The Haas MBA interview is a behavioral, conversation-driven assessment typically conducted by alumni or second-year students. It is not evaluative of your career progression alone but of how you think, collaborate, and reflect, qualities deeply tied to Haas’s Defining Leadership Principles (DLPs).
In this in-depth Berkeley Haas MBA Interview Tips, we cover:
• Format
• Duration
• Style
• Location
• Do’s
• Don’ts
• Interview Questions
Format
The interview is blind, meaning the interviewer has not seen your application essays and answers to additional questions. The questions are designed to uncover your values, motivations, and fit with Haas’s culture.
Duration
The interviews run approximately 30 to 40 minutes, though some interviews may extend beyond this timeframe, depending on the depth of the discussion.
The interviews are conducted by current students or alum of the Berkeley Haas MBA program.
Style
Since the style of the interview is conversational with the goal of decoding how you behaved in the past, demonstrating authenticity, self-awareness, and alignment with Haas’s mission to develop leaders who drive meaningful change are essential.
Location
The interviews are conducted virtually via Zoom or through pre-recorded video sessions
Do’s
1. Decode and Embody the Defining Leadership Principles (DLPs)
Haas’s DLPs are not just branding tools. They form the foundation of the interview rubric. You’ll be assessed, implicitly or explicitly, on how well you reflect these values:
• Question the Status Quo: Use examples where you took initiative, challenged outdated processes, or innovated with purpose.
• Confidence Without Attitude: Demonstrate humility. Show that your leadership style builds others up rather than outshining them.
• Students Always: Show how you’ve sought out feedback or education outside of formal roles.
• Beyond Yourself: Highlight actions that benefited others, not because you were asked to, but because it mattered to you.
Why this matters: These principles are integrated into Haas’s leadership curriculum (BILD), club culture, and career services. Interviewers often note when a candidate’s stories align with these values, or don’t.
2. Map Your Career Vision to Haas’s Ecosystem, Not Just Any MBA
Most applicants can articulate a career pivot or advancement. Few can convincingly explain why Haas.
During your interview, it's crucial to demonstrate that your career goals are not only MBA-justified but specifically Haas-enabled. Show that you've done the research and understand how Haas’s unique ecosystem will support your journey.
To strengthen your “Why Haas” response, cover the following areas:
• Haas-Specific Academic Opportunities
o Mention how programs like Cleantech to Market (C2M) offer hands-on experience in sustainable innovation by partnering students with scientists and startups.
o Discuss the Berkeley Haas Entrepreneurship Program if you're building a venture; this gives access to mentorship, funding, and pitch platforms.
o Highlight Applied Innovation courses such as “Design Thinking” or “Corporate Innovation” that let you learn by doing, not just case-reading.
• Ecosystem and Location-Based Advantages
o Emphasize proximity to Silicon Valley and how that offers unparalleled exposure to startups, VCs, and tech leaders.
o Mention accelerators like Berkeley SkyDeck and CITRIS Foundry, which help MBAs incubate and scale their ventures.
o Discuss the opportunity to cross-register for courses at other UC Berkeley departments, like engineering, law, or public policy, if relevant to your goals.
• Cultural and Community Fit
o Connect your values with Haas’s Defining Leadership Principles, such as Beyond Yourself or Confidence Without Attitude.
o Show alignment with DEI efforts through centers like EGAL (Equity, Gender, and Leadership).
o If social impact or nonprofit board service matters to you, reference Berkeley Board Fellows as a chance to lead and contribute.
• Career Outcomes and Customization
o Mention how the Career Management Group supports non-traditional pathways, especially in impact investing, climate tech, or entrepreneurship.
o If you have a niche path, show how Haas’s flexibility and small class size can allow you to tailor your MBA experience.
Why this works: Demonstrating this level of knowledge in the interview shows intentionality, self-awareness, and a strong sense of fit, all traits that Haas values. You’re not applying for “an MBA.” You’re applying to Haas because it offers something no other school does for your specific goals. Make that case clear.
3. Use Reflective, Not Just Outcome-Oriented, Behavioral Stories
Haas interviews prioritize depth over polish. It's not enough to “win” in your stories, you must show growth. That means discussing:
• Moments of failure or doubt.
• Feedback that made you rethink your style.
• Learning moments from cultural or cross-functional conflict.
• How your decisions reflected your values.
For example, don’t just describe a successful project. Talk about how you realized a team member was disengaged, what that taught you, how you intervened, and what you learned. You should also ideally – summarize the experience as a lesson/value for future team management.
Why this matters: The Berkeley Leader Development model is built around adaptive leadership. Interviewers want to admit students who are still evolving, not those who believe they’re fully formed.
4. Showcase Collaborative Leadership, Not Heroic Leadership
A subtle trap: over-indexing on individual achievements. Haas culture strongly favors collective success, so they’re listening for:
• How you involved others.
• How you handled conflict or disagreement in teams.
• Moments where you took a step back to empower others.
For example, instead of “I fixed the problem,” frame it as “I initiated a conversation with stakeholders to co-design a better approach.”
Why this matters: Haas trains leaders to operate in “low-ego, high-impact” environments. Leadership at Berkeley is measured by influence and inclusion, not authority or charisma.
5. Be Authentic, But Well-Structured
Interviewers at Haas are often second-year students or alumni who have been trained to look beyond polish. They value realness over performance. That said, authenticity should still be:
• Thoughtful (not rambling)
• Anchored in clear experiences
• Honest about both strength and vulnerability
For example, don’t dodge a weakness question.
Acknowledge it, explain how you’re working on it, and relate it to a learning moment, ideally one that fits the Students Always principle.
Why this matters: The blind interview format means they can’t see your essays. They rely on your voice and storytelling to sense your true self, not just your resume.
6. Engage With Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Beyond Buzzwords
Haas doesn’t ask if you support DEI, they ask how you’ve lived it. Be ready with examples that show:
• Working in diverse, multicultural, or underrepresented teams.
• Navigating privilege and power dynamics.
• Building psychological safety in a group.
• Advocating for a cause or community.
Haas-specific example: One student mentioned restructuring a hiring pipeline to include underrepresented candidates and tracked post-hiring performance as part of their story.
Why this matters: Haas is home to EGAL, a pioneering center on gender and racial equity in leadership. DEI is embedded into both academics and recruiting.
7. Ask Purposeful Questions at the End, Tie Them to Haas’s Vision
At the end of the interview, you’ll usually get a chance to ask questions. Don’t waste this on logistics or generalities. Instead:
• Ask about the interviewer’s experience with a particular DLP.
• Ask what surprised them most about the Haas classroom or leadership culture.
• Ask how they’ve seen Haas support students during career pivots.
Example: “How did you experience the principle ‘Confidence Without Attitude’ during group projects or recruiting?”
Why this matters: This shows emotional intelligence and curiosity, both core traits Haas cultivates. Interviewers are trained to rate candidate engagement, not just preparedness.
8. Treat the Interview as a Conversation, Not a Performance
Remember, Haas interviews are designed to be peer-to-peer and conversational. The tone isn’t meant to be intimidating but reflective and relational. Bring in:
• Thoughtful pauses rather than rehearsed answers.
• Dialogue: ask clarifying questions or reflect briefly after answering.
• Signals that you are listening as much as speaking.
Haas interviewers often note in feedback forms whether the conversation felt “genuine” and “mutually engaging.”
Why this matters: This conversational style mirrors the classroom and group projects at Haas. Your ability to listen, co-reflect, and respond in real-time is itself an indicator of your potential to thrive.
Don’ts
1. Bring unique phrases to your answers
Many candidates, in trying to impress, memorize cliched phrases word-for-word or deliver responses like monologues. This clashes directly with Haas’s conversational and peer-like interview tone, often conducted by current students or alumni.
Avoid this by: Learning your key examples thoroughly but practicing spontaneous delivery. Show openness to reflect or reframe your answer based on how the question was asked.
2. Don’t Default to Status Quo Leadership Narratives
Many candidates lean heavily on predictable leadership stories, managing a team, hitting KPIs, and launching a project. While these are valid, Haas wants stories that reflect your unique values, ethics, and vision, especially under its “Question the Status Quo” principle.
Interviewers are trained to look for applicants who went beyond what was expected, questioned outdated assumptions, challenged norms, or innovated even without a formal title.
Avoid this by: Choosing stories where you took a personal stand or where your decisions reflected an internal compass, even if the result was messy or unfinished.
3. Don’t Speak About DEI in Vague, Performative Terms
Saying you “value diversity” or “enjoy working in diverse teams” isn’t enough. Haas integrates Equity Fluent Leadership into academics and community building. If you mention DEI, it must be experience-based, action-oriented, and self-aware.
Avoid the trap of passive statements like: “I always make sure everyone feels included.” Instead, describe specific actions you took, challenges you faced, or how you learned from situations involving bias, privilege, or identity dynamics.
Avoid this by: Showing how you engaged with equity, whether through mentorship, hiring practices, accessibility efforts, or community involvement, and what it meant to you personally.
4. Don’t Speak Only About Yourself in Team-based Stories
Applicants often frame teamwork examples by highlighting how they “led the group” or “carried the project.” But Haas places heavy emphasis on collective leadership. Stories that center only on your brilliance miss the point.
Interviewers watch for language that reveals ego. Even subtly phrased dominance like “I convinced them…” or “I told them to follow my lead…” can clash with the school’s culture.
Avoid this by: Describing how you elevated others, resolved team tension, enabled quiet voices, or distributed leadership.
5. Don’t Frame Your Career Vision in Generic MBA Terms
Talking about “pivoting into consulting” or “expanding leadership skills” without tailoring it to Haas’s unique offerings can signal a lack of genuine interest. Interviewers are checking for Haas-specific alignment, especially with their interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial ethos.
For example, saying “I want to be in Bay Areas Technology startup scene post-MBA” without connecting to the Berkeley startup ecosystem, Lean Launchpad, or SCET coursework sounds superficial.
Avoid this by Linking your long-term goals to exact Haas resources, partnerships, and values. This shows that your motivation is not only sincere but informed.
6. Don’t Evade Vulnerability or Only Highlight Success
A common misstep is to play it safe, presenting only victories and polished leadership moments. But Haas looks for “Students Always,” people who know they’re not done growing.
If you avoid talking about mistakes, conflicts, or moments of doubt, interviewers may question your self-awareness and openness to feedback.
Avoid this by: Sharing a failure or conflict story where you genuinely grew. The emphasis should be on what you learned, how you changed, and what that means for your MBA journey.
7. Don’t Ask Surface-Level Questions at the End
Ending the interview with generic questions like “What was your favorite class?” or “What makes Haas different?” can leave a weak final impression. It signals poor research and a transactional view of the MBA.
Interviewers are looking for curiosity, not just courtesy. They want to see that you care about community, purpose, and fit, not just ROI and rankings.
Avoid this by asking one or two thoughtful, values-linked questions. For example: “How did the DLPs influence your approach to recruiting or classroom collaboration?”
8. Don’t Ignore the Broader Impact of Your Choices
Many candidates talk only about what they did, not why it mattered beyond themselves. Haas’s “Beyond Yourself” principle means your actions should ripple outwards to teams, organizations, or communities.
If your story ends with “I got promoted” or “We succeeded,” you’re missing the full arc. Instead, interviewers want to hear how your choices created lasting value for others.
Avoid this by: Ending your stories with reflections on impact: how people grew, systems improved, or new pathways opened, and why that matters to you.
Interview Questions
Personal and Motivational
1. Tell me about yourself.
2. Walk me through your resume.
3. Why are you pursuing an MBA at this point in your career?
4. Why do you want to attend Berkeley Haas?
5. What are your short-term and long-term career goals?
6. How do you plan to contribute to the Haas community?
7. What does leadership mean to you?
8. Describe a personal achievement that you're proud of.
Behavioral and Situational
9. Tell me about a time you led a team through a challenging situation.
10. Describe an instance where you had to question the status quo.
11. Provide an example of a time you received critical feedback and how you handled it.
12. Discuss a situation where you had to work with a difficult team member.
13. Share an experience where you had to make a tough ethical decision.
14. Tell me about a time you failed and what you learned from it.
15. Describe a situation where you had to influence others without formal authority.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
16. How have you actively promoted diversity and inclusion in your workplace or community?
17. Share an experience where you worked with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
18. What does inclusivity mean to you, and how do you practice it?
19. Describe a time you had to navigate cultural differences in a professional setting.
Haas-Specific
20. Which of Haas's Defining Leadership Principles resonates most with you, and why?
21. How do you plan to embody 'Confidence Without Attitude' during your time at Haas?
22. What initiatives or clubs at Haas are you interested in joining?
23. How will you contribute to Haas's mission of developing innovative leaders?
Closing
24. Is there anything else you'd like us to know about you?
25. Do you have any questions for me?