Meet The Berkeley Haas MBA Class Of 2023

The Berkeley Haas campus. (Photo Credit: Noah Berger)

P&Q: What have you learned during the pandemic and the shift to hybrid or remote learning and how will it impact the MBA experience going forward?

PJ: “We invested significant financial, staff, and faculty resources into providing a more robust remote learning environment over the past year. These investments greatly expanded the number of faculty who are skilled at remote learning techniques and technologies.

While students pursuing our FTMBA program have been clear that in-person learning is preferred, remote-learning options create opportunities for other students for whom an in-person full-time or part-time model is challenging.

In Fall 2022, we are launching a Flex option in our Evening & Weekend MBA Program that provides the same MBA without the need to commute to campus by leveraging the expertise in remote teaching developed by our faculty. Students in the Flex MBA option will take their core courses remotely for the first three semesters and then choose between in-person and remote instruction for their electives.”

Student walks past Berkeley Haas campus. (Photo Credit: Noah Berger)

P&Q: The Haas campus is a 30 minute drive from San Francisco and an hour from Silicon Valley. What are some of the biggest advantages for MBAs studying in the Bay Area and how does Haas capitalize on these resources to enrich student learning?

PJ: “When students come to Berkeley Haas, they’re joining a unique ecosystem. The Bay Area is home to 2,000+ tech companies, the densest concentration in the world. It’s an unparalleled learning lab for innovation unlike anywhere in the world.

The Career Management Group (CMG) at Haas has developed deep relationships with tech companies, which has helped to lead about a third of our graduates to jobs in tech. Our biggest tech employers for the class of 2020 include Google, Amazon, Adobe, and Cisco. Additionally, about 14 percent of our 2020 class went to work for startups.

We also bring some of the biggest names in tech to our school as classroom guest speakers and to serve as executives-in-residence, who teach the students. And our alumni network runs deep in Silicon Valley, leading many students to land job interviews and internships through the help of many Haas connections.”

P&Q: What are your two most popular MBA student clubs? What are the biggest events put on by these clubs? Why do these clubs resonate so deeply with your students?

PJ: “We have more than 40 student organizations at Haas, so it’s difficult to identify the two that are the most popular or resonate most—as our students are committed to many different passions, including marketing, finance, tech, startups, outdoor adventure, etc.  Not surprisingly, The Haas Finance Club, which serves students interested in corporate finance, asset management, investment banking, etc., is popular, as are the Consulting Club and the Tech Club.  Affinity organizations such as the LatinX Club, Black Business Students Association (BBSA), Latin American/Hispanic Business Association, Asian-Americans@Haas and Asia Business Club provide space to explore inclusion, along with the Women in Leadership (WIL) and Q@Haas (LGBTQ+) both of which were founded more than 25 years ago when such organizations were rare at US business schools.”

Two MBA students catch up between classes. (Photo Credit: Noah Berger)

5 REASONS TO CONSIDER BERKELEY HAAS MBA

1) Social Impact: “I was drawn to Haas’ commitment to integrate social impact and equity fluent leadership concepts throughout its curriculum, values, and school culture. Throughout my admissions process, Haas students and faculty alike reinforced to me that these topics don’t stay in their respective elective course, student clubs, or special events. Rather, they underlie many student discussions in and out of the classroom. I view this integrated approach as not only critical to my own career goals, but also as reflective of the world around us. I want an education that acknowledges the real-world complexities of the intersection between business, diversity, equity, and social impact.”
Erin Brock (’23)

2) Larger University: “In addition to Haas being a top business school, UC Berkeley is one of the top educational and research institutions in the world. The world-class biomedical research that is conducted at Berkeley (see Jennifer Doudna’s Nobel Prize for her role in the discovery of CRISPR) provides fantastic opportunities to spin out biotech startups and commercialize new therapeutics, transforming patients’ lives in the process. Berkeley also just recently opened a full-service, life sciences incubator called the Bakar BioEnginuity Hub, which supports the creation of life-sciences and biotechnology startups.”
Sheetij Ghoshal (’23)

3) Bay Area: “The Bay Area is where the action is, and Berkeley has the greatest number of graduating startup founders of any public university in the United States. I strongly believe that we are at a critical moment in the history of our nation where public and private trends and investments around AI and automation are aligning more closely than ever before. I am looking forward to immersing myself within the entrepreneurial ecosystem of this world-class public research university in order to build teams to address real-world problems.”
Matthew McGoffin (’23)

4) Defining Leadership Principles: Haas’s culture and commitment to its four Defining Leadership Principles (DLPs) made the school stand out to me. The DLPs are more than a marketing tactic at Haas – when I met with Haas alumni and current students, it was obvious that the students and faculty at Haas take “Beyond Yourself” to heart. Several individuals told stories of how their classmates had come together to support them through major life challenges, both professional and personal in nature. The students I met had impressive professional accomplishments, but rather than start conversations with their elevator pitches, they took the time to get to know me and what made me excited to make an impact. Their “Confidence without Attitude” was evident in their openness to share with me what made Haas important to them, even when I asked what felt like simple questions. Students were genuinely excited to “nerd out” with me about the latest digital health innovations, operational efficiency models, or startup best practices. Even alumni recounted with impressive detail their learnings from within the classroom, emphasizing the “Student Always” mentality. Finally, I met multiple students who came to Haas not to learn how to succeed in the current business landscape, but instead to learn how to mold the future of business for the better. I was inspired by their courage to “Question the Status Quo”.
Corrine Marquardt (’21)

5) Culture: “I chose Haas for its “Go for it!” attitude, entrepreneurial energy, and Bay Area location! I find it important to immerse myself in such an environment and to gain access to a wide network of entrepreneurs, professors, and peers who share my entrepreneurial drive.”
Sandra Cuevas (’23)

Aside from the fantastic people and Defining Leadership Principles at Haas, it was the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship that drew me to this business school. Haas does a great job of leveraging its location in the Bay Area, a global center of innovation, to provide students with opportunities to work with innovative companies that are developing groundbreaking technologies. Berkeley also encourages the entrepreneurially-inclined to pursue their ideas. Incubators like Berkeley Skydeck provide pre-seed capital and seasoned advisors to help students bring their ideas to life.”
Sheetij Ghoshal (’23)

Students on the Berkeley Haas campus. Taken in Fall 2021. (Photo Credit: Noah Berger)

BEST ADVICE TO POTENTIAL HAAS APPLICANTS

“I strongly believe that authenticity and staying true to yourself are the biggest differentiators in gaining admission into Berkeley Haas. Nearly everyone who applies will come from a great undergrad institution, have high GMAT/GRE scores, and an impressive work resume. What will make you stand out is telling your own personal story in a compelling way, which literally can’t be replicated, because it is your own. It is very important to discuss your passions, how you plan to add value to the class during and after your matriculation, and how a Berkeley Haas MBA will help you achieve your goals. Be candid, precise, and honest. This a great place to be and I wish you the best of luck. Go Bears!”
Jordan Bell (’23)

“Don’t underestimate the power of developing and articulating your story! It’s so easy to get caught up in comparisons and fall victim to impostor syndrome during the MBA admissions process. Taking the time to reflect on your life experiences and understand who you are and what you bring to the table will help you to combat this.”
Matt Solowan (’23)

“I spent several days reflecting on the defining moments in my life and tried to tell a story about these moments in my application essays. I worked to strike the balance between making my stories compelling, highlighting the impact I had made in my career, and being authentic in the telling of my stories. Finally, more specifically to Haas, I knew the Defining Leadership Principles were important in the school’s culture and tried to make sure each of my essays exemplified one of these defining principles in my own life experiences.”
Corrine Marquardt (’21)

“I didn’t decide to apply to business school until the fall application cycle, so I had to move quickly to make round two deadlines. I turned a wall in my studio apartment into a Memento-esque board full of post-its and taped pieces of paper that included personal reflections, deadlines, and proposed timelines, and notes from calls with current students at my target schools. I think the rapid pace of my application process made me focus on tightening my personal statements and essays. I didn’t waste time writing additional essays for schools I wasn’t in love with. This approach allowed me to focus on Haas, the culture, clubs, and courses via in-depth conversations with current students. By the end, I was even more certain in my decision to apply.”
Aditi Bhandari (’21)

MBA Student Hometown Undergrad Alma Mater Last Employer
Maryam Adewumi Cincinnati, OH University of Cincinnati Google
Jordan Bell Oakland, CA Morehouse College Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
Erin Brock New Orleans, LA Tulane University Feeding Louisiana
Sandra Cuevas Vitoria, Spain Sciences Po Paris Siemens Advanta Consulting
Edson Flores Portland, OR City University of New York Cross River Bank
Sheetij “Ricky” Ghoshal Mississauga, Canada McMaster University Nanovista, Inc.
Melissa Kong Kuching, Malaysia University of Oxford Teach For Malaysia
Nga Le Hue City, Vietnam Foreign Trade University ASEAN Basketball League (ABL)
Matthew McGoffin Lafayette, LA United States Military Academy Moonshots Capital
Matt Solowan Long Island, NY University of Southern California L’Oréal
Charlie Yates Greenbrae, CA Pitzer College Epic Systems Corporation

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