If I had to sum up the Haas culture in a single word, it would be ‘inclusive’. And I don’t say that just like that. Berkeley has been one of the most politically liberal cities in the United States. Home to an eclectic mix of communities, a thriving hub for budding musicians and culinary enthusiasts, Berkeley has a rich history of fostering creativity and innovation. The Haas business school too has established itself as a progressive entity that was first among leading business schools to attain parity in the number of women admits. The Haas admissions committee is serious about packing a punch in the small class of about 250. Before we delve deeper into what’s new this year for the essays (very important!), let us look at the key values Berkeley Haas MBA clearly looks for.

“Question the Status Quo: We (Haasians) thrive at the epicenter of innovation. We make progress by speaking our minds even when it challenges convention. We lead by championing bold ideas and taking intelligent risks.

Confidence Without Attitude: We make decisions based on evidence and analysis, giving us the confidence to act with humility. We foster collaboration by building a foundation of empathy, inclusion, and trust.

Students Always: We are a community designed to support curiosity. We actively seek out diverse perspectives as part of our lifelong pursuit of personal and intellectual growth. There is always more to learn.

Beyond Yourself: We shape our world by leading ethically and responsibly. As stewards of our enterprises, we take the longer view in our decisions and actions. This often means putting the collective good above our own interests.”

Let us look at the newly released Berkeley Haas Application Essays, dive deeper into the changes from last year, and review some top tips to ace the Berkeley MBA Essays.

Required UC Berkeley Haas Application Essays

Berkeley Haas Application Essay 1. (Video Essay)

What makes you feel alive when you are doing it, and why?
You will be able to test your audio-visual connection before recording. Video essays should last 1-2 minutes and may not exceed 2 minutes. You have two (2) attempts to record your video essay.

A staple on the Berkeley Haas Application Essays, this essay has been made a video essay this year.
Notice the enthusiastic tone of the essay question. The admissions committee wants to understand the fire that drives you. Your answer should mirror this highly positive tone. To prepare an answer to this question, start by identifying your true passion. List all your current activities, both personal and professional, and rate them on a scale. Determine which activities you enjoy the most and note instances where these activities had a direct impact on the outcome of something. These can be work-related or extracurricular activities.

Harnessing your passion through extracurricular and integrating it into your professional engagements(successful ones) is the most effective strategy for writing the ‘What makes you feel alive’ essay. And a great way to start is by reflecting on the moment when you first realized this passion.

Don’t forget to elaborate on why this chosen passion is so meaningful to you. The motivation for someone working in the non-profit sector will differ greatly from that of a crypto trader.

Example

Among successful Haas MBA examples, we have seen a corporate employee who found a passion for mindfulness practices after a serious personal loss and discovered a deep, healing connection to these practices. This experience prompted him to take a one-year career break to train as a yoga instructor and mindfulness expert. Since then, he has led over a hundred meditation and yoga programs, positively impacting the lives of others suffering from similar situations. Another example is an applicant who ventured into stand-up comedy, refining his ability to intuitively gauge audience reactions. This experience sparked a deep interest in storytelling, a skill he leveraged to build a successful career in FMCG marketing. Using his storytelling abilities, he developed compelling campaigns to drive the marketing strategy for his company’s flagship product.

Supplementary read(highly recommended!)- INSEAD VIDEO KIRA Essays (Tips from Winners)

Berkeley Haas Application Essay 2

What are your short-term and long-term career goals, and how will an MBA from Haas help you achieve those goals?
Short-term career goals should be achievable within 3-5 years post-MBA, whereas long-term goals may span a decade or more and encompass broader professional aspirations. (300 words max)

Suggestions

Interestingly, Haas added the important part last year “How will an MBA from Haas help you?”. Given the limited space to specifically emphasize one’s interest in “Haas” along with the goals narrative, candidates must briefly state their background while quickly hinting at how the short-term and long-term goals relate to the candidate’s career path. In the event that a candidate wants to move into a new field entirely, it’s important they take good wordspace to reflect on the trigger or moment when they understood their post-MBA goals. Here are some key triggers for goals that applicants may consider:

1. Career plateau – you have identified that your learning curve has flattened and there are no new challenges on the horizon in the next two years. If you stay on your current career path any longer, you run the risk of being pigeonholed, making it difficult to break out.
2. Epiphany of goals – You have just realized the purpose of your career, and now that you know it, there’s no reason to procrastinate.
3. Post-MBA goals have a time component – your plans are linked to trends that are beginning to solidify by the time you do your MBA. You can not afford to wait to acquire the skills you need to capitalize on these trends.
4. Maturity – You finally have the professional and personal knowledge, balance and perspective to make the wise decision to invest in your long-term future. This is a tactful way of expressing that your age is in line with the average age of Haas students.
5. Natural career break- You are nearing the end of a clearly defined career phase, such as a two- or three-year analyst program at a consulting firm, a two-year management training program at a company, or a stint abroad in another country.

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Why UC Berkeley Haas?

Some themes to explore, but which will require personalisation are

Academic Abundance at Haas: the academic environment at Haas characterized by a wealth of resources, including insightful books, articles, and case studies authored by esteemed professors.

Engaging Beyond the Classroom: involvement in extracurricular activities demonstrates community involvement and engagement. This can include participating in student clubs, sporting events, social groups, and taking advantage of opportunities such as internships and business plan competitions.

Cultural Alignment: the values and ethos of the Haas Business school, demonstrating that you are a cultural fit.

Experiencing Personal Connections: a visit to campus or face-to-face interaction can further cement your connection with the institution. This may mean contacting faculty members whose research aligns with your personal interests and mentioning these interactions in your application essay.

Targeted Post MBA Goals: for instance, if pursuing healthcare-related social entrepreneurship specifically for women, highlight Berkeley-Haas’s healthcare management resources, women-centric initiatives, and social entrepreneurship offerings as separate areas of interests for you.

If you’re addressing UC Berkeley Haas Essay, focus your response on connecting career vision with school values.

Berkeley Haas Application Essay 3

Supplemental Information

Distance Traveled

At Berkeley Haas, we consider “distance traveled” as the contextual information that helps us understand the unique circumstances, challenges, or influences that have shaped your personal and professional journey.
We invite you to share aspects of your background, personal circumstances, or significant experiences that have meaningfully impacted who you are today and how you’ve reached this point. Please tell us how these experiences have influenced your perspectives, decisions, and aspirations, and how they contribute to the person you are becoming. (300 words max)

When Berkeley Haas asks you to write about your “distance traveled,” they are not looking for a list of accomplishments or roles. They are asking:
“Who are you beyond your résumé, and what shaped you into that person?”
This supplemental essay (300 words max) is an opportunity to showcase your resilience, values, perspective, and personal growth. It helps the admissions committee understand the context behind your journey, especially any barriers you have faced and overcome, or defining influences that shaped your choices.

So What Does “Distance Traveled” Really Mean?

It means change, growth, and the context behind your choices.
You could talk about:

• Overcoming adversity (health issues, financial instability, family pressure)
• Navigating underrepresentation or systemic barriers (e.g., being first-gen, facing gender bias in tech)
• Making bold, identity-defining decisions (leaving a stable career, choosing purpose over prestige)
• Deep influences or inflection points (immigration, values shaped by community, cultural dissonance)
• Early responsibilities or experiences that matured you fast (supporting your family financially, translating for parents, running a business at 16)

The point is not just about what happened, but how it impacted your beliefs, decisions, and direction.

How to Structure the Berkeley Haas Application Essays

Here’s a simple but powerful structure that keeps you grounded and reflective:

1. Context (1–2 sentences)

Start with clarity: what situation or background are you about to share?

“I grew up in a small coastal town in Kerala where English wasn’t widely spoken, and access to quality education was limited…”
OR

“I entered college as the first in my family to do so, carrying both pride and pressure on my shoulders…”

2. Challenge, Influence, or Pivotal Experience (3–5 sentences)

You may talk about a defining moment or long-term influence. Show, not just tell, how it affected you.
Avoid over-dramatizing, but be honest and precise.

“My parents ran a small grocery store where I helped every day after school. It was where I first learned the value of trust, negotiation, and grit, long before I knew what those words meant. It also meant juggling academics and adult responsibilities from an early age…”

OR

“Coming out as LGBTQ+ in my conservative hometown isolated me, but it also pushed me to build quiet resilience and a deep empathy for people who feel unseen…”

3. How It Shaped You (3–4 sentences)

Now connect it to your character today. Highlight values or perspectives it gave you.

“These experiences taught me that leadership doesn’t always come from confidence, it often comes from listening. It’s why I gravitate toward inclusive teams and why I advocate for underrepresented voices in my current role, for example…”

OR

“Because I’ve seen how resourcefulness can change lives, I’m driven to use finance not just for profit, but to unlock opportunity in overlooked markets…”

4. Why It Matters for Haas (1–2 sentences)

You may conclude with a forward-looking thought. Show how your “distance” prepares you to engage with the Haas community and mission.

“Haas’s emphasis on questioning the status quo and confidence without attitude resonates deeply, I have lived those values in silence, and I now seek a platform where I can lead with them in full voice…”

Berkeley Haas Application Essay 4: Optional Essay

Optional Information

This section should only be used to convey relevant information not addressed elsewhere in your application. This may include explanation of employment gaps, academic aberrations, supplemental coursework, etc. You are encouraged to use bullet points where appropriate. (300 words max)

Suggestions

Many applicants choose not to add anything in the optional essays. We at MBAGuide have a slightly unique take on this. The optional essays do not just have to be harbingers of bad information (such as gaps in employment, poor grades, or other potential red flags). Suppose applicants truly feel that they did not have enough opportunity in the main essays to highlight a unique experience or story, and that this experience may be critical to the adcom’s decision. In that case, they should definitely use the optional essay for this purpose. We have created a detailed analysis of the right approach to optional essays, which you can find here.

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