Berkeley Haas Essays and Tips (2008-2009):

First get the basic principles right and then move on to the Berkeley Haas MBA 2008-2009 essay tips.

Berkeley Haas Short Essay 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)

Berkeley Haas Short Essay 1 Tips

OK. Easy approach: treat this as a "failure essay". Select a failure that has impacted your career/life critically. Choose a substantial episode as an inconsequential one would beg the question of why that is the one thing that you want to change. As in any failure essay, the learning from the episode would be the key aspect of the essay, not the failure as such. While some might be tempted to use this as a substitute for the optional essay explaining a low GMAT score or a gap in your resume, it is recommended that you avoid the temptation.

Another approach is to select any one aspect of your personality such as leadership, team skills, decision making etc. that you feel has developed significantly in the last few years. Having chosen the right episode/"thing" your main task in this essay would be to show how you would use your new skill set or improved abilities to achieve different and better results given the benefit of hindsight.

Berkeley Haas Short Essay 2

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

Berkeley Haas Short Essay 2 Tips

You have several accomplishments in your roster - personal, professional and academic.

The choice of achievement for writing this Berkeley Haas essay should be based on the general importance of the achievement, the extent of your contribution to its success and what the story tells about you. Your leadership skills, initiative and teamwork are three qualities that the incident could reflect on.

As usual keep in mind that this essay is part of a bigger package. Write accordingly. For example, there is a bigger leadership essay that shortly follows, so choose the achievement carefully. Also, within the context of your Berkeley Haas essay package this should be "your most significant accomplishment" - see that there are no contradictions there.

Berkeley Haas Short Essay 3

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

Berkeley Haas Short Essay 3 Tips

Good question!

This is a rare chance, since almost no other Business School application exclusively devotes an entire essay to your creativity-innovation.

Use this opportunity from Berkeley Haas to specifically address your creative side with examples that highlight your out-of-the-box thinking. The scenario of the "specific challenge" should be used to give a sense of urgency or a personal tone to the essay. Choose from your personal or professional life.

Berkeley Haas Short Essay 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)

Berkeley Haas Short Essay 4 Tips

Key Essay Tip: If possible, especially if you are based in USA, visit Haas. Berkeley Haas takes campus visits seriously and being in USA and not visiting, is in my book a straight 25% off for this essay.

Regardless of whether you visit Haas or not, this essay does require some investment of time and effort.

The Berkeley Haas essay seeks answers to these questions: How serious are you about seeking admission at Berkeley Haas? What kind of online and offline research have you done so far about Haas? Have you talked to current Berkeley Haas students or alumni? Have you visited Haas or any of the fairs or receptions hosted by them? How can you show that your Berkeley Haas application is a reflection of your specific interest in Haas and not just another application made for bettering the odds.

Berkeley Haas Required Essay 1

Give us an example of a situation in which you displayed leadership. (500 word maximum)

Berkeley Haas Required Essay 1 Tips

Recollect and write about an experience that witnessed you in a leadership position. Select the example based on the extent of your contribution to the team's success and what the story tells about your leadership skills. Choose an experience that is not only a definite success in the context of team objectives but also helps in effectively underlining your leadership skills. The incident can go back in time but should preferably have occurred in the last 2-3 years.

Berkeley Haas Required Essay 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)

Berkeley Haas Required Essay 2 Tips

This is a straightforward career progression, career goals and "why this Business School" essay.

And you cannot complain about lack of space either!  As we keep saying in our mba essay tips the recommended length of the essay is an important guide to its importance. The task here is to clearly delineate your career development in the context of your short-term and long-term goals, while also linking the Berkeley Haas MBA with your past, present and future. Finding and expressing a logical, credible link between the three phases is the key to this essay.

"Why Haas" is an important part of the question and so is "Why Haas now"; answer both parts of the question. Usually "Why Now" is much easier to handle if you try to think of why not 1-2 years earlier or 1-2 years later. Remember that you can blend in non-career aspects that are relevant to your story since your career is intricately connected to your personal life and personal goals.

Goals, even more than other essay topics, are more a matter of credibility, logic and realism than anything else. If you can add passion as well, you have the recipe for a beautiful and effective essay.

Go for it!

Berkeley Haas Optional Essay 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)

Berkeley Haas Optional Essay Tips

We can be accused of taking a partisan role in the question of optional essays. We stand against optional essays in almost all cases. We feel that the first question in any optional essay is to decide whether you need to write it at all.

Attempt the Berkeley Haas optional essay only if you feel that it will improve the factual and material strength of your application.

Do not submit your Berkeley Haas optional essay as an addendum to any of your essays.

Do not submit your Berkeley Haas optional essay because you feel the quality of your earlier essays is improvable – in which case redouble your efforts in the earlier essays and leave the optional essay alone.

Use the Berkeley Haas optional essay if you need to describe at length an extraordinarily positive contribution or quality that CANNOT be accommodated in the other essays. Maybe there is a particularly important aspect of your personality, career or life that you want the Haas admissions committee to know about. In that case you can consider writing the optional essay.

Use the Berkeley Haas optional essay to explain shortfalls in your application which you feel are truly detrimental to your candidature. Areas of underperformance (academic or professional) or events which stick out (gaps in your resumes or second MBA) or application issues (reapplications) can be commented on if you have explanations that are intelligent and credible.

In case you find any of the above applicable, note down the options and then consider yet again if the optional essay is a strong constructive addition to your candidacy. If yes, then start working on the essay.

Berkeley Haas Optional Essay 2 [Scholarship]

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. (500 word maximum)

Berkeley Haas Optional Essay [Scholarship] Tips

Applying for a scholarship is almost always advisable (you have little to lose and something to gain). Write a scholarship essay that ties in with your application and essay package, without contradicting any part of what you have already written about yourself. Since the scholarship process is separate from the admissions process in most schools do not be afraid of repeating information that defines your strong candidature.

Please present an honest, believable and robust picture of your economic, educational, health-related or other handicaps and tell them how you have triumphed over them so far.

Go for it!