Essays

    Essays help us learn about who you are as a person and how you will add to our community. We seek candidates from a broad range of industries, backgrounds, cultures, and lived experiences.

    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 thoughtful and authentic responses that demonstrate your alignment with our principles. 

    Below are the required essays, supplemental essays, and optional essays for the Fall 2023-2024 application cycle. 

    Required Essay #1

    What makes you feel alive when you are doing it, and why? (300 words maximum)

    Required Essay #2

    How will an MBA help you achieve your short-term and long-term career goals? (300 words max)

    Required Essay #3 - Video

    The Berkeley MBA program develops leaders who embody our four Defining Leadership Principles. Briefly introduce yourself to the admissions committee, explain which leadership principle resonates most with you, and tell us how you have exemplified the principle in your personal or professional life. (Not to exceed 2 minutes.)

    Required Essay #4 - Short Answer

    Can you please describe any experience or exposure you have in the area of diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging whether through community organizations, personal, or in the workplace? (300 words max)

    Optional Essays

    The admissions team takes a holistic approach to application review and seeks to understand all aspects of a candidate’s character, qualifications, and experiences. We will consider achievements in the context of the opportunities available to a candidate. Some applicants may have faced hardships or unusual life circumstances, and we will consider the maturity, perseverance, and thoughtfulness with which they have responded to and/or overcome them.

    Optional Information #1

    We invite you to help us better understand the context of your opportunities and achievements.

    Optional Information #2 

    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.

    Supplemental Information

    • If you have not provided a letter of recommendation from your current supervisor, please explain. If not applicable, enter N/A.
    • List, in order of importance, significant community and professional organizations and extracurricular activities in which you have been involved during or after university studies. Include the following information for each using the format below:
      • Name of organization or activity
      • Nature of organization or activity
      • Size of organization
      • Dates of involvement
      • Offices held
      • Average number of hours spent per month
    • List full-time and part-time jobs held during undergraduate or graduate studies indicating the employer, job title, employment dates, location, and the number of hours worked per week for each position held prior to the completion of your degree.
    • If you have ever been subject to academic discipline, placed on probation, suspended, or required to withdraw from any college or university, please explain. If not, please enter N/A. (An affirmative response to this question does not automatically disqualify you from admission.)
    Video: Extracurricular Supplement Tips

    Senior Associate Director of Full-time Admissions, Cindy Jennings Millette, shares how we look at, and evaluate, extracurricular and community involvement.