Though most schools won’t be releasing their essay questions until later this summer, we wanted to begin posting our essay analyses for those schools that have in order to assist diligent applicants who are already working on this element of the application. Today we’ll be taking a look at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business application.
This program’s format doubles as an opportunity and a challenge, as the various short answer inquiries allow applicants to discuss a variety of topics, but all within a tight word limit. Because the career goals essay – the real centerpiece of your application – comes last here (as opposed to first as with many schools), it will be important to provide a good deal of context about your role, company and the chronology of your story in your shorter essays.
Short Answers
1. What is your favorite quote, and why is it meaningful to you? (250 word maximum)
This question gives you a chance to reveal some words – and a concept behind them – that have had a significant and positive influence on your outlook and decisions. The adcom wants to get to know you a bit better though your answer to this question, so take some time to reflect on a quote that really resonates with you and ties into your overall message and candidacy. While we encourage you to be thoughtful and sincere, it’s also crucial that you think strategically; as with all essays, you want to avoid potentially controversial or sensitive subjects such as politics or religion. It would also be wise to avoid those that are intensely personal (such as a quote above love or death), as this could prohibit you from introducing important information about your candidacy in your response. Finally, try to be original when choosing a quote. You won’t win any points for picking something that has been used by hundreds of other applicants over the years.
2. Tell us about your most significant accomplishment. (250 word maximum)
This is a very tall order for a 250 word essay, so brevity will be key here. You’ll clearly want to select an impressive achievement to discuss here – ideally one in which you had a positive impact on a group or organization (as it would reflect well on you to say that you consider it significant that you improved something for others). It will be important to comment not only on the results, but also on the actions and thought process by which you brought them about. Note that the question does not limit you to the professional realm, so feel free to think of examples from your outside activities in selecting a topic for this short response.
3. At Haas, we value innovation and creativity. How have you demonstrated these qualities in your professional or personal life? (250 word maximum)
This is the only question that is new for this season, replacing one asking about something that makes the applicant unique other than race or nationality. This year’s inquiry is certainly more focused on action rather than personal qualities, but is driving at something similar – going beyond the ordinary and expected, ideally in a way that would translate into an ability to make an interesting and valuable contribution to the class. Remember that detailed anecdotes will make a greater impact on a reader than general commentary; while it’s possible that an applicant could provide a list of ten instances of using creativity to a positive and constructive end, limiting the discussion to just one or two will be the best way to provide a clear picture of your ability to win support for a plan and translate an idea into action.
4. If you have visited Haas, please let us know what about your visit made the most lasting impression on you. If you have not visited Haas, what steps have you taken to familiarize yourself with our MBA program? (250 word maximum)
This is a rather transparent test to determine whether you’ve done your homework and are making an informed decision in applying to Haas’ program. Because some applicants treat this school as a backup for Stanford and other programs, it will be to your advantage to convince the adcom that you are sincere in your interest by explaining the appealing elements that are unique to the Berkeley MBA. Obviously, the more specific knowledge you are able to demonstrate, the better; the adcom would love to hear that an applicant has been in touch with students, is familiar with the campus and understands the Haas culture and program.
Required Essays
1. Give us an example of a time when you displayed leadership. (500 word maximum)
It would be ideal to provide a solid professional example here, but an example from an extracurricular activity would suffice as well if you have made a more significant impact on an outside organization than you have in the workplace. To an extent, your topic choice may depend on how you’ve answered the earlier questions (since you’ll want to achieve balance across the essays). Another thing to note about this question is that it does not specify that you be in a formal leadership role – any time you exhibited the characteristics of a leader to affect positive change is fair game here. Essentially, you should aim to use this essay to highlight your interpersonal skills and ability to direct the efforts of others toward a constructive end.
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)
This is a fairly standard career goals essay as asked by virtually all MBA programs, requiring applicants to provide an overview of their career to date, describe their short and long-term objectives and explain their reasons for seeking an MBA from Haas in particular. As a general rule, specificity of career goals is of the utmost importance. Given the wording of Berkeley’s question, it will also be beneficial to draw explicit links between your previous experiences and future objectives in addition to touching upon the skills you’ve gained and lessons you’ve learned over the course of your career.
Interestingly, Haas chooses to end its essay section with the typical career goals essay, whereas most schools lead off with this topic. Rather than providing an overview of and introduction to your candidacy, as is the case with the career goals essay for most schools, this essay will instead be the culmination of your message to the adcom. Make sure to tie together the themes that you’ve introduced in your other responses, and end on a note of enthusiasm about the program and the timing of your application.
Happy writing! Stay tuned to this blog for detailed analysis of the top programs’ essay questions as they become available. Applicants should also feel free to contact Clear Admit to learn more about our counseling services for Haas and other schools. You can set up a free initial chat with one of our admissions consultants by emailing your CV/resume to info@clearadmit.com.
