The UC Berkeley MBA admissions committee has announced the Haas essay topics for applicants targeting the Class of 2019. Haas MBA applicants will respond to three brief required essays of just 250-500 words. This represents a significant reduction in total word count as compared to the program’s essays over the past few years. Meanwhile, the subject matter is similar to that of previous applications, with a reprise of that song-that-represents-you prompt from the 2015-2016 season, as well as fairly straightforward questions about the candidate’s career goals and influential past experiences.
The 2016-2017 Haas essay topics are:
Essays help us learn about who you are as a person and how you will fit with our community. We seek candidates from a broad range of cultures, backgrounds, and industries who demonstrate a strong cultural fit with our program and defining principles. Our distinctive culture is defined by four key principles – Question the Status Quo, Confidence Without Attitude, Students Always, and Beyond Yourself. We encourage you to reflect on your experiences, values, and passions so that you may craft a thoughtful and authentic response.
Essay 1: If you could choose one song that expresses who you are, what is it and why? (250 word maximum)
Essay 2: Please respond to one of the following prompts: (250 word maximum)
• Describe an experience that has fundamentally changed the way you see the world and how it transformed you.
• Describe a time when you were challenged by perspectives different from your own and how you responded.
• Describe a difficult decision you have made and why it was challenging. In your response, clearly indicate to which prompt (1, 2, or 3) you are responding. We do not have a preference among the prompts and suggest that you select the one for which you can share a specific experience, professional or personal.
Essay 3: Tell us about your career plans. How have your past experiences prepared you to achieve these goals? How will Berkeley-Haas help you? (500 words maximum)
You are encouraged to reflect on what it is you want to do after business school, including the types of roles, responsibilities, and organizations that are of interest. Through this essay we hope to learn about your professional journey to date and how an MBA will facilitate your success – broadly defined – in the future.
Optional Essay: Use this essay to share information that is not presented elsewhere in the application, for example (500 word maximum): • Explanation of employment gaps or academic aberrations
• Quantitative abilities
• For re-applicants, improvements to your candidacy | 
