Full-time MBA Program
The Berkeley MBA – Online Admissions Chat
November 6, 2007
Chat with Berkeley MBA Admissions Team
Corinne Kang, Associate Director of Admissions
Cindy Jennings-Millette, Assistant Director of Admissions
Jeff_Moderator
Welcome to the Berkeley MBA chat. My name is Jeff and I will be moderating the chat today. I would like to introduce Corinne Kang, Associate Director of Admissions and Cindy Jennings-Millette, Assistant Director. Please send us your questions!
Cindy_Berkeley
Welcome! I'm Cindy Jennings Millette, Assistant Director of Admissions, and I'm happy to answer your questions.
Corinne_Berkeley
Hello and thank you for joining us today! My name is Corinne Kang and I am an Associate Director of Admission for the Full-time MBA program. As one of the members of the Admissions Committee, I review applications, interview candidates, and make admissions decisions. I look forward to answering your admissions questions today on the chat!
craz
I wanted to know how will you decide which deadline a candidate has applied for, since there are no such fields in the form?
Jeff_Moderator
It is set by submitting your application. If you had submitted your application yesterday, before the deadline you would be in round 1, if you submit now, after the deadline, you will be in round 2.
Priti
Hi! My name is Priti. I wanted to know about the minimum number of years of experience required to get into Berkeley.
Cindy_Berkeley
Although not a formal requirement, virtually all of our students have at least two years of full-time work experience after college. The average is just over 5 years.
Jbond007
What is the representation of international students in a typical Class?
Jeff_Moderator
I would say that it fluctuates, there is no quota, but this last year 39% of enrolled students were international; the year before that it was 31%.
Daniella
Hello, I was wondering whether you use a formula to index applicants?
Cindy_Berkeley
Hi Daniella, We in no way use a formula to index applicants. All applications are reviewed by at least two people -- and we read everything! We do not base decisions simply on numbers. We know how much time goes into writing the essays and preparing your application so we give every application a thorough review.
serena
As a college senior what can I be doing to prepare for the business school admissions process in 3 -4 years?
Corinne_Berkeley
Hi Serena - There are a number of things you can do to prepare for the b-school admissions process! First, I would suggest looking at the admissions criteria that we have posted online so that you are aware of all the various components that we consider in the application process. Then, for each of those criteria, think through how you might strengthen your application in that area. For example, for the essays - take a look at the essay questions (posted online every year) and think through what your answers might be and how you might be able to build out your work and personal experiences in order to address those questions. Also, as a general piece of advice, take the time to learn about each of the different MBA programs you are considering - visit the campuses, speak with the students, etc...!
mon
Do you place more weight on certain admission criteria (i.e. references more important than GMAT, etc)?
Corinne_Berkeley
Hi Mon - During the admissions process, all the components of a candidate's application will be reviewed holistically. We do not assign specific weights to each component, nor do we rank them. Each piece of the application is critical.
tedster
Could you share, based on the past history, your admission rate?
Jeff_Moderator
This last year we admitted around 14% of the 3276 applicants. The year before that, the rate was around 17%.
tedster
could you briefly discuss the main difference (in terms of course work and program) between full time MBA and part-time (weekend/executive) ones?
Cindy_Berkeley
The quality of the coursework in the full-time and part-time (E/W) program is the same. The main difference between the programs is that for the E/W you can apply what you learn directly to your current job; while in the full-time program you can take advantage of all of the extracurricular activities that are a huge part of the full-time experience such as clubs, internships, organizing conferences and competitions, etc. Time management comes into play when you are working and going to school. However, time management is also necessary in the full-time program while trying to take advantage of all of the opportunities available outside of the classroom experience.
ddv
What are the strengths and weaknesses you typically observe in applicants coming from military backgrounds
Cindy_Berkeley
Definite strengths are leadership and team skills. Weaknesses vary - but I've seen career focus sometimes to be an issue.
craz
What if I submit the app. before the 1st deadline and my supplemental materials reach you 4 or 5 days late?
Jeff_Moderator
All supplemental materials should be postmarked by the deadline date. We expect to receive some materials a few days late due to mailing issues.
gagan
How can a candidate highlight creative and innovative skills? Does it need to be extraordinary innovations or can small innovations in day to day work be talked about?
Corinne_Berkeley
Hi Gagan - There is a short answer essay question in our application that gives you an opportunity to highlight an example in which you have demonstrated innovation and creativity. This can certainly be an innovation that you have implemented in your day to day work.
jlc98
I am very interested in the Nonprofit and Public Management specialty. Can the NPM program be expanded to a Master's in Public Policy? I looked through the joint degree program and I did not see one in Public Policy.
Jeff_Moderator
We do not have a joint degree program with Public Policy.
Waqas
What has been the %age of students from the Telecom Industry in the last 2 years?
Jeff_Moderator
Around 3% this year and 4% last year.
Nic & Dele
Is it possible for a couple (non married) to be BOTH accepted on a HAAS MBA course?
Corinne_Berkeley
Hi Nic & Dele - it is certainly possible for a couple - married or non-married - to both be accepted into Haas. However, each person will be considered as an applicant individually on his or her own merits. This means that there is a chance that one person will be admitted while the other is not.
edugirl12
Hi Cindy and Corinne. Thank you all for speaking with us. What I am really interested in (is the typical question), what are admissions directors really looking for in a great candidate (e.g., years of experience, in the private sector, nonprofit, etc.)
Cindy_Berkeley
This is a question we hear a lot. The truth is that there's not one identifying strength of a strong candidate - but there are many. Have you reviewed the podcast that talks about how we review applications? We're looking for a diverse group of students, so there's not one industry or focus that we're looking for. When we evaluate applicants we are looking at many different things. If I had more time, I could go into more depth but I think the podcast may help you identify these key areas that we're looking at. We want individuals who are able to contribute in the classroom and to the student body. We look for evidence of how you will do this.
gagan
I am traveling outside my country. Can I submit self reported transcripts for meeting the R 2 deadline and have official transcripts sent to school in say some 20 days after deadline?
Jeff_Moderator
We will accept your application, but it will be held off as incomplete until we receive all of the supplemental documents. We send emails to those people and discuss when we will absolutely need originals by. If it goes too long, incomplete applicants will be pushed to later rounds.
chasgee
Hello, I am Chasgee from Singapore, my question what is the key difference between Berkeley and other top MBA programs? Is it a better connection with high-tech firms or other factors?
Corinne_Berkeley
Hi Chasgee - Haas does have a strong relationship with high-tech firms given our geographic location and strong entrepreneurship program, but that is just one of our many differentiating factors. Another key differentiator is our small class size which fosters an intimate learning environment as well as a tight-knit, collaborative culture. We are also a general management program that has the benefit of a variety of highly-ranked specialties such as finance, marketing, real estate, etc... This is also a question you might want to ask the students who are on this chat to get their perspectives from their personal experiences.
Go Berkeley
In terms of Haas scholarships: will they be available for International students in Round 3?
Corinne_Berkeley
Scholarship funds are available for both domestic and international students in all of our application rounds.
Waqas
Good Morning!! Does the industry in which a candidate is working help him/her with some advantage? (e.g. you may have lot of candidates from banking sector, non-profit organizations etc. but if there is a candidate having purely technical work experience and now wants to do an MBA for a career change. Will he/she get some benefit in application evaluation?)
Cindy_Berkeley
Hi Waqas, We don't have a preference for any given industry or focus. We encourage applicants from all sectors and are looking for a diverse student body. However, we are looking for individuals that show some element of breadth in their experience. For example, if a candidate has purely tech work experience and wants to move into marketing, how has this individual researched this new area of focus? Has the individual perhaps taken on some additional responsibilities at work to broaden experience outside of the tech area? So, we aren't looking for one specific industry/focus but do want to see how career changers have thought about their move. How realistic is this career switch given their work experience?
Darrell
Good morning Jeff, Corinne, and Cindy! Thanks for putting this chat together. I am a 2003 Haas undergraduate alumni. I also doubled as an Econ major from Berkeley. Does the committee look at an applicant that graduated from CAL or HAAS any different?
Jeff_Moderator
We love our Berkeley undergrads! There is no difference. We look at all equally.
tedster
Will the full time program students have a chance to mingle with the executive MBA or weekend MBA students? How does Haas organize its alumni network?
Corinne_Berkeley
Full-time students have a number of opportunities to mingle and interact with students from the other Berkeley MBA programs. Some of the Full-Time MBA courses are cross-listed with the Part-Time MBA program, so you will have the benefit of learning from each others' experiences within the classroom. Conferences also provide a great forum for students from the different programs to interact.
Waqas
Could you share the number of applicants in 2006 and 2007?
Jeff_Moderator
We've published these numbers: the entering classes for 2007 and 2006 had applicant pools of around 3200 and 2700 respectively.
ObS
Hello. Thank you for letting us asking questions! I wonder when will you send out interview invitations to round 1 applicants and how many do you expect to send?
Cindy_Berkeley
We will begin sending interview invitations for Round 1 candidates in late Dec/early Jan. We don't have a quota or given percentage for how many we will invite. It depends on the strength of the pool. Interview invitations are sent on a rolling basis -- not all at once -- so you could hear anywhere between late Dec to as late as the notification deadline of Jan 29.
vikram
Hi. I sent my TOEFL scores to Berkeley last year, but didn't apply. I am applying this year. Do I have to re-send the scores?
Jeff_Moderator
As long as the exam was taken on or after June 1, 2006 you do not need to retake the test. UC Berkeley, requires all applicants for 2008 entry to have tests taken on or after that date, however.
Helena
My future career will focus on non-profit and education, so I wonder if it is suitable for studying an MBA at Berkeley?
Corinne_Berkeley
Hi Helena - The Berkeley MBA has a top-ranked Nonprofit and Public Management (NPM) Program. This program includes courses such as Strategic Management of Nonprofit Organizations, as well as opportunities to become involved in nonprofit consulting projects. We also have a program called the Board Fellows Program which places approximately 50 students on the boards of directors of local nonprofits so that they can get real-world experience in the nonprofit sector.
Ann
I received a C in my college calculus course, but I believe this was partly due to the fact that I joined an extracurricular group that semester which demanded a huge amount of my time. Is that something I should explain in one of the optional essays? I received an A in Statistics and was in the 81st percentile on the quantitative section of my GMAT, so I know I'm not completely deficient in my quant. skills.
Corinne_Berkeley
Hi Ann - Yes, please provide a brief explanation in your application. You can use either the supplemental question about quantitative proficiency or the optional essay to do so. Thanks!
craz
Can you disclose the percent of International students who received financial aid last year?
Jeff_Moderator
All are eligible. However, not all choose to take financial aid. Maybe about half get some combination of scholarship and loans. There is more information on our website.
Priti
Do you prefer students with international exposure? I would be having 3+ yrs of work experience at the time of applying out which 15 months of experience in Germany and the rest in India. Would it be a plus point for my application even though the total number of years of work ex. is just 3?
Cindy_Berkeley
International experience is certainly seen as a plus. Looking at last year's class, the range for the middle 80% for years of work experience is between 3 - 8 years. What we're most interested in is the quality of the work experience, not the quantity.
tedster
Do you admit students based on target numbers of different disciplines, e.g., finance, general management, ...,etc? Or, do you have specific target numbers of students to admit regardless of their future field of interest.
Jeff_Moderator
We actually do not work with target numbers and take a more holistic approach to review. We do want to see diversity in the class and so do select with that in mind. However, we are not looking to fill a certain number of slots from a certain industry or field of interest.
TuongNM
For the LOR, besides my current supervisor, is my previous supervisor at work preferable to my advisor in my voluntary work?
Cindy_Berkeley
It depends on how involved you are in this voluntary work. What's most important is how well you know this person, and how closely you have worked with this person. We are looking for these letters to evaluate your professional experience.
anne
Does Berkeley consider non-profit, non-paid work to be an employment gap?
Corinne_Berkeley
Hi Anne - We consider nonprofit work as part of a candidate's work experience. Our students come from a diverse variety of professional backgrounds, and a number of them come from the nonprofit sector!
craz
Can an International Student apply for an Application Fee Waiver?
Jeff_Moderator
If you meet the criteria listed on the Haas and UC Berkeley websites you can apply for it. The graduate division at UC Berkeley makes the determination about waivers. Please see their website for more information.
JS
What % of students have partners/spouses? Are there specific programs to include them in the Haas community?
Cindy_Berkeley
It's approx about 50% of the class. We do have a very active partners club - You can visit their website if you look under "Student groups" under "community" on our website. Since so many students do have partners/significant others, partners are involved in many of the social activities here at Haas.
Priti
Do you have off-campus information sessions as well?
Jeff_Moderator
We do. Many are completed for this year, but please see our website. Go to http://mba.haas.berkeley.edu/events_01.html for more information!
Karthik
How do you make the admissions process more objective? Different reviewers might evaluate candidates differently... Is there a rubric for evaluators?
Corinne_Berkeley
Hi Karthik - our admissions review process is extremely rigorous to ensure that the process remains objective. To give you a few examples, every candidate's application is reviewed by at LEAST two different readers. An admitted candidate's application will have been read by 3-4 readers and will have been discussed in the admissions committee review. All of our readers and interviewers go through a detailed training process to make sure they are calibrated and are evaluating candidates on the same criteria. Also, we conduct "blind interviews," meaning that the interviewer will not have read the applicant's file; they will have only seen the applicant's resume. This process allows the interviewer to provide a fresh and unbiased perspective on the candidate.
Amit
Hi, I have applied for Round 1 and wanted to know the timeline for interviews. When does Admissions start extending interview invitations to applicants? Thank you very much.
Cindy_Berkeley
Round 1 interview invitations will be sent beginning late Dec/Early Jan and continue until the notification deadline of Jan 29.
Smita
Hello, is the transcript of this chat going to be posted online? Thank you.
Jeff_Moderator
Yes, we will try to post a transcript within the next few weeks.
craz
For international students you need a degree certificate as well. My undergraduate institute doesn't issue a second degree certificate. What is the alternative?
Cindy_Berkeley
Please send the documents that you have and we will let you know what else we require. It is possible that we could review your file based on what you send, and make arrangements to review the original document if you are recommended for admission.
ddv
Do you like to see those applicants who do not have quantitative academic backgrounds take courses before applying/matriculating?
Cindy_Berkeley
Yes.
Priti
What is the percentage of engineering students which are admitted for a full time MBA program?
Corinne_Berkeley
Hi Priti - in our class of 2009, 5% of the class comes from an engineering position, and 26% of the class holds an undergraduate engineering degree.
Karthik
More and more people are applying to b-schools of late. I guess you will be able to get more well-qualified candidates than the number of seats available. Is there any plan to increase the intake?
Corinne_Berkeley
Hi Karthik - At this time, there are no plans to increase the size of the incoming full-time MBA class.
craz
How do you decide on who gets a scholarship? Do you also co-sign loans? If yes, then at what rate of interest?
Jeff_Moderator
For specific information on financial aid, I recommend speaking directly with our financial aid team here at Haas. You can find their contact information at http://www.haas.berkeley.edu/mba/finaid/
craz
Do you have any more chat sessions after this? If yes then when?
Jeff_Moderator
We will post future chat dates soon. Please check back.
DungNH
I have known that applicants from similar countries are evaluated in a group. I'm from Vietnam, which group of countries do I belong to? Last year, how was this group compared to the average applicants in term of GPA, GMAT score and years of experience?
Cindy_Berkeley
We do evaluate applicants based on country of undergraduate institution so that the readers are able to realistically compare undergrad transcripts, etc. However, we are looking at the entire application pool as a whole-- so we do not have different criteria for different countries. We use the same criteria for all candidates.
amine
How difficult is it for an international student to find a job in the US after the degree? Thank you.
Jeff_Moderator
Certainly it is becoming more difficult in our current climate with additional restrictions on US visas. I'm afraid we do not have a good answer yet to this question as we are just starting to see how it is affecting our current students. Some are choosing to look more at foreign opportunities, but some are able to make that leap to US employment. We think it is important to be realistic and it is becoming more difficult in the US.
DungNH
Should I have one of my letters of reference written by one of the customers I work closely with?
Cindy_Berkeley
We would like to see letters of recommendation from individuals that know you very well, and have supervised your work. Clients/Customers can be very effective recommenders.
Smita
Why is Hass different than other business schools (typically 3 rounds of admission against 4 at Hass)? Are applicants considered for scholarships and aid for round 2 and 3?
Corinne_Berkeley
Hi Smita - Applicants are considered for scholarships and financial aid in all rounds. Haas offers 4 rounds in order to accommodate the high volume of applications each year given our resources.
Raymund
Hello, I am wondering what the usual GMAT score range is to be considered in your program?
Jeff_Moderator
80% of our enrolled students this year scored between 660 and 760.
Khaled
What is the percentage of candidates coming from a non profit organization? Thank you.
Jeff_Moderator
About 3% this year.
Ali
How does the admissions office perceive applicants who are transitioning careers while applying? To clarify, what if the person is not employed but pursuing entrepreneurial endeavors?
Cindy_Berkeley
We have many students who are career switchers. What we'd like to see is some thought as to why you want to make this transition and what steps are you taking/have taken to move in this direction. This does not necessarily mean that the individual is currently working in this new area of focus.
tedster
For candidates with prior graduate degree (MS or PhD) in other disciplines, do you still need the undergraduate GPA report?
Jeff_Moderator
Yes, we still require information on the bachelor’s degree.
Go Berkeley
I completed and obtained a UK degree from Malaysia, the language of instruction and exams are English. Can I waive TOEFL requirements? I have taken TOEFL prior to UK degrees, score at 630. I am afraid the TOEFL score date has exceeded 2 years. Since I have limited time to prepare for the deadline, can I waive it?
Cindy_Berkeley
Please contact the admissions office by phone (510-642-1405) or mbaadm@haas.berkeley.edu
ddv
What specific quantitative coursework to you recommend applicants who do not have a quant. background in undergrad or daily work take to supplement their applications?
Cindy_Berkeley
A basic statistics or calculus course at a local community college or university.
ObS
I’m interested in a career in the financial service industry (and would like to work in the U.S. after graduation—I’m an international applicant). However, as Haas is not a finance focus school (like Wharton or Chicago), what is the relationship between Haas and recruiters from the financial industry? Would it be especially difficult for an international student like me to get a job after graduating?
Corinne_Berkeley
While Haas is a general management program, the Finance Program is extremely strong and robust. It has consistently been ranked within the top 10, and is the top function that our students enter upon graduation. (In the class of 2007, 36% of our graduating students took a position in a finance function.) Our career services office also promotes a very strong relationship with the finance industry - our finance account manager (who is dedicated to building relationships with corporate recruiters) - is located in New York, so as to have better access to the finance firms on Wall Street.
Waqas
Are scholarships granted only on a need basis?
Cindy_Berkeley
No. We don't offer need-based scholarships. There are two Haas Scholarships - One is based on merit and the other is based on review of one of the optional essay questions to the application. For further details about these scholarships visit the Financial Aid section on the website.
Waqas
Would you suggest the Candidates who are not the native English speakers but have very good and diverse international exposure to take TOEFL?
Cindy_Berkeley
Please visit our website for details about the TOEFL requirement.
canozdoruk
Hi, I realized there is no upper limit for Supplemental Questions. Do you have a suggestion, like 100 words per question or 1 page for all?
Cindy_Berkeley
I would use your best judgment.
Claus
Do you consider graduate school as work experience? I got a masters in aerospace engineering and I worked as a research assistant and teaching assistant during the two years of the program. Would that also count?
Cindy_Berkeley
We do consider work experience while in undergraduate and graduate studies - however, when evaluating the strength of the work experience, we are looking for career progression over time. Research positions don't necessarily demonstrate this, but it depends on each individual.
tedster
For experienced students, who have more than 15 years of working experience as engineer and executive, do you recommend W/E MBA or full-time program? Any admissions preference toward one from the other?
Corinne_Berkeley
I would suggest getting in touch with students from both programs to learn about their experiences and gain an understanding for which might be most in line with your preferences. As for the admissions review, we look at the quality and breadth of work experience, rather than strictly the number of years.
Itayb
HI – Itay from Israel. We (my wife and I) would like to visit Haas in January. What dates are best for doing so?
Jeff_Moderator
Our visitation program starts back up only at the end of January. If you have specific questions about visiting campus, I recommend contacting our Haas Student Ambassador team at hsa@haas.berkeley.edu
Jeff_Moderator
Thank you all for joining us today and good luck with your applications!
