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SeeakingAdvice
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delete Updated on: 17 Aug 2014, 02:46
Originally posted by SeeakingAdvice on 16 Aug 2014, 10:02.
Last edited by SeeakingAdvice on 17 Aug 2014, 02:46, edited 1 time in total.
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redact no point
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jtyee
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Concentration: Healthcare
Schools: Johnson '17 (S)
GMAT Date: 04-24-2014
GPA: 3.67
WE:Consulting (Healthcare/Pharmaceuticals)
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delete 16 Aug 2014, 13:44
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SeeakingAdvice
I made a campus visit to Berkeley and liked the school and location. I was very disappointed to see the essay questions this year. I feel like the questions assume to much and pre-select applicants.

of particular annoyance:
3. List full-time and part-time jobs held during undergraduate or graduate studies, indicating the employer, job title, employment dates, location, and the number of hours worked per week for each position held prior to the completion of your degree.

well-- For undergrad I had 2 full-ride scholarships (yes TWO) one from the state and one from the university I attended. I also got to keep any left over money which I used to pay for other expenses like housing and food etc. Long story short I didn't work in undergrad because everything was paid and I thought the point of working was to get money to pay for stuff.. this essay I feel treats that as a character flaw?

/end rant
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That essay doesn't "assume" that you worked during undergrad... nor does it assume you have flawed character if you didn't work. That essay is there more or less to give the adcom an idea of why you may have more academic ability than your GPA indicates. For example, I would consider someone with a 3.3 GPA who worked 20 hours a week to have more ability to handle the academic rigor/busy b-school life than someone with a 3.5 who didn't work and just twiddled his thumbs all day.
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SeeakingAdvice
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delete 16 Aug 2014, 13:53
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Did I miss something? I read the question from a website that posted the question. Is the question optional? If it is not optional then it is implying that everyone who applies to your school should work during college.. that is assuming a lot. That's OK.. plenty of other schools with less alienating essay questions.
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kanes
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Concentration: General Management, Marketing
Schools: HBS '17 (D) Kellogg '17 (S) Booth '17 (S) Stanford '17 (S)
Schools: HBS '17 (D) Kellogg '17 (S) Booth '17 (S) Stanford '17 (S)
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delete 16 Aug 2014, 18:33
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I don't think the question assumes anything really it simply allows applicants the option to better demonstrate how their time was spent in undergrad. Two applicants with similar accomplishments from undergrad should be viewed differently if one of them worked 40 hours a week and one of them didn't. Not working during undergrad isn't a negative but it does raise the legitimate question of how you spend your free time when it is available. The applicant who can work 40 hours a week and still achieve as much as the applicant who didn't work at all is probably a statistically safer choice for a business school.

Everyone has a different story and it looks like Haas is willing to ask a few more questions to dig into the circumstances behind what is showing up on a resume.