What are your short-term and long-term career goals, and how will an MBA from Haas help you achieve those goals? Short-term career goals should be achievable within 3-5 years post-MBA, whereas long-term goals may span a decade or more and encompass broader professional aspirations. (300 words max) How will an MBA help you achieve your short-term and long-term career goals? (300 words max)
A modified career goals question this year! Till recently Haas MBA admissions team had strong focus on leadership, however, in the last 2 years they have wanted to see prospective students elaborate on their career goals. This year in particular they give specific instructions about the short-term and long-term durations as well.
For this MBA essay, as you describe your career aspirations, you are required to be realistic, visionary, and focused - all at the same time! You must exhibit a passion for the industry and the functional role of your choice and demonstrate, perhaps with short, relevant examples, that you have the vision, skill set, and determination to make it happen.
While your short-term goals ideally should be more "practical", something you can achieve realistically in 3-5 years post-MBA. For the longer ter a greater vision and impact would impress the admissions team and also help you differentiate from your competition.
At Berkeley Haas, we consider "distance traveled" as the contextual information that helps us understand the unique circumstances, challenges, or influences that have shaped your personal and professional journey.
We invite you to share aspects of your background, personal circumstances, or significant experiences that have meaningfully impacted who you are today and how you've reached this point. Please tell us how these experiences have influenced your perspectives, decisions, and aspirations, and how they contribute to the person you are becoming. (300 words max)
With increasing focus on diversity and inclusion in the corporate world and MBA classrooms, all business schools want to ensure their admitted students are adept at dealing with individuals from diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
Untill last year, Haas admissions team wanted answer to "Can you please describe any experience or exposure you have in the area of diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging whether through community organizations, personal, or in the workplace? This year however, they ask you to specifically share details about you that make you unique, aspects of your experiences that might have shaped your perspectives and values.
When writing your answer - you can take a chronological approach and share details about your background or focus on 2-3 themes that demonstrate how you faced unique situations or overcome significant challenges. Always keep in mind - the focus here too remains about how these experiences position you to be a superior MBA candidate.
What makes you feel alive when you are doing it, and why?
You will be able to test your audio-visual connection before recording. Video essays should last 1-2 minutes and may not exceed 2 minutes. You have two (2) attempts to record your video essay.
In other words, what activity are you most passionate about and why does it mean so much to you?
Berkeley Haas business school puts lots of emphasis on cultural fit and getting to know its MBA admits deeply by asking them about what really matters to them. With this question too, the Haas MBA admissions team is attempting to understand who you are and what makes you - you?
When answering this MBA essay, connecting what you answer to your deeper values and desires will be critical for a good answer. You could talk about simple activities like running, painting, dancing, or playing sports but why do those things matter to you and what aspect makes you feel alive, WHY do you do it with such passion, and feel so strongly about it is more important.
Use this video also to highlight your uniqueness, your strengths, that impactfully market your candidature. This is after all your sales pitch for MBA admissions!
MBA video tipsHaas MBA application requires you to submit a one-page resume along with details about your employment and academics. The typical MBA resume format consists of employment, education, and extracurricular details. MBA resume tips
In your Columbia application, you will be asked to provide one MBA letter of recommendation - from you current or previous supervisors. Like many top business schools in the US, Haas MBA application constitutes of letter of recommendation questions taken from the GMAC MBA letter of recommendation template. MBA LOR tips
As is the policy with most top business schools, Haas MBA interviews are conducted only by invitation. Students typically would recieve an invite 4-6 weeks after submitting their MBA applications. MBA interview tips
