The MBA Gatekeeper To Berkeley Haas

What are the best things an applicant can do when applying?

Talk to as many people within the community as possible, because as much as it’s a fit for us it also is a fit for the prospective student. Two things are really just introspection, and self-reflection of, ‘Why at this point in their career does business school make sense?’ Who is the person that they want to be, and what’s the right environment and culture that’s going to help them get there? You can’t get that sense through websites, brochures – you really need to start to talk to people within that community, and imagine to yourself, ‘Are these people who I could sit alongside class with, that I could run a conference with, that I would want to start a company with? Are these the people that will challenge me, to take those risks, that will allow me to be vulnerable at the same time?’ Connect with as many people as possible within the program. A lot of students are really focused on, ‘What is that immediate role that I’m going to get after I graduate?’ but in order to be introspective and understand where somebody’s dream or career path will go, and what the type of leader they want to be is, to really talk to as many people as possible.

That’s something that’s so important to us, that curiosity about the world around them. People who are continuing to talk to others and learn more, I think that also tells us a lot. That leads to more thoughtful responses, a clear understanding of what the right fit is going to be and how they can make the most of their experience. Things will change, because our students are exposed to so many opportunities, and things that they didn’t know existed, but that driving curiosity to really understand what’s out there, where I can I make my mark in the world, when that comes through in the application, that definitely stands out.

What are the worst mistakes an applicant can make?

Not doing any research. I would use research broadly. People who see that business school is sort of a stamp on my resume, but haven’t thought about how this experience can transform them and why this is the right moment for them. Not being thoughtful about the process at all, so not understanding, ‘Why business school, why at this point, and what do I hope to get out of it?’

People who don’t answer the questions. In an application we will see applicants who I think have tried to recycle other essays, so they haven’t quite answered our question. That speaks to just a larger poor judgment, so prospective candidates who will email our student ambassadors, who are basically the student-facing arm of admissions and who answer a lot of questions about the experience and the process for our candidates, and they’ll get emails with 20 questions on information that’s easily found on our website. People who haven’t demonstrated just an understanding of the information that’s available to them, and tried to find out answers on their own and really save those connections to learn about the personal experience and again, more about what about this program and opportunities makes it a great fit with what I’m hoping to gain out of business school.

What matters most to you about an application?

The running theme is really demonstration of self-awareness, so I think one of the amazing things that our students find when they get here is how different everybody’s backgrounds and experiences are. If we look for common threads in terms of how we evaluate the quality and the richness of experience, it really is people who have been deliberate in the choices that they made, or who weren’t but they learned from it. And throughout the application it’s clear that they’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how experiences have shaped who they are and why they think this experience is going to help get them to where they want to go as a leader and also in terms of their career. Self-awareness and a passion – that’s a combination that’s so powerful. There are people who have written essays that I did not even know people could be passionate about, like financial bonds. But it made me excited, and I think that’s something that’s so characteristic of our students here. They bring this energy, and this desire to just do something different in this area and make an impact. When that comes through in their application, it gives me the chills.

Should applicants contact the admissions office to follow up on their application?

We’re very proactive in reaching out if there are elements missing from the application and communicating once it’s been submitted. Except for when applicants are invited to be on our waiting list and submit additional materials, unless there’s something . . . that would substantively change some aspect of their application in terms of really their current role, then we’re pretty clear about deadlines, when things need to get in, when we’ll accept materials. I would encourage applicants that when they reach out to us to reach out at times when we’re deliberately making ourselves available to talk through the process, so, at our recruiting events, if people come on campus. Again, though, I would still say to use those opportunities to learn more about what this experience could be. Calling every week or emailing every week to check on the status of their application, definitely not advisable. If it is excessive or if we think it’s poor judgment, we will make a note. I wouldn’t say that that was always the case, but now we’re using all pieces of information to help us learn more about a candidate. I can’t say that it’s ever been that I can recall a make-or-break decision. But a lot of times, so many times our applicants are qualified to come through our program and we only have a small number of spots available, so sometimes it can come down to those finer judgment calls.

We certainly appreciate drive and determination and persistence. It’s hard to say that there’s a clear cut answer. There’s always tone, there’s always context of the relationship that you might have with the person. There are all these other elements that can color what a persistent interaction could be, so we do take all of that into account, but we are clear about when it’s appropriate to contact us. We’re always thinking about how will this person represent our program and what sort of judgment will they display when they’re reaching out to recruiters or alumni, and maybe being too persistent bordering on not respecting the other person’s time or the process. There are ways, certainly a lot of resources out there. Our current students are also great resources to really understand and get advice on this. Not everybody has mentors who understand what is good judgment throughout the application process but the resourcefulness and ability of people to find that type of information before they’re on the front line, interacting with the decision makers, is another question that we would have.