The Haas EMBA essay questions reflect the importance of fit with the program. This fit includes being a mature, self-aware person who is open and will engage productively and meaningfully with the Haas EMBA cohort. Keep on the radar screen as you conceive and draft your essays Haas’s Defining Leadership Principles: “Question the Status Quo, Confidence Without Attitude, Students Always, and Beyond Yourself.” Don’t view these principles as elements you “check off” as you write but, rather, holistically: together they create a culture and values that you can reflect back in your own unique way.
UC Berkeley Haas EMBA application essays
Haas EMBA career goals question (embedded in the application):
Briefly describe your career goals in the next 3-5 years. (150 words)
Be specific – what position, what company/industry, where, what you will be accountable for. Also, add a sentence or so about what impact you’d like to achieve during this time. Don’t make it just about what you hope to learn and how you hope to grow – talk about the footprint you want to leave at this phase of your career.
Berkeley EMBA essay #1
A person’s identity is shaped by many different aspects, including family, culture, personal interests, and surrounding environments. Please share a facet of your identity or story that is essential to who you are. (300 word limit)
This adcom wants to get to know you in a deep way – this question minces no words; it gets right to the essence of what makes you tick. Be strategic but not overly so in selecting a topic – okay, that really does sound like a contradiction! What I mean is: DO consider what essential formative experience or factor will shed new, relevant light on your candidacy and/or will reflect a valuable dimension of experience for Haas. But DON’T make this strategic lens the only consideration; DO “listen to your gut” – if a topic rises to the surface immediately on reading this question and seems to be the “natural” answer for you, it probably means you should go with it – that naturalness will power and inform your essay for the better. And you can still be strategic in how you present the story.
I suggest a simple structure: present the “facet” as part of a story, and then, at the end, add a short reflection on its continued meaning and relevance in your life.
Berkeley EMBA essay #2
As a working professional, you have developed unique skills, knowledge or experience in your career. Please summarize your primary area of professional expertise or knowledge. Highlight any aspect(s) that makes you unique or sets you apart from your peers. (150 word limit)
It’s a great opportunity to spotlight key strengths. From “skills, knowledge and experience” I suggest presenting 2-3 examples, ideally each reflecting different categories noted. Use one paragraph for each. And, for each: make it concrete, present an example (this may be as brief as a sentence or even a phrase), and ensure it really is special in some way. For that last point, you must have a good grasp of the Haas EMBA students. What would make you stand out and be unique among this group of people? Beware of 2 pitfalls: 1) Being too generic and broad in your points; 2) using examples that are similar or overlap. Specificity is the key to a vivid and memorable short essay.
Additional Optional Information
This section should only be used to convey relevant information not addressed elsewhere in your application. This may include explanation of academic aberrations, supplemental coursework, etc. You are encouraged to use bullet points where appropriate. (250 word limit)
Address any issues that require explanation. Only add additional information if it is truly essential to the adcom’s understanding of your candidacy. And use those bullet points.
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Berkeley EMBA application deadlines for 2021-22
| Deadline | Decision | |
| Round 1 | December 7, 2021 | January 21, 2022 |
| Round 2 | February 9, 2022 | March 24, 2022 |
| Round 3 | April 7, 2022 | May 20, 2022 |
Source: Berkeley Haas Website
***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with individual programs to verify the essay questions, instructions and deadlines.***
Related Resources:
• Why MBA, a free guide to writing about your MBA goals
• School-Specific EMBA Application Essay Tips
• 7 Simple Steps to Writing an Excellent Diversity Essay