Argh, I just spent 20 minutes writing up a post about my Haas visit but then pressed the back button and everything went to hell! I'll try my best to remember what I wrote and write it again...
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!