Meet The Incoming Haas Class of 2017

Jay Obaze

 

University of California-Berkeley, Haas School of Business

Hometown: New York City, NY

Undergraduate School and Major: St. John’s University – Finance

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

American Express – Business Analyst

Council of Urban Professionals – Program Coordinator

Wells Fargo Financial – Credit Manager

Recalling your own experience, what advice do you have for applicants who are preparing for either the GMAT or the GRE? You will have to put in a significant amount of work and time in order to reach your GMAT goal score. The GMAT requires discipline and focus, consistently putting in a sufficient amount of hours per week, and also using that time efficiently by strategically focusing on weak areas. I suggest using a training program, such as ManhattanGMAT or EmpowerGMAT, or a private tutor, as they are very helpful in keeping you on a consistent schedule and addressing deficiencies.

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? I strongly suggest doing extensive research, visiting schools, sitting in on a class, and talking to many current students and alumni of the programs you’re interested in. Make sure to ask students about their backgrounds and thought processes in choosing their schools. It will be very helpful in assessing which schools appeal to your own interests and career goals.

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? Start early. Identify your recommenders early and give them advance notice (months in advance) of your desire to apply to school. I suggest providing your recommenders with a detailed guide to your reasons for pursuing an MBA, a list of your career and community accomplishments and key highlights. Have a conversation to walk them through it. This will be very helpful to them in making sure they tell your story in the best way possible. Regarding essays, applications and interviews, use your relationships that you’ve built with current students and alumni strategically. Most alumni and students are willing to help discuss strategies for approaching essays, applications and interviews and, in some cases, will even review essays or conduct mock interviews for you.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? I chose Berkeley-Haas for several reasons: 1) I’m interested in exploring the technology and start-up space and Berkeley Haas will provide an unparalleled amount of exposure to it through its connections to Silicon Valley. 2) The community, guided by the Berkeley-Haas Defining Principles, is one that is very welcoming and inclusive and that I feel will challenge me every day to expand my horizons and achieve my goals.

What would you ultimately like to achieve before you graduate? I want to leave a visible impact on the Berkeley-Haas community, leaving it in a better position than when I arrived.