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Berkely Hass Admissions Essay Requirements
Berkeley (Haas)
U.S. News Ranking: 8
BusinessWeek Ranking: 8
Financial Times Ranking: Not Ranked
With six required essay prompts, one of which actually has two questions, the Haas application is one of the most daunting in terms of the number of essays you’re asked to write. However, the first five required prompts are all limited to a maximum of 250 words. That means that the challenge almost immediately shifts from concerns over having to write a lot to concerns over fitting everything into a relatively small amount of space.
No matter which of the essay prompts you’re working on, EssayEdge has a detailed analysis of the 2011-2012 Haas essay prompts. If you’re wondering how you can go about writing a great Haas admissions essay, scroll down the page to see our prompt-by-prompt breakdowns.
Prompt 1: What brings you the greatest joy? How does this make you distinctive?
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Approaching the prompt The best things in life are free and available to all: love, friendship, and the sheer exhilaration of being alive. But Haas is giving you a clue by asking you how your greatest joy makes you distinctive. If you feel like you are being dishonest by not mentioning your most beloved joy, do so briefly and then move quickly to the topic of the response. The focus of this essay should be providing insight into an aspect of yourself that demonstrates your ability to contribute to the Haas cohort in a unique way. Common pitfalls Being Ephemeral. Why certain things bring us high levels of enjoyment is often difficult to describe. However, this is what you must do to have a successful response to this essay. Avoid explaining your joys in life with vague words or cliché phrases that will not provide insight to the admissions committee. Think of yourself in relation to other probable applicants and tell the admissions officers exactly why your particular passions and sense of purpose will enhance the Haas experience for all participants. Be sincere. Be sappy, if needed. But be specific. |
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Prompt 2: What is your most significant accomplishment?
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Approaching the prompt Haas is not quite giving you all the information you need here. The admissions officers are going to also want to know why you think the anecdote you chose represents your most significant accomplishment. Although examples from your professional life may seem like the obvious choice, your response could come from either your personal or professional life. Also, as most applicants will choose an anecdote from their professional career, selecting one from your personal life is a great way to submit an essay that will make you stand apart from the crowd. Either way, it is imperative to make a connection between the achievement you feel is most meaningful and the character strengths that you wish to convey to the admissions committee. Common pitfalls Choosing the Achievement that Brought the Greatest Reward from Others. Writing about an accomplishment specifically because it earned you notoriety, money, or other tangible rewards won’t be particularly persuasive. Haas is looking for an ability to reflect meaningfully on your experiences and integrate those experiences into your worldview. An example where your actions also benefitted others is an excellent idea. What is most important is that you show personal development and growth in this essay. |
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Prompt 3: Describe a time when you questioned an established practice or thought within an organization. How did your actions create positive change?
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Approaching the prompt Here is where Haas begins asking you to offer anecdotes from your life that relate to the school’s four key principles. Respectfully questioning the status quo and being able to take action without the assurance of approval from peers or even superiors is an integral part of how Haas wants to develop its students. It doesn’t have to be monumental, but you do need to demonstrate that it was difficult to go against the grain and move a group or organization out of stagnation and towards success. Common pitfalls Not Being Clear About the Status Quo. Different organizations and groups have different cultures. For this reason, situations where individuals are given a certain level of autonomy as well as those where behavior is highly circumscribed vary considerably. Therefore, it is necessary to directly tell the admissions committee what the status quo was in the example that you provide. We all become blind to culture after a while, and this includes corporate cultures. In your essay, make sure that the admissions officers understand what was ‘expected’ of you and why you decided that progress depended on acting in ways that were innovative. |
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Prompt 4: Describe a time when you were a student of your own failure. What specific insight from this experience has shaped your development?
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Approaching the prompt While it is perfectly acceptable to do so, it is not necessary to describe your biggest failure. Haas is looking for humility, but also the ability to bounce back. For this reason, be honest but keep a positive tone throughout. Demonstrate how this experience has ultimately enhanced or refined your skills set to make you a stronger person more capable of managing difficult problems in real time. Common pitfalls Using an Example Where You Were Not in Control. Haas is looking for an anecdote from your life regarding an incident where you either did not take action when you needed to do so or you chose an action that had a negative outcome. Situations that did not turn out well but were not dependent on your choices are not effective here. It is common for applicants to write about these scenarios and even provide good insight into how they learned from others’ mistakes. This isn’t what Haas is asking you to do with this prompt. The essay needs to be directly and specifically about you. |
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Prompt 5: Describe a time when you led by inspiring or motivating others toward a shared goal.
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Approaching the prompt Leadership is the key to creating a successful response to this prompt. However, this does not necessarily refer to times where you were at the helm of a project or group. Don’t overlook situations where you were able to, as a group member, effectively guide your group or team. Include the specific techniques that you used to accomplish this task. This will reflect strong interpersonal skills and the ability to navigate complex social interactions. Most of all, remember to tell the admissions committee about the ultimate success that was shared by the entire group. Common pitfalls Focusing on the Outcome. While you need to end the essay with a positive statement regarding how the group reached new heights, this should not be the main topic of the essay. Of course, as you were going through this process, you always had the end goal in mind. But Haas wants to know how you got from point A to point Z. What skills did you draw upon? |
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Prompt 6a: What are your post-MBA short-term and long-term career goals? How have your professional experiences prepared you to achieve these goals? b. How will an MBA from Haas help you achieve these goals?
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Approaching the prompt The prompts here are pretty self-explanatory. However, Haas is allowing you some leeway in the first part of the essay. You can either outline your goals first and then explain how your past has led you to where you are today, or you can take a goal/experience-goal/experience approach. Use whichever format feels most natural to you. After this, create the section that fully details why the Haas program is a perfect match, providing you with the skills and experiences you need to realize your career vision. Common pitfalls Not Demonstrating a Strong Enough Career Vision: This essay is not a contract written in stone. Haas will not revoke your degree if you ultimately change your mind about the direction of your career. However, for the purposes of creating your Haas application essays, it is necessary to show that you have a clear vision of the path you would like your career to take. Without it, this calls into question why you are even seeking a graduate business education in the first place. Citing Generic Reasons for Choosing Haas: Yes, Haas has a global reputation. Yes, Haas has an outstanding course program. Yes, Haas has a strong alumni association. But so do all the other top schools. Why did you pick Haas from among the others? What can you gain from the Haas experience and achieve with a Haas education that you would not be able to if you were to attend another MBA program? It is these details that help the admissions officers understand how you will both gain the most from and contribute the most to their program. This is the kind of applicant Haas most desires. |
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