Meet The Incoming Haas Class of 2017

Jean-Marc Chanoine

 

University of California-Berkeley, Haas School of Business

Hometown: Miami, Florida

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Central Florida, 2007 (Legal Studies); Georgetown University Law Center, 2010 (JD)

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: 

United States Navy: Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG)

Naval Nuclear Power Training Command: Staff Judge Advocate (General Counsel) 2013-2015

JAG Defense Counsel: Defense Service Office 2010-2013

Recalling your own experience, what advice do you have for applicants who are preparing for either the GMAT or the GRE? Practice fast and panic early if you do not come from a quant-heavy background. I come from a non-quantitative background, have practiced law with the military for five years, and had very little math exposure. I would recommend starting about three to four months before the test and slowly ramp up the hours dedicated to the test. I went with 15 hours a week the first two month before ramping up to 20 hours prior to the test. The practice tests are ultimately the most critical part of preparing for the GMAT. I did about 16 and recommend a similar amount. The math is not particularly difficult, but the speed of the test may create problems for some. If one were to take a prep course and actually do everything they tell you to do, then you may be fine. But remember these courses are designed with average in mind (for the most part). I would recommend going above-and-beyond the prep courses.  Basically, you get what you put in when it comes to the GMAT (Unless you’re that guy or gal who crushes these things with no effort.)

Based on your own selection process, what advice do you have for applicants who are trying to draw up a list of target schools to which to apply? Know what type of candidate you are. Understand your odds at each school. If you want to reach for a school, ask yourself: “Why would they pick me over others who may not have my weakness?” Know what region of the country or world that you want to live in when you finish school — unless you’re at a top-ranked school. Picking business schools is a very personal act, like picking a spouse, and you will have to live with that decision for awhile so take your time. In the end, all I can give is the standard lawyer answer: “It depends.”

What advice do you have for applicants in actually applying to a school, writing essays, doing admission interviews, and getting recommenders to write letters on your behalf? 

Applying to School: Do not multitask. Take the time to fill out the online forms. Also, if you’re not ready to apply, wait a round to apply because you may save your candidacy.

Writing Essays: Don’t B.S. We all know that you’re not trying to save the rainforest (Though some of you may!). Be honest and insightful. Really dig into the emotions associated with the story you’re trying to tell. Remember: Your message needs to be uniform throughout. Also, check to make sure you did not name the wrong school in the essay.

Interviews: Practice!!!

Recommenders: Be a good person that people want to help even before the application process starts. Keep that in the back of your mind always. Don’t pay attention to title as much as the nature of the relationship.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business has the best MBA program as ranked by me. The people are awesome and the weather is nice. Who wants to be drudging through snow in Boston, Philly or NYC? I wanted to leave the East Coast and, of course, the coolest women go to Berkeley.

What would you ultimately like to achieve before you graduate? I want to high-five every single one of my classmates at some point before I graduate and make life-long connections with the wonderful people at Haas.