I will teach you how to bring your life stories to essays faster with F1GMAT's essay guides. Download below or subscribe to F1GMAT's Service and work with me - Atul Jose, Author/Editor/Founding Consultant, F1GMAT(16 Years of helping applicants gain admissions to M7 and Top 30 schools) Haas School of Business had an impressive 7% hike in post-MBA total salary outshining the likes of Harvard, Tuck, Columbia, and MIT Sloan. Regarded as one of the most balanced classes in representing candidates from diverse pre-MBA education and the only school that has made its four defining principles a guiding force, Haas MBA is a favorite for top applicants.
In this application breakdown of the Haas MBA program, we cover:
- Deadlines
- Personal Data
- Personal Data II
- Academic History
- Test Scores
- Employment
- Resume
- Recommendations
- Essays
- Scholarships
Deadlines
Haas MBA Application is accepted in three rounds – September, January, and April.
| Rounds | Deadline | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | Sep 22 , 2022 | Dec 15, 2022 |
| Round 2 | Jan 5, 2023 | Mar 23, 2023 |
| Round 3 | Apr 6, 2023 | May 11, 2023 |
Personal Data
The personal data includes the standard information - Name, Email, Telephone, mailing address, Date of Birth but also includes multiple options in Gender( Gender at Birth, Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation), Language Proficiency (Option to Choose multiple Languages), Number of Languages applicant speak proficiently (max 10), along with details of Residency (Country, City, and California residency status while applying), Citizenship, Ethnic or Racial Identity, and Emergency Contact.
Personal Data II
The section starts with whether the applicant had attended a community college in California. There is a not applicable option, too, if you don’t reside in California. The question is a hint that the school values profiles that have gone through a limiting educational environment, assuming that most community colleges don’t offer a similar quality of education as a private school. If you are leveraging a hardship narrative, ensure that the corresponding data is captured in the application form.
GPA: Applicants are required to enter GPA based on the following grade to GPA mapping.
A+ = 4.0 B+ = 3.3 C+ = 2.3 D+ = 1.3
A = 4.0 B = 3.0 C = 2.0 D = 1.0
A- = 3.7 B- = 2.7 C- = 1.7 D- = 0.7
Enter 0 if your grades are not in a 4.0 scale GPA format.
Advanced 2-year GPA: There is also a space to enter a 2-year GPA.
Note: Although we couldn’t find any direct help on the application page to do the calculation, the public health department at Berkeley has a neat excel calculator.
Times Taken (GMAT/GRE): The next question is about the number of times GMAT/GRE has been taken.
Although the question is about GMAT/GRE, the test scores are not captured in the Personal Data II section.
Quantitative Readiness: The next question asks if the applicant is choosing text flexibility. If you choose yes, the prompt guides to submitting proof of quantitative readiness through professional quant-heavy certifications. There is an additional essay such applicants must submit to validate the data.
Work Experience: The applicant is required to submit the months of full-time work experience from undergraduate degree to July of the year when the person is joining the program.
Post-MBA Industry and Function: The applicant must choose the desired post-MBA industry and function.
The post-MBA industry options are Accounting, Advertising/Public Relations, Aerospace, Agricultural Services, Automotive, Banking - Commercial/Retail, Banking – Investment, Biotechnology, Chemicals, Computer-Related Services, Construction, Consulting, Consumer Products, Education, Energy, Entertainment, Environmental Sciences, Finance, Financial Services, Government, Health Services, High Technology/Electronics, Hospitality, Import/Export/International Trade, Industrial Products, Insurance, Law, Medical Products/Devices, Military, Money Management, Not-For-Profit, Other Manufacturing, Other Services, Pharmaceuticals, Printing/Publishing, Real Estate, Recreation/Sports, Retail, Telecommunications, Transportation and Utilities.
The post-MBA function includes Accounting/Auditing, Commercial Lending, Consulting/Management Services, Engineering, General Management, Information Systems, Marketing/Sales, Medical Practitioner, Operations, Other, Personnel/Industrial Relations, Planning/Corporate Strategy, Project Management, Research/Development, and Venture Capital.
Post-MBA Goals: After entering the post-MBA industry and function, the applicant must enter their career goals in 150 words with the question:
Briefly describe your immediate post-MBA career goals (150 words maximum)
Diversity: One of our goals at Berkeley Haas is to develop leaders who value diversity and to create an inclusive environment in which people from different ethnicities, genders, lived experiences, and national origins feel welcomed and supported.
Q) Can you please describe any experience or exposure you have in the area of diversity, equity, and inclusion, whether through community organizations, personal, or in the workplace? (150 Words)
Although outside the traditional essays section, the question on diversity is important for applicants to demonstrate traits that match with Berkeley’s DNA of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. We have highlighted a few scenarios to answer the Haas Diversity question for essays and interviews
Sponsorship: The sub-section asks if the applicant would be financially sponsored by the employer with no further details asked if they select yes.
The sub-section specifically asks if the applicant would be funded by the Fulbright Foundation, IIE, Muskie Fellowship, or AmidEast.
The description is required if the applicant chooses yes.
Partners: The applicant must confirm if their partner is also applying for Haas. The name and the program they are applying for should be also be included if applicable.
Previous Applicants: The sub-section asks whether the applicant is enrolled as a Graduate Student at UC Berkeley. If the applicant has been enrolled – mention the term and the program.
The sub-section for the Haas Full-time MBA application specifically asks whether the applicant has applied for the MBA or MFE programs in the past 2 years and the acceptance status of the previous application.
Dual and Concurrent Degree: For dual degree applicants, they must choose from MBA/JD, MBA/MPH Or MBA/Meng.
Academic Interests: Haas MBA offers 13 different pathways. If you have brainstormed the goals narrative with your MBA admissions consultant, it will be easier for you to choose the appropriate academic interests from Corporate Social Responsibility, Energy & Clean Technology, Entrepreneurship, Equity Fluent Leadership, Finance, Global Management, Health Management, Marketing, Real Estate, Social Sector Leadership, Sustainable & Impact Finance, Strategy & Consulting, and Technology.
Other Programs: Haas MBA Admissions team asks applicants to select all the programs that they are applying. This includes Carnegie-Mellon University (Tepper), Columbia University, Cornell University (Johnson), Dartmouth College (Tuck), Duke University (Fuqua), Emory University (Goizueta), Georgetown University (McDonough), Harvard University, IESE Business School, Insead, London Business School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan), New York University (Stern), Northwestern University (Kellogg), Rice University (Jones), Stanford University, University of California - Los Angeles (Anderson), University of Chicago (Booth), University of Michigan - Ann Arbor (Ross), University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill (Kenan Flagler), University of Pennsylvania (Wharton), University of Southern California (Marshall), University of Texas - Austin (McCombs), University of Virginia (Darden), University of Washington (Foster), Washington University in St. Louis (Olin), Yale University and Other.
Total number of the institution (including Haas): 10+
The next question is about the number of institutions an applicant is targeting with the choice, including 10+ institutions.
Advice: Include peer schools from the list. An applicant need not disclose all the schools that they are targeting. Some schools are known to be sensitive if they know that the applicant is targeting peers and schools above the hierarchy. Although it is tough to gauge what the school intends to observe with the number of schools and the specifics of competing schools, any school selection above 5 is perceived to be from applicants with genuine weakness – academic, age, or otherwise.
Affiliations: Haas applicants are asked to share membership details or affiliation with select few organizations: Management Leadership for Tomorrow, Summer Institute for Emerging Managers and Leaders, and Forte MBA Launch for Women.
Influence: The applicant is also required to share the details of their interaction with a current student or alum who might have influenced the decision to apply.
Academic History
Institutions: Applicants can add multiple academic institutions with the "Add Institution" button and add the following details: Institution Name, Country, City, State, Dates Attended, and Level of Study. The applicant should upload the transcripts - in a single or multi-page pdf or JPEG, or TIFF format. There are no size restrictions.
Test Scores
GMAT/GRE: Applicants are offered the option to choose from GMAC EA, GMAT, GRE, IELTS, and TOEFL, which on selection must also include the test date and registration number.
The GMAC EA is only for the EW/EMBA program.
GMAT/GRE Flexibility: Haas is among a few select schools that allow applicants to submit GMAT/GRE scores after the application deadline, provided the applicant submits an improved score (if available) two weeks before the notification deadline.
TOEFL/IELTS: If the applicant is from a country where the official language is not English, TOEFL/IELTS scores are mandatory, even if the school's medium of communication is English.
Non-Quant Courses: Do not upload transcripts of non-quant courses or courses attended during high school that might include seminars, certification in computer technology, or any professional/leadership development courses.
GPA: International students must either convert GPA to a 4.0 format or use a recognized Credential Evaluation Service (https://www.naces.org/members)
Transcript Format: The transcript cannot be a scanned copy of a printout. It should be a copy of the original transcript that is received in a digital format.
Employment
Applicants must submit the following details for each Employer: Organization Name, Current Employer (yes/no), Telephone, Employer's Location, Country, City, State, Dates of Employment, Starting Title, Current/Ending Title, Starting/Ending Payroll Title, Starting/Ending Annual Base salary (in USD), Annual Bonus (in USD) along with Industry/Function details.
Reports/Leadership: Many applicants leverage their leadership experience in the essays. It is important that you clearly mention the Direct Reports, Indirect Reports, Annual Revenue, Number of Employees, and Company Description along with Company URL, Responsibilities / Accomplishments, and Reasons for Leaving (if applicable) in the sub-section so that the narrative about conflict or leadership could be validated.
Strategically quoting numbers is an essential part of creating a persuasive narrative. Read F1GMAT’s Haas MBA Essay Guide or Winning MBA Essay Guide (Includes Haas MBA Essay Tips and Samples) to learn how.
Resume
Although a 1-page format is preferred, Haas School of Business accepts a second page if the applicant has extensive research and business experiences like career switchers or Master’s candidates with more than 5 years of experience.
Recommendations
Haas provides the option to send the recommendation letter requests through email or by post. Choose the option before entering the following details (First Name, Last Name, Organization, Position/Title, Industry, Relationship, Telephone, and Email). While choosing the recommender's email id, mention their corporate id. Otherwise, the admissions team might subject the email to additional validation and review.
The applicant has the right to access the recommendation letter or waive off the right according to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (Buckley Amendment).
The recommendation letter form starts with a question of whether the supervisor is a Berkeley-Haas alum and requires that the person enter the program name and the year of graduation.
Recommendation letter Questions
The recommendation letter questions are similar to the Common Recommendation Letter Questions, with the only difference in the additional context offered for the constructive feedback question.
Q) Please provide a brief description of your interaction with the applicant and, if applicable, the applicant's role in your organization.
Q) How does the applicant's performance compare to that of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? Please provide specific examples. (E.g. what are the applicant's principal strengths?)
Q) Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response.
In the Berkeley MBA program, we develop leaders who embody our distinctive culture's four key principles, one of which is “confidence without attitude” or “confidence with humility.” Please comment on how the applicant reflects this Berkeley Haas value.
(Optional) Is there anything else we should know?
Traits: The supervisor is required to appraise the applicant on Result Orientation, Strategic Orientation, Team Leadership, Influence and Collaboration, Communication, Information Seeking, Developing Others, Change Leadership, Respect for Others, and Trustworthiness.
The evaluation is not without any baseline. The admissions team clearly asks the supervisor to compare the applicant with others who have applied to Business Schools and those who are groomed for leadership positions.
The supervisor must rate each trait on the following description:
Results Orientation
5 - Invents and delivers best in class standards and performance
4 - Introduces incremental improvements to enhance business performance using robust analysis
3 - Exceeds goals and raises effectiveness of organization
2 - Overcomes obstacles to achieve goals
1 - Fulfills assigned tasks
No Basis
Strategic Orientation
5 - Implements a successful strategy that challenges other parts of the company or other players in the industry
4 - Develops insights or recommendations that have shaped team or department strategy
3 - Develops insights or recommendations that have improved business performance
2 - Identifies opportunities for improvement within area of responsibility
1 - Understands immediate issues of work or analysis
No Basis
Team Leadership
5 - Recruits others into duties or roles based on insight into individual abilities; rewards those who exceed expectations
4 - Actively engages the team to develop plans and resolve issues through collaboration; shows how work fits in with what others are doing
3 - Solicits ideas and perspectives from the team; holds members accountable
2 - Assigns tasks to team members
1 - Avoids leadership responsibilities; does not provide direction to team
No Basis
Influence and Collaboration
5 - Builds enduring partnerships within and outside of organization to improve effectiveness, even at short-term personal cost
4 - Brings others together across boundaries to achieve results and share best practices
3 - Generates support from others for ideas and initiatives
2 - Engages others in problem solving
1 - Accepts input from others
No Basis
Communication
5 - Presents views clearly; solicits opinions and concerns; discusses them openly
4 - Presents views clearly and demonstrates understanding of the response of others
3 - Presents views clearly and in a well-structured manner
2 - Is generally to the point and organized
1 - Sometimes rambles or is occasionally unfocused
Information Seeking
5 - Involves others who would not normally be involved including experts or outside organizations; may get them to seek out information
4 - Does research by making a systematic effort over a limited period of time to obtain needed data or feedback
3 - Asks a series of probing questions to get at the root of a situation or problem
2 - Personally investigates problems by going directly to sources of information
1 - Asks direct questions about problem at hand to those individuals immediately available
No Basis
Developing Others
5 - Inspires and motivates others to develop by providing feedback and identifying new growth opportunities as well as supporting their efforts to change
4 - Gives specific positive and negative behavioral feedback and provides unfailing support
3 - Gives specific positive and negative behavioral feedback to support the development of others
2 - Points out mistakes to support the development of others
1 - Focuses primarily on own abilities
No Basis
Change Leadership
5 - Builds coalition of supporters and coordinates change across multiple individuals; may create champions who will mobilize others to change
4 - Promotes change and mobilizes individuals to change behavior
3 - Defines positive direction for change and persuades others to support it
2 - Challenges status quo and identifies what needs to change
1 - Accepts status quo; does not see the need for change
No Basis
Respect for Others
5 - Uses understanding of others and self to resolve conflicts and foster mutual respect
4 - Is respectful to all and generous with praise; ensures other opinions are heard
3 - Is humble and respectful to all
2- Generally treats others with respect; usually shares praise and credit
1 - Is sometimes self-absorbed or overly self -interested
No Basis
Trustworthiness
5 - Is reliable and authentic even at some personal cost; works to ensure all members of the organization operate with integrity
4 - Is reliable and authentic even at some personal cost; acts as a role model for the values of the organization
3 - Acts consistently with stated intentions even in difficult circumstances
2 - Generally acts consistently with stated intentions
1 - Shows occasional lapses in trustworthy behavior
No Basis
The supervisor must also demonstrate enthusiasm for the applicant with the question: To what degree do you recommend this applicant be admitted to the Berkeley Full-time MBA Program? (Enthusiastically Recommend/Recommend/Recommend with Reservations/Do Not Recommend)
The admissions team prefers that the supervisor copy-paste the letter in the space provided. Alternatively, they can upload the letter as one document.
The supervisor must also declare that the applicant was not involved in the crafting of the letter. For such circumstances, leverage our recommendation letter editing service. We will ensure that the integrity of the process is not compromised while ensuring that your interests and concerns are conveyed strategically to the supervisor.
Essays
There are two required essays for Haas MBA Applicants with an additional academic readiness essay for those who have chosen to waive off GMAT/GRE test. Along with the essay, the applicant must also upload proof of excellence in quant (certificates and other accolades).
Required Essay #1: What makes you feel alive when you are doing it, and why?
(A successful essay will share a specific and personal experience that helps the reader get to know you better, giving insight into your character, values, or how you would uniquely contribute to the Berkeley-Haas community) (300 words maximum)
Required Essay #2: The definition of successful leadership has evolved over the last decade and will continue to change. What do you need to develop to become a successful leader? (300 words maximum)
Academic Readiness: Please briefly describe the ways in which you have demonstrated strong quantitative abilities or plan to strengthen your quantitative abilities (300 words maximum)
The applicant must also explain why the current supervisor is not writing the letter of recommendation.
Q) Supplemental Information: If you have not provided a letter of recommendation from your current supervisor, please explain. If not applicable, enter N/A.
Community/Professional Organizations/Extracurricular: Applicants must furnish details of up to 5 organizations - community/professional or extracurricular where they have dedicated a significant amount of their free time. Each entry should include the name of the organization, nature of the organization, size of the organization, dates of involvement, offices held, and an average number of hours spent per month for each engagement. The listing should be in the order of importance (more time invested should be listed first)
Part-Time and Full-Time Jobs (Undergraduate or Graduate Studies)
Haas is also among the few schools that value the origin of the applicant's work ethic. Part-time and Full-time jobs during undergraduate or graduate degree are required to be entered in this sub-section with details that include: Name of the employer, job title, employment dates, location, and the number of hours worked per week for each position
Academic Discipline: The school also requires that the applicant enter details of academic discipline, suspension, probation in college or university with the circumstances in the space provided.
Optional Information: Although the optional space is reserved for those who had challenging circumstances growing up, some of the implicit challenges (parents/guardians' education and its influence on low family income) could be strategically highlighted in the essay if the information about parents or guardians is shared honestly.
The optional question are:
1) What is the highest level of education completed by your parent(s) or guardian(s)?
2) What is the most recent occupation of your parent(s) or guardian(s)?
The third questions clearly grade the difficulty of growing up without fully-engaged parents
3) If you were raised in one of the following household types, please indicate:
• Raised by a single parent
• Raised by an extended family member (grandparent, aunt/uncle, niece/nephew, cousin)
• Raised in a multi-generational home
• Raised in foster care
4) If English was not the primary language spoken in your childhood home, please indicate
The fifth question offers additional context on the challenges of meeting academic and career goals or elevates the goals achieved that might look typical among peers.
5) If you have you ever been responsible for providing significant and continuing financial or supervisory support for someone else, please indicate (Child, Spouse, Sibling, Parent, Extended family member (grandparent, aunt/uncle, niece/nephew, cousin/Other)
We recommend that applicants with significant familial challenges (foster care/single parent or low-income household) answer the optional question about unusual life circumstances.
Please elaborate on any of your above responses. Alternatively, you may use this opportunity to expand on other hardships or unusual life circumstances that may help us understand the context of your opportunities, achievements, and impact. (300 words maximum)
Additional Optional Information: This is a typical optional question about employment gaps, academic weaknesses and measures how applicants address their weaknesses. As always, don't give excuses. Ideally, answer them if you have taken any corrective measures or you couldn't address inherent circumstantial weaknesses with the previous question.
Scholarships
Berkeley Haas has listed three scholarships on the MBA Application page - Brian Maxwell Fellowship, Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA), and The Forté Foundation fellowships.
Brian Maxwell Fellowship: For this fellowship, the applicant should have an entrepreneurial mindset with a bias toward creating and implementing innovative projects. There are three questions as part of the fellowship:
1) How would you benefit from receiving this fellowship? (300 words)
2) If you could have had a conversation with Brian, What would you have discussed? (300 words)
3) What makes you an entrepreneur? What and/or who has inspired you to pursue this path? (300 words)
For the rest of the two fellowships (Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA) and The Forté Foundation), applicants should just show interest based on profile fit.
Criteria
Forté Foundation Fellowship: Commitment to advancing women’s representation in business.
Reaching Out MBA Fellowship: Awarded to students with a history of empowering LGBT+ in Business.
Importance of Resume/CV: The 1-page/2-page resume is used by the admissions committee for the scholarship/fellowship application as well. Make sure that the achievements are the right mix of metrics, action verbs, and IMPACT statements. We use this approach in our resume editing service. You can sign up here.
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Related Services
• F1GMAT’s Essay Review Service (Haas) (Unlimited Essays and Questions)
• F1GMAT’s Resume Editing Service (Included if you subscribe to F1GMAT’s Essay Review Service)
• F1GMAT’s Career Planning Service (Choose your post-MBA goals and target schools)
Related Download
• F1GMAT’s Haas MBA Essay Guide
Reference
• Haas MBA Application
