{"id":8330,"date":"2011-08-16T15:53:23","date_gmt":"2011-08-16T22:53:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/?p=8330"},"modified":"2011-10-06T16:50:24","modified_gmt":"2011-10-06T23:50:24","slug":"haas-essay-analysis-and-application-deadlines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/haas-essay-analysis-and-application-deadlines\/","title":{"rendered":"Haas Essay Analysis and Application Deadlines"},"content":{"rendered":"

UC Berkeley\u2019s Haas School of Business has released its MBA application essays <\/a>and deadlines for the Class of 2014. Haas made some big changes to its essays (lots of short ones!) this year. Here are the school\u2019s application deadlines and essays, followed by our comments in italics:<\/p>\n

Berkeley (Haas) Application Deadlines<\/strong>
\nRound 1: October 12, 2011
\nRound 2: December 1, 2011
\nRound 3: January 18, 2012
\nRound 4: March 7, 2012<\/p>\n

These are nearly identical to last year\u2019s deadlines, with the exception of the Round 4 deadline, which comes nine days earlier than it did last year. Note that Haas has four admissions rounds. In a way this makes it easier on you as you plan your Haas application \u2014 it gives you the option of applying at an \u201coff-peak\u201d time, such as early December, when you will be\u00a0 between most other top schools\u2019 Round 1 and Round 2 deadlines. Aiming for Round 1 and Round 2 is still your best bet, and\u00a0 we recommend avoiding Haas\u2019s last round if you can.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

Also note that, even if you apply in Round 1, you won\u2019t received a decision from Haas until mid-January, so you will have to pull the trigger on your Round 2 applications before you hear back from Haas.<\/em><\/p>\n

Berkeley (Haas) Application Essays<\/strong>
\nBefore you dive into the essays, be sure to read the passage on the Haas admissions website<\/a>. Last year this was used as a prompt for one of the school\u2019s short-answer essays. Now, all of the essays are built off of this statement of the school\u2019s principles.<\/em><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. What brings you the greatest joy? How does this make you distinctive? (250 words)
    \nThis question is new this year, although we consider it a distant cousin of last year\u2019s question, which asked, \u201cWhat are you most passionate about? Why?\u201d We like this version better, perhaps because the old one reminded us too much of Stanford\u2019s first essay question. Also, the choice of words \u2014 \u201cWhat brings you the greatest JOY?\u201d \u2014 makes this unique among business school essays. The key here is to write about something that you really care about. A good litmus test is this: How knowledgeable are you about the subject? Many applicants will be tempted to go bold and say something like \u201cFighting global warming is what I\u2019m most passionate about,\u201d because they feel like that\u2019s just what one is supposed to say here, but then can\u2019t back it up with facts. Admissions officers will see right through this, so avoid those temptations here. <\/em>The latter half of this question \u2014 \u201cHow does this make you distinctive?\u201d \u2014 is interesting because that\u2019s almost the implied second half of every<\/span> essay question that you will answer. We actually think that this may mislead some applicants because they\u2019ll feel a need to choose a topic that is based on \u201cdistinctiveness\u201d rather than \u201cjoy.\u201d We recommend at least starting with an emphasis on joy\u00a0 and then revisiting if it looks like you\u2019re falling flat in the distinctiveness department.<\/em><\/li>\n
  2. What is your most significant accomplishment? (250 words)
    \nThis question carries over from last year, although Haas subtly rephrased it this year. Ideally the story you choose will demonstrate at least one or two of the key themes in your application. All things being equal, a story from your professional life will serve you best, but don\u2019t feel that your significant accomplishment MUST be from the workplace.<\/em><\/li>\n
  3. Describe a time when you questioned an established practice or thought within an organization. How did your actions create positive change? (250 words)
    \nThis question is new this year. We like this a lot better than last year\u2019s question that asked you to give \u201can example of a situation in which you displayed leadership.\u201d This new question is far more specific, and gets closer to what MBA admissions officers really want to see in applicants: a willingness to go beyond the norm, go outside of their comfort zone, and improve on the status quo (and don\u2019t miss the fact that \u201cquestion the status quo\u201d is one of the school\u2019s four key principles). Note the second part and its emphasis on \u201cpositive change\u201d\u2026 this also gets to the heart of the matter. They don\u2019t want to just see that you question everything all the time, but rather than you do it when there is an opportunity to make things better. How did you make a positive impact on the community or organization around you?<\/em><\/li>\n
  4. Describe a time when you were a student of your own failure. What specific insight from this experience has shaped your development? (250 words)
    \nThis question is also new this year. Continuing a trend, notice how Haas uses the second part to specifically call out what the admissions committee looks for in your response. As we always advise with \u201cfailure\u201d questions, this is the real meat of the essay \u2014 illustrating what you learned and describing a later time when you put that lesson to work. These essays are all very short, so that last part may not make the final cut, but be sure to give enough emphasis to what you learned. In an essay this short, it is easy to finish describing the failure and then realize you have already hit the word limit; you can\u2019t afford to let that happen here.<\/em><\/li>\n
  5. Describe a time when you led by inspiring or motivating others toward a shared goal. (250 words)
    \nThis is another new question that is descended from last year\u2019s \u201can example of a situation in which you displayed leadership\u201d question. Haas clearly wants to dissect applicants\u2019 leadership abilities at a much more granular level than it has in the past. Here, what the admissions committee wants to see is an ability to get things done through others, rather than a tendency to be a great contributor but not necessarily a leader. Other, similar questions from other schools ask you to \u201cwin others over to your way of thinking.\u201d While that\u2019s not exactly what Haas asks here, think about this question that way if you are having a hard time coming up with a story from your past experiences.<\/em><\/li>\n
  6. a. 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? (1000 words for 6a. and 6b.)
    \nThis question is an evolution of a similar one from last year. Once again, we find it interesting how Haas so specifically calls out what it wants to see in your response. This question is essentially the typical \u201cWhy an MBA? Why this school?\u201d essay that most schools ask, although Haas makes an effort to call out parts a and b, which suggests that past applicants have not\u00a0 sufficiently answered both parts \u2014 especially the \u201cWhy Haas?\u201d part. Ask yourself these questions: Where do you see yourself in a few years (and beyond that), and why do you need an MBA to get there? Specifically, why do you need a Haas MBA to get there? Why not another top-ten MBA program? Really force yourself to answer that question, even if not all of your answer makes its way into your final essay response!<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Every year we help many applicants get into Haas. To start putting together your own Haas application strategy, download our Essential Guide to Haas, one of 15 guides to the world\u2019s top business schools that Veritas Prep offers.\u00a0 Click here <\/a>to download three guides for free!<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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