popular belief, there is no fixed percentage of applicants who are interviewed, and chances of admission for those who do interview are based on the strength of the entire application package and the interview. In the past few years, between 25% and 30% of all applicants have been selected to interview--but keep in mind that this percentage has varied each year. It's simply a reflection of the strength of the candidates in a specific round.

Although it's a positive sign to be invited to interview, it doesn't mean you'll get an offer--but it does mean that the Admissions Committee saw enough strengths in your application to be seriously considering your candidacy, so it's always a good sign!

Note that those percentages are just historical norms. You can consider them rough guidelines in terms of trying to determine your chances this year, but the number will always bounce around. So, spare yourself the insanity and just focus on nailing your admissions interview, rather than trying to calculate your chances! To that end, be sure to listen to the school's admissions interview tips podcast.

If you would like more assistance in preparing for your MBA admissions interview at Haas or at any other top business school, take a look at Veritas Prep's MBA admissions interview assistance package.

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MBA Admissions Tips from Haas

The Haas admissions team just released a great new podcast detailing what they look for when evaluating MBA applicants. Peter Johnson (Director of Admissions) and Stephanie Fujii (Associate Director of Admissions) shared a few important insights into how Haas evaluates every Haas applicant.

According to Johnson and Fujii, the three key areas that Haas looks at when evaluating applicants are: academic aptitude, professional accomplishments and leadership, and personal qualities.

Academic Aptitude
When assessing your academic aptitude, the admissions committee especially looks at your undergraduate transcript and your GMAT score. Haas will also will take into consideration your coursework in other graduate programs, if applicable. According to Fujii, "Basically, we're trying to evaluate your ability to succeed academically in our program." Johnson made note that they pay attention to the caliber of your undergraduate institution, the rigor in your undergraduate classes, and the overall trend in your GPA from your freshman year to your senior year. The school does not have a hard GMAT score cutoff, but Johnson urges applicants to aim to at least be in the school's middle-80% GMAT range (currently 650-750).

Professional Accomplishments and Leadership
Work experience is very important to Haas. Most incoming students at Haas have between three and seven years of work experience after college. The school rarely admits applicants with less than two years of work experience. But it's about more than just quantity of experience. According to Johnson, "We really need to understand your career progression. Why have you transitioned from one job to another? How has your role progressed within each organization? Have your responsibilities increased? Have you had the opportunity to develop leadership skills?" Johnson went on to add that it's impressive to see that a candidate has earned a series of promotions and increases in responsibility, rather than someone who "started out at the top." Finally, the Haas admissions team looks closely for signs of how you've impacted your organization, which is a key yardstick of your leadership ability, regardless of your job title.

Personal Qualities
Like all other top business schools, Haas puts a lot of emphasis on who you are, not just what you've accomplished. As Johnson says, "We're interested in understanding our applicants as individuals. In other words, what's important to you? What are you passionate about?" They go on to emphasize that you really need to be your self in your MBA application. Says Johnson, "The number one mistake that applicants make in their essays is that they spend too much time trying to write what they think the admissions committee wants to read." Finally, they give another important piece of advice that we often give our clients: Don't underestimate how much time and effort it will take to create truly great, personal MBA essays. Finally, they explain Haas's interview policy: The school typically invites 25%-30% of its applicants to interview (usually conducted by alumni or students), and Haas rarely admits an applicant without an interview.

These are just a few of the tips that Haas includes in their podcast. We definitely recommend that you give it a listen if you're interested in Haas, but give it a listen even if you don't plan on applying to Haas this year.

For more advice on applying to Haas, visit the Veritas Prep UC Berkeley (Haas) information page and let us help you develop your own MBA Game Plan for Haas.

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New Dean at Haas

Yesterday, the UC Regents approved the appointment of Richard K. Lyons to the position of Dean at Berkeley's Haas School of Business. Prior to his appointment, Lyons served as a professor at the school, and as the chief learning officer of Goldman Sachs, New York. As the chief learning officer, he directed the group in charge of developing leadership in Goldman Sach's managing directors and partners.

Lyons stated that he "learned that you can't overestimate the importance of great people in building great firms. And that's the business we're in here at Haas."

Congratulations to Dean Lyons!

Learn more about the Haas School's newest Dean here.
Learn more about applying to Haas here.

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UC Berkeley (Haas) Application Essays and Deadlines for 2008-2009

The Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley has just released its application deadlines and admissions essays for the 2008-2009 season. Note that as of 7/16/08 Haas still notes on its web site that these are subject to change for the 2008-2009 application season. Our comments are in italics:

Haas Application Deadlines

Round 1: November 4, 2008
Round 2: December 9, 2008
Round 3: January 30, 2009
Round 4: March 11, 2009

(These are virtually identical to last year's deadlines.)

Haas Admissions Essays

(Note that we have presented these in a different order than what you will see on the Haas web site.)

Required Essays:

1. Give us an example of a situation in which you displayed leadership. (500 word maximum)
2. What are your short-term and long-term career goals? How do your professional experiences relate to these goals? Why do you want an MBA from Berkeley at this point in your career? (1000 word maximum)

Short Answer:

1. If you could change one thing you've done in your life, what would it be, and how would you do it differently? (250 word maximum)


2. Tell us about your most significant accomplishment. (250 word maximum)


3. At Haas, we value innovation and creativity. Describe an innovative solution you have created to address a specific challenge. (250 word maximum)


4. What steps have you taken to learn about the Berkeley MBA program, and what factors have influenced your decision to apply? (250 word maximum)

Supplemental Questions:

(These are meant to accompany -- and explain parts of -- your Haas application data sheet, so we won't dive into too much detail here.)

1. If you have not provided a letter of recommendation from your current supervisor, please explain; otherwise, enter N/A.


2. List in order of importance all community & professional organizations and extracurricular activities in which you have been involved during or after university studies. Indicate the nature of the activity or organization, dates of involvement, offices held, & average number of hours spent per month.


3. List full-time and part-time jobs held during undergraduate or graduate studies, indicating the employer, job title, employment dates, location, and the number of hours worked per week for each position held prior to the completion of your degree.


4. Please explain all gaps in your employment since earning your university degree.


5. Please identify the course(s) you have taken or intend to take to demonstrate quantitative proficiency. Provide the course name, date, grade if any, and institution at which the course was or will be taken. If you wish, you may discuss other ways in which you have demonstrated strong quantitative abilities.


6. If you have ever been subject to academic discipline, placed on probation, suspended or required to withdraw from any college or university, please explain. If not, please enter N/A. (An affirmative response to this question does not automatically disqualify you from admission.)

(Note their comment in that last question. If you have a blemish in your past, don't try to hide it. Better to address it directly, explain what you learned and how you've changed, and move on.)

Optional Essays:

1. Please feel free to provide a statement concerning any information you would like to add to your application that you haven’t addressed elsewhere. (500 word maximum)


2. If you wish to be considered for the Haas Achievement Award (for individuals who have achieved success in spite of significant economic, educational, health-related and/or other obstacles), please use this space to address the obstacles you have overcome. (750 word maximum)

(The Haas application features a bunch of short questions that clearly hit on all of the attributes that they most look for in applicants -- especially leadership, innovation, and maturity. Interestingly, there aren't many changes from last year. The "What would you change about your life?" question is the biggest change vs. what was in last year's application. This question provides for a better opportunity to demonstrate introspection than last year's "Who would you invite to dinner?" question. The key with all of these, especially the Short Answer questions, is to answer the question asked! They hit on some big subject areas, so don't waste any of your 250 words with each.)

For more advice on applying to UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, visit our Haas information page.

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