Calling all Berkeley-Haas Fall 2009 Applicants

Hi,

Thanks for the information. I guess I'll have a better assessment when I visit campus next week!

Do you happen to know of anyone in the MOT program? I am trying to see if I can speak to one of their students during my visit.

Thank you!

Another app question while Im at it:

>>
'Sponsorship

Check here if your MBA education will be funded by an organization other than yourself, your family, loans, or an employer, such as Fulbright, Muskie, etc. Do not check this box if your source of funding is yourself.
<<

Confused about this one. I plan on applying for Federal loans, does that mean I should check the box?

Sounds like you check the box.

Sounds like you check the box.

Hey all-

pretty much got all my essays done. The only one I have left is:

(Optional). If you wish to be considered for a 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. (750-word maximum)

My question is - how many students normally receive this award each year? Just a couple, or a decent amount of the program? As a peace corps volunteer Im thinking about applying for this but don't want to spend the time cranking out a huge essay if it only goes to 1 person who came from some war-torn nation or grew up paralyzed from the waist down. I don't say the above in a condescending tone, just wanted to state that I'm sure there'll be a couple more deserving people than I.

Copied over from the Haas ambassador thread:

I made my way across the bridge this morning to visit Haas. It was definitely a day well spent.

9-11AM: Class visit. I sat in on an Intro to Finance core course. I don't have a business background so it was great for me to see what's in store if/when I embark on my MBA. It was finance, so nothing too exciting, but the class was very diverse and the professor was very good about answering questions and facilitating discussion.

11AM-Noon: I met THE kryzak live and in the flesh! He was kind enough to chat with me about Haas and his experiences during his MBA application process.

Noon-1PM: Lunch with students. We split up into 5-6 person groups and had lunch with a current student. Lunch was a good opportunity to chat with a current student over a meal and to get to know some of the other visiting prospectives.

1-2PM: Information session. Two student ambassadors gave a presentation and overview on the Haas program. The talk was very conversational and they stayed late to answer questions. The dean of admissions even stopped by towards the end of the hour.

Even though all the activities that I participated in were very typical of your average school visit, I left very impressed with Haas. There's just something about the program (in a very good way) that I can't quite put my finger on. I think it has to do with the combination of many factors that shape the culture at Haas: small class size, location, quality of students, the program's strategic plan (leading through innovation), etc. One phrase I heard repeatedly was, "confidence and competence without arrogance", and I definitely got that vibe from all the students that I met.

If you are interested in a Haas MBA, I strongly suggest you make a visit. You won't regret it!

Hi glettian,

I am currently applying R1, and so far I am working on 2 ideas for this--one personal, one more professional. The personal one is not really getting to know my grandfather before he died when I was in college. He was my only living grandparent but he was very shy and I didn't really take the opportunity to know him better. The professional one is that before the last summer of college, I received two amazing internship opportunities. One was an international fellowship in an area I was passionate about (poverty alleviation with the World Bank) but did not pay much beyond basic living expenses, and the second was an investment banking internship which would obviously cover my expenses and part of the following year's tuition. My parents were going through some tough challenges financially, so I chose the banking internship to help ease their strain. I see the decision kind of as a regret because although it was driven partly out of necessity, I should have explored other options for funding (loans, etc.) instead of taking the "easy way out". Right now I am kind of leaning toward the second one because I think it fits in better with my overall "story". I hope this helps and good luck!

Hey Kry,
I have a question regarding R1/R2 strategy. Haas has scheduled an MBA admission event in my city (Europe) for late November. Since I won't be able to travel to USA for an interview, I was wondering is it better for me to apply in R1 (and rush the application a little bit, because I've already done 4 of them) or to meet people from Haas, get some admission tips or something and apply in R2?

I noticed on the Haas application that there was a check box for if you were a Berkeley undergrad. I don't think any of the other apps that I have filled out have had that. Do you know if Haas gives any preference (even a small one ) for Berkeley undergrads.

On a completely unrelated note...do the current Haas students know if Prof. Robinson teaches any classes at the graduate level regularly? I took Undergraduate Business 10 (Principles of Business) with Prof. Robinson at Berkeley when I was considering becoming a Haas undergrad major. He was awesome!

Good to see Haas thread being active again.
I am preparing for RD2. Stephanie Fujii said at the New York City infosession that RD1 and RD2 aren't much different, RD3 fluctuates year to year, and RD4 is definitely hard. But last year people at G-club had better results in RD1. What do you say, kry?

I am currently applying R1, and so far I am working on 2 ideas for this--one personal, one more professional. T

Some questions I have for any of the Haas representatives:

1. What electives/classes would you recommend for someone with entrepreneurship aspirations in the medical devices field?
2. Can you tell me about recruiters from the biotech / medical devices fields? How many students got internships? Full time offers? What about approaching companies who does not recruit on campus?
3. What is the added value of the MOT (management of technology) certificate in your opinion? It sounds interesting but I wasn’t able to contact anyone who is actually on that program.
4. Do you know of any medical devices startups initiated by Haas students?

I contacted numerous Haas students so far and I am amazed by the responsiveness and willingness to help of you guys.

Thanks!