Essay Question For 2011

Required Essays:-

• Give us an example of a situation in which you displayed leadership. (500 word maximum)
• What are your post-MBA short-term and long-term career goals? How do your professional experiences relate to these goals? How will an MBA from Berkeley help you achieve these specific career goals? (1000 word maximum)

Short Answers Questions:

• What are you most passionate about? Why? (250-word maximum)
• Tell us about your most significant accomplishment. (250-word maximum)
• At Haas, our distinctive culture is defined by four key principles — question the status quo; confidence without attitude; students always; and beyond yourself. Give an example of when you have demonstrated one of these principles. (250 words maximum, Review Berkeley-Haas’ Defining Principles)
• There are many ways to learn about our program, what steps have you taken to learn about the Berkeley MBA? (250-word maximum)

(Optional)

Please feel free to provide a statement concerning any information you would like to add to your application that you haven't addressed elsewhere. (500 word maximum)

For reapplicant it is strongly recommend that you submit a statement outlining how you have improved your candidacy since your last application.

Berkeley MBA Application Approach

Essay 1. What brings you the greatest joy? How does this make you distinctive?
Approach:
Focus on the activities which you are passionate about and makes you feel happy. You must be involved in these activities either fulltime or part time.  In case the contributions are towards the community, greener planet or larger good the activities will amplify your pitch and make your candidature unique. Also illustrate how would you like this activity/ies while pursuing or post MBA to pursue your happiness.

Essay 2. What is your most significant accomplishment?
Approach:
The admissions committee would like to know whether the candidate has stood out in a specific task. The accomplishments could be at work, academic or extracurricular. It should be unique, recognized among a larger group, appreciation received by a third party and measurable (by metrics – costs/time saved, first among, % received, percentile, etc). Do illustrate to the admissions committee how you went about plan and achieve the accomplishment. In the process what challenges you faced, any learning’s from the failures.

Essay 3. Describe a time when you questioned an established practice or thought within an organization. How did your actions create positive change?
Approach:
The admission committee would be interested in candidates who have made a positive impact for a problem which was persistent or required attention or taken for granted. If there was a situation where the practices or processes could have been improved, talk about it, why an alternate solution would help the organization. When an alternate solution was proposed was there resistance? Do illustrate the process of convincing, negotiating and motivating people to make the change.  The larger the change results in larger savings in time, cost and other measurable benefits.

Essay 4. Describe a time when you were a student of your own failure. What specific insight from this experience has shaped your development?
Approach:
Failures are great occasions for learning. The leader is one who learns from his/her own mistakes faster than others. Do mention an instance where you have failed and what did you learn from the same. What was going on in your mind when you failed? How did you motivate yourself to bounce back? These failures would have helped you to learn and become a better person. Provide examples to the admission committee and explain your point of view.

Essay 5. Describe a time when you led by inspiring or motivating others toward a shared goal.
Approach:
This essay is to demonstrate a leadership situation where you stepped forward to solve a situation towards common good. The example should include the background of the problem, challenges the group/organization faced, your thoughts on the solution and how you came forward to solve the problem. What path you followed to face the resistance from people and how did you motivate the people. Round up the essay with measurable achievements, ex: achieve the goal in X days.

Essay 6. 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?
Approach:
Admissions committee would want candidates to have clarity on the short term and long term goals while applying to the program. Preference would be given to candidates with finer the details of the career plan sketched out. In the past you would have built on skills which lay foundation for your future goals. In order to achieve your post MBA goals, mention the role Haas would play to bridge the gap. It could be curriculum, professors, resources or platforms Haas provides which are unique or alumni. In the essay the candidate needs to specifically talk about the role Haas would play in achieving post MBA goals which would make the candidate fit to the eco system on campus.

Essay Question For 2010

Essay 1
If you could change one thing you’ve done in your life, what would it be, and how would you do it differently? Please limit your response to two, double-spaced, typed pages.

While picking up the anecdote, you should focus on story that represents their multi-dimensional aspects. The story can then be developed in such a fashion that you can cover up for some of the apparent weaknesses in your profile and/or illustrate some of aspirations that were never actuated. It is an opportunity to give the reader a peek into your deeper self - values, principles, belief, and hence create a lasting first impression.

Essay 2
Tell us about your most significant accomplishment. Please limit each response to one, double-spaced, typed page.

Think of what exactly are truly proudest of, where you created most significant impact on your organization, a team, or an individual. This introspection shall lead to your story. Next, frame your response as:- set up the context, mention your accomplishment, detail what exact impact your created, and finally – perhaps most importantly – the lessons your learned providing a deep insightful analysis that helps reader know more about you as person rather than just facts that will anyways be part of your CV.

Essay 3
At Haas, we value innovation and creativity. Describe an innovative solution you have created to address a specific challenge. Please limit your response to two, double-spaced, typed pages.

Choose the anecdote by exploring your inventory of experiences – where you created something radically next, where you changed something in a positive and tangible way. Next, frame your response in to set up the context, mention your actions, detail what exact change your brought along with a deeper insight into why you took created the change, and finally creating a connection of your learning from this experience to your contributions to Haas.

Essay 4
What steps have you taken to learn about the Berkeley MBA program, and what factors have influenced your decision to apply? Please limit your response to two, double-spaced, typed pages.

This is your opportunity to ooze out your passion for Berkeley MBA program. Mention about your contact points with the program very specifically – be it your school visit experience, your interaction with Alumni, chat with a current student, and any other contact points you may have. Remember this essay is to determine whether you have taken enough steps to discover the program in depth and hence, show your knowledge about the unique aspects of the program by referring to your learning from your contact points.

Long Essays

Essay 1
Give us an example of a situation in which you displayed leadership.Please limit your response to two, double-spaced, typed pages.

Explore yourself and think of situations where some praised for your leadership qualities, where you were able to motivate and persuade people, where people elected you to a certain post. Such analysis shall lead to your most powerful leadership example. Note that it’s not mandatory to pick up professional stories. In-fact extracurricular / community stories, if handled well, can be more powerful since people had no formal obligation to respond you. Structure your response in START (Situation, Tasks, Action, Result, and Takeaway) framework providing a vivid detail of the situation. An extra focus on the Takeaway section is suggested, given that it’s the insightful analysis of the situation and what you learnt is what will differentiate you from a pool of equally impressive stories of other applicants.

Essay 2
What are your short-term and long-term career goals? How do your professional experiences relate to these goals? Why do you want an MBA from Berkeley at this point in your career? Please limit your response to two, double-spaced, typed pages.

This is a standard goal question - The heart of your application. Given the amount of information you need to convey in this essay, it is important to structure your response well. After introducing yourself with a brief interesting lead paragraph, your may either pick up the Goals – Past experiences – Why Berkeley or Past Experiences – Goals – Why Berkeley. It is advisable to pick the former if you are looking for a career switch and the later if you are looking to complement your past experience. While detailing your goals, be as specific as possible. “I want to be CEO of XYZ Company” isn’t good enough. Next, in the career progression section pick up anecdotes that complement the theme for your goals and create a relation with your ambitions. While addressing the Why Berkeley part, it is important to showcase an in-depth analysis of the how exactly school’s resources connect your current gaps. Lastly, it is important to end on enthusiastic / interesting note that ties back to the theme you introduced in the lead paragraph to make it a tight-knitted story.