Top Tips to Tackle the Berkeley Haas Video And Revised Essay

The University of California -Berkeley Haas School of Business has added a video essay as one of the required MBA application components for 2023–24. The video essay asks about leadership, so Haas has also revised its Essay #2, formerly on that topic. They also simplified its recommendation letter by moving to the common format.

We’ve  got fresh advice on how to handle all of this, so read on.

Your Video Introduction

Haas sets itself apart from other schools with its Defining Leadership Principles (DLPs). The Berkeley MBA seeks to develop leaders who embody these principles: 

• Question the Status Quo
• Confidence Without Attitude
• Students Always
• Beyond Yourself 

The new video essay asks applicants to “briefly introduce yourself to the admissions committee, explain which leadership principle resonates most with you, and tell us how you have exemplified the principle in your personal or professional life.” Videos must clock in under two minutes. 

This requires some careful reflection —and some practice. Your response should be smooth, succinct and show what kind of leader you are and aspire to be. 

Videos give admissions committees a direct and authentic way to get to know you. They also are a good way to assess judgment.  Is your reply TMI? Admissions committees want to get to know the real you, but it’s obviously important to be appropriate. And, finally, videos can be a fun and fresh way to express your excitement about Haas. The DLPs are a distinctive draw that attracts students to Berkeley, and this is another way to demonstrate your fit..

Two minutes may seem like a lot when you’re staring into the eye of the camera with admissions on the line — but it’s really not. With only that short window to work with, don’t try to address all four of the principles. Instead, focus on one of the principles and demonstrate how you reflect it with clear and cogent examples. 

Once you’ve sketched out your thoughts and know what you want to say practice!  As noted the evaluation of these responses is likely to be graded on communication skills and poise as much as on content. And if you’re a bit intimidated about talking on camera or mastering the technology, Fortuna has you covered. Our fellow coach Cassandra Pittman explains how to ace your video here, and Karen Hamou offers advice on what to wear. 

Advice for Essay #2.

Leadership was the topic of Berkeley’s second essay last year. Now that the video is covering that theme, the new Essay #2 asks, “How will an MBA help you achieve your short-term and long-term career goals? (300 words)

Although the prompt asks, “How will an MBA help…,” this essay is really looking beyond the credential of the recognized degree. Berkeley wants to know what skills you will build or enhance and what experiences you will leverage in pursuit of career goals. It’s important to be specific. Make sure you call out what specific aspects of Berkeley’s MBA program will bolster your success after graduation.

We sometimes suggest citing companies that heavily recruit at Haas when applicable as a way of showing your awareness of the school and the link between your goals and what is achievable. For the budding entrepreneurs, perhaps mention Haas alumni entrepreneurs who are working in a similar space.

Our take on the rationale behind this question is this:  The committee wants to know if your personal and professional goals are aligned with the program at Haas and how you will leverage the Berkeley MBA experience to achieve them.

One final change this year is that Berkeley Haas has moved to use the Common Letter of Recommendation from GMAC: This change eliminates one additional question specific to Haas that asked recommenders to explain how applicants reflect the value of “confidence without attitude.” Haas explained to us that they adopted this change to streamline the process, making it easier on many fronts for applicants, letter writers, and programs.

Essays 1 and 4 and the optional essays remain the same. For a deeper dive into our advice on how to answer all of these essays, please see our Fortuna Admissions blog here. 

Sharon Joyce is a director at MBA admissions coaching firm Fortuna Admissions and former Berkeley Haas Associate Director of Admissions. Fortuna Director Peter Johnson is former Assistant Dean for the full-time MBA Program & Admissions at Berkeley Haas.

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