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How to Get Into the Berkeley Haas School of Business: mbaMission’s Haas Insider’s Guide

How to Get Into the Berkeley Haas School of Business: mbaMission’s Haas Insider’s Guide

The Berkeley Haas School of Business is known for its tight-knit community and being at the “heart of what’s next” with its proximity to Silicon Valley. Haas has some of the most robust offerings in technology/innovation, social impact, DEI, and sustainability/cleantech. But with fewer than 300 students per class and less traditional essay prompts, securing a spot at Haas is not an easy task. So, what does it take to get into Haas?

We already mentioned that Haas is among the smallest of the major MBA programs, and in an environment like that, culture can truly be curated. So, what is Haas culture and what does it mean for you? Interestingly, Haas declares itself to be the most “distinguished by culture” business school—it prides itself on living its defining leadership principles—which are… question the status-quo, confidence without attitude, student always and beyond yourself. Meantime, the program strives to not just teach management skills but to achieve societal progress via innovation, inclusion, and sustainability. So, you shouldn’t pander to these principles but you should certainly be aware of them if you are going to apply to Berkeley-Haas. As you consider what you intend to say to the school, ask yourself if you are manifesting these values—how have you been inclusive? Innovative? Humbly challenged the status quo?

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How to Get Into Berkeley Haas

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  • Class size: Smaller versus Larger
  • Curriculum: Flexibly versus Mandatory Core
  • Pedagogy: Lecture versus case method
  • Academic Specializations/Recruitment Focus: Resources and Employers
  • Professional Specializations
  • Location: Urban Campus versus College Town
  • Facilities: Shaping the Academic/Social Experience
  • Alumni Base: Opportunities to Engage
  • Rankings and Reputation: Important Metrics or Arbitrary Measures?
  • The Dean: Ann Harrison
  • Notable Professors and Unsung Heroes
  • Social/Community Life
  • Academic Summary
  • Admissions Basics
  • UC Berkeley Haas Essay Tips, 2024-2025
  • Berkeley Haas Class Profile (Class of 2025)
  • Haas Employment Statistics (Class of 2023)

Berkeley Haas FAQs

Is Berkeley Haas a good MBA program?

Berkeley Haas consistently ranks among the top 20 business schools in the world. The Berkeley Haas MBA program is well known for its close-knit community, entrepreneurial spirit, and experiential learning opportunities. Graduates from the Berkeley Haas MBA program accept highly compensated positions at a plethora of industries. Such top companies as Apple, Amazon, the Boston Consulting Group, and Deloitte hire Berkeley Haas graduates each year. Berkeley Haas equips its graduates with the skills necessary to succeed in the business world. The Berkeley Haas MBA program is widely considered to be one of the best MBA programs both globally and within the United States.

How prestigious is Berkeley Haas?

Berkeley Haas carries the prestige of the University of California, which is a household name in higher education around the world. Since the university was founded in 1868, it has grown to include ten campuses and nearly 300,000 students. The University of California, Berkeley, features 15 schools. The Haas School of Business is well known for its MBA programs, which include full-time MBA, evening and weekend MBA, and MBA for executives. Berkeley Haas is a well-known and respected business school that receives thousands of applications each year.

How much does a Berkeley Haas MBA make?

Berkeley Haas graduates accept very well compensated job offers each year. The Class of 2023 accepted positions with a mean base annual salary of $162,831. The median base annual salary for the Class of 2023 was $166,650. Many Berkeley Haas graduates also receive a sign-on bonus when they start new jobs. The Class of 2023 received sign-on bonuses of $36,777 on average.

Some of the industries that Berkeley Haas graduates go into that offer the highest salaries include consulting, financial services, and technology/telecommunications. The mean base annual salaries for these three fields among 2023 Berkeley Haas graduates were $182,110, $157,782, and $162,492.

Is it hard to get into UC Berkeley MBA?

Berkeley Haas is a very competitive MBA program. The admissions rate at Berkeley Haas is typically around 20% to 30% of the applicant pool. During the 2022–2023 application season, Berkeley Haas received 2,904 applications and admitted 667 individuals. This means that out of the 2,904 people that applied to Berkeley Haas in 2022–2023, nearly 23% were accepted. In previous years, the acceptance rate at Berkeley Haas has ranged between 17.6% and 23.3%.

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