gmp video essay berkeley

The Berkeley Haas Video Interview – What to Expect + Sample Questions

Oct 11, 2023

How the Haas video interview works 

Who is haas looking for, how can you prepare for your haas interview, make sure you’re admitted to the haas mba.

UPDATE : This article was originally posted on February 16, 2022. It has been updated with 2023/24 information and tips below. 

With its location in the heart of Silicon Valley and relentless focus on challenging the status quo, Berkeley Haas is at the top of many innovators’ lists of dream schools. 

However, as the number of people seeking to break into the technology segment grows every year, getting admitted to Haas’ small MBA class is harder than ever. 

This has been even more complicated to navigate with the Haas adcom’s decision to add a video interview component last year. 

That’s why we’ve prepared this guide to help you use your Berkeley Haas admissions video interview to stand out. We’ve rounded up not only our best tips but have also included sample interview questions to ensure you give your Haas application your best shot.

As one of the most elite business schools in the world (and one of the smallest MBA classes), landing an interview with Haas is no easy task. 

Thus, if you have passed to the interview phase of the Haas application process, congratulations! This is already an exceptional achievement. 

Source: The Berkeley Haas website

If you complete the video option for your interview, here’s what you can expect:

• You will have to answer 5 questions in total
• For each question, you have 45 seconds to think and 3 minutes to answer. 
• You don’t have to speak for the full 3 minutes. You can end your answer early if needed. 
• Questions 1, 2, and 5 (please see below) are fixed. Questions 3 and 4 are somewhat random but center around teamwork, humility, and taking risks. In recent months, however, most candidates are getting very similar questions for 3 and 4. 

Jenny Clare, associate director of admissions, shared these tips:

• Don’t be nervous; it’s a relatively straightforward process as long as you practice with the technology ahead of time.
• Make sure you have a reliable internet connection.
• Think about your topics and answers ahead of time; practice speaking comfortably and naturally.
• Remember: the video essay is just one part of the application.

NOTE: If you decide to complete the more traditional Haas interview, check out this post with expert tips !

Source: @berkeleyhaas on Instagram

“The Berkeley MBA Program develops innovative leaders who know how to put new ideas to work, and to do so responsibly. By leveraging the innovative energy that’s ever-present in Berkeley Haas culture and in the business ecosystem of the San Francisco Bay Area, the program teaches you how to seize opportunities, challenge conventional wisdom, and act creatively.” Berkeley Haas Admissions 

Every year, Haas reviews thousands of applications to hand-pick less than 250 students to take part in their prestigious MBA program. There is no “standard” student at Haas, yet the average admitted student does tend to have 5.6 years of work experience and either an average 733 GMAT or Q163/V161 GRE score. Diversity is also a strong point for Haas, with its Class of 2025 containing 41% women, 14% LGBTQ+, 48% US minorities, and 47% international students. 

In addition, Haas also looks for candidates who embody their leadership principles:

If this sounds like a community in which you’d be right at home, you’ll first have to prove you’ve got what it takes by successfully navigating the Berkeley Haas video interview. 

Though no interview is 100% predictable, Haas’s video interviews are more predictable than a typical interview. Please find the questions you can expect below. Though you may receive slightly different questions for #3 and #4, they are very likely to be similar to what is listed below. 

QUESTION 1 (FIXED)

• Tell us something that shows how you will be able to contribute to diversity and inclusion on campus. 

QUESTION 2 (FIXED)

• Why do you want to complete an MBA and why Haas? ( We suggest you mention your goals before diving into this answer!)

QUESTION 3 AND 4 (VARIABLE)

Since the questions all follow a similar structure/topic, we have grouped all possible options here. 

• Tell us about an experience when you led a team and the situation became stressful and morale was low. What did you do and what were the results?
• Tell us about a time when you argued with someone and turned out to be in the wrong.
• Tell us about a time when you worked on a team of people who had strong opinions. How did you overcome the situation? 
• Tell us about a time when being humble led to a positive outcome. 
• Tell us about a time when you collaborated with a cross-functional team. What was difficult about the process and what did you learn?
• Tell us about a time when you forged trust and collaboration with the people you work with. How did it make you feel and what did you learn?
• Tell us about a time when you had to align a team toward a common goal. 
• Tell us about a time you took a risk in your professional life. What was the outcome and what did you learn from this experience?
• Give us an example of a time when you convinced your colleagues to do something that was not in their job descriptions. How did you go about convincing them?

QUESTION 5 (FIXED)

• Is there anything else that you would like to add?

In addition to these questions, we have also prepared several mock interviews with fixed sets of questions so you can accelerate your practice. We suggest using them to have a friend or colleague test you on your interview performance. 

We have found that answering real interview questions on the spot is a much better means of preparation than reading lists of interview questions for most candidates.

We highly suggest you take a look at mock interview questions and sample interview responses before your interview . 

Our MBA Resource Center has dozens of real interview mocks from Haas, as well as detailed guides to help you prepare for questions ranging from “Why our MBA program?” to “Tell us about a time you failed.”

The Ellin Lolis Consulting MBA Resource Center is your one-stop shop for interview success. Click to join !

If you’re still not quite confident with your interview skills, our interview experts can help you craft your answers or prepare you for the Haas video interview through mock interviews tailored to your profile. 

You have stressed about every aspect of your MBA application, and now you are ready for your interview! With the right preparation, this can be your chance to shine and get a highly-coveted spot at an elite business school. 

However, maybe you don’t know where to start in preparing, or maybe you tend to ramble on and lose focus during interviews. Maybe you’ve even downloaded sample questions and written out your answers. The problem is, when you try to apply these templates to your own story, it doesn’t quite work.

Our interview prep focuses on helping you determine how to present yourself during your MBA interview while using appropriate, impact-driven language without being artificial, or worse, robotic.

That’s why 98.9% of our clients secure admissions to at least one of their target schools. 

Forget simulation platforms or long lists of tips – our 1:1 preparation focuses on playing to your strengths and overcoming your weaknesses to turn you into an interview expert . Hire our interview services here. VIP packages that allow you to work directly with Ellin sell out quickly, so make sure you sign up today !

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Advice, tips and insights from the admissions dream team., table of contents, how to answer the new berkeley haas mba essay and video.

• By Sharon Joyce

When you apply to the University of California -Berkeley Haas School of Business, they want to know what makes you feel alive, how an MBA will help fuel your MBA goals and what kind of leader you are —and they want you to show them.

Haas has added a video essay as one of the required MBA application components for 2023–24 and changed its Essay #2. My colleague Peter Johnson , a former Assistant Dean for the Full-Time MBA and Admissions at Haas, and I have fresh advice on how to answer these essay questions. 

Haas introduces the essay section of its application with a statement of its Defining Leadership Principles (DLPs). The Berkeley MBA program develops leaders who embody these principles: 

• Question the Status Quo
• Confidence Without Attitude
• Students Always
• Beyond Yourself 

The new video essay asks applicants to “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.” Videos must clock in under two minutes.

Acing the Video

Video replies are gaining popularity among all b-schools. It’s a useful way to assess poise and presence as well as the thoughts and information you share. It’s also a way to enhance authenticity. While essays can now easily be cranked out with ChatGPT (although we definitely don’t recommend it ), an effective and personal video is harder to automate.

Videos are also a great way to assess judgment. Is a reply TMI? Admissions committees want to get to know the real you, but it’s obviously important to be appropriate. And, finally, videos can be a fun and fresh way to express your excitement about Haas. The DLPs are a distinctive draw that attracts students to Berkeley, so it can be a creative way to share your enthusiasm.

Be succinct. Two minutes may seem like a lot when you’re staring into the eye of the camera with admissions on the line — but it’s really not. With only that short window to work with, don’t try to address all four of the principles. Instead, focus on one of the principles and demonstrate how you reflect it with clear and cogent examples. 

Once you’ve sketched out your thoughts and know what you want to say, practice!  As noted the evaluation of these responses are likely to be graded on communication skills and poise as much as on content. And if you’re a bit intimidated about talking on camera or mastering the technology, Fortuna has you covered. Our fellow coach Cassandra Pittman explains how to ace your video here , and Karen Hamou offers advice on what to wear . 

Advice for Essay #2.

Leadership was the topic of Berkeley’s second essay last year. Now that the video is covering that theme, the new Essay #2 asks, “How will an MBA help you achieve your short-term and long-term career goals? 

Last year, this was a question embedded within the application and was 150 words on immediate short-term goals. With the word count expanded to 300, this question is likely probing more deeply to see if applicants have realistic goals that can be met through the program at Haas.

Although the prompt asks, “How will an MBA help…,” this essay is really looking beyond the credential of the recognized degree. Berkeley wants to know what skills you will build or enhance and what experiences you will leverage in pursuit of career goals. It’s important to be specific. Make sure you call out what specific aspects of Berkeley ’s MBA program will bolster your success after graduation.

We sometimes suggest citing companies that heavily recruit at Haas when applicable as a way of showing your awareness of the school and the link between your goals and what is achievable. For the budding entrepreneurs, perhaps mention Haas alumni entrepreneurs who are working in a similar space.

Our take on the rationale behind this question is this:  The committee wants to know if your personal and professional goals are aligned with the program at Haas and how you will leverage the Berkeley MBA experience to achieve them.

Start with a Splash in Essay #1

Essay #1 remains the same: “What makes you feel alive when you are doing it, and why?”

As someone who has read thousands of applications, we love the wording of this question. Any opportunity to learn about what ignites the spark in a candidate is really exciting to read. (Remember that most Haas admissions readers will be plowing through some 2,000 application essays in a single cycle.)

This question is also evocative of the iconic Stanford GSB essay, “What matters most to you, and why?” –  which similarly gets personal and requires a profound level of self-reflection and sincerity. This question also underscores that Haas is looking for people who will actively contribute to the community and beyond, not just in the classroom. This essay prompt allows the admissions team to understand “what makes you tick,” above and beyond what they’ll glean from your academic record and work history.

Your intellectual acumen and accomplishments being a given, what are you passionate about and why does it ignite that spark of life within you? A successful essay will share a specific and personal experience that helps the reader get to know you better, giving insight into your character, values, or how you would uniquely contribute to the Berkeley Haas community. 

Given that you only have 300 words, the maxim to “show, not tell” is critical here. You want to bring the reader on the experience with you so they can smell, taste, feel and connect to whatever it is you’re describing – what it felt like to summit that mountaintop and peer into the volcano’s smoky belly, or the felt experience in a devotional act of creation that erased any sense of time. 

Unless it’s deeply sincere and absolutely rings true, a community service moment or tutoring exchange isn’t necessarily the experience to spotlight. Dig deep and dare to have a little fun here; your voice can convey your personality.

Short Tips for Short Answer Essay #4

The final required essay asks, “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? (150 words max)

One of the goals at Berkeley Haas is to develop leaders who value diversity and aspire to create an inclusive environment in which people from different backgrounds feel welcomed and supported.

Some or many applicants will not have direct experience in supporting DEI, especially international candidates for whom the concept may be new.  Even so, it’s important to demonstrate awareness of the importance of diversity and inclusion and to share one’s own exposure to the concepts and perhaps how they hope their time at Haas will add to their ability to be inclusive leaders. 

Remember that diversity can be much broader than race, gender, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. Feel free to explore differences in national origin, class or lived experiences and the lessons you learned from these experiences. 

The optional questions remain the same.

One final change this year is that Berkeley Haas has moved to using the Common Letter of Recommendation from GMAC : This change eliminates one additional question specific to Haas that asked recommenders to explain how applicants reflect the value of “confidence without attitude.” Haas explained to us that they adopted this change to streamline the process, making it easier on many fronts for applicants, letter writers and programs.

Sign up for our free consultation to learn how we can offer more personalized coaching.to optimize your MBA application. 

Fortuna Admissions coach Dr. Sharon Joyce is the former associate director of admissions at Berkeley Haas. Fortuna Director Peter Johnson is Former Assistant Dean for the full-time MBA Program & Admissions at Berkeley Haas.

• Posted on June 18, 2023

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Getting Accepted into UC Berkeley’s Global Management Program

Madeleine Karydes

Lead admissions expert, table of contents.

• UC Berkeley’s Global Management Program

In conclusion

Stay up-to-date on the latest research and college admissions trends with our blog team.

UC Berkeley’s Global Management Program

UC Berkeley is a large public research university in California’s Bay Area. Last year, its Haas School of Business within UC Berkeley debuted its Global Management Program (GMP). I’ve always been passionate about using my skills and resources to make an international social impact; so, GMP seemed tailor-made for me. In this article, I’ll talk about strategies to succeed in Berkeley’s Global Management Program from a firsthand perspective.

After living less than an hour from Berkeley for the past decade, I had compelling evidence; seeing countless friends choose to attend and falling in love with the campus all made committing to Berkeley a no-brainer. I’ve now been at UC Berkeley for 6 months. I’ve been fortunate enough to gain a Berkeley education, both on the main campus and in a study abroad placement in London. I couldn’t be more content with my experience.

I was accepted to Berkeley and the GMP program in February as part of early admissions; when I heard, I immediately knew I would accept. The following few tips helped me get in, and I hope they help you maximize your chances as well!

1. Know why you want to attend:

Admissions officers are tasked with navigating a massive pool of applicants (especially for the UC system ) to find people who will use the resources their university has to offer in the most impactful way possible. You need to be able to articulate why you’re that candidate to the admissions officers. Before deciding to apply to a university, conduct thorough research. Read up on the resources, classes, campus, alumni and most importantly your desired institution.

Not every college I researched felt like the right fit. But, the more I learned about UC Berkeley, the more I was convinced I wanted to go there. Once you identify what makes you a good fit for a particular college, you’ll have a much easier time articulating it! Write in your essays why you’re the candidate the admissions officers are looking for. 

2. Be unique:

This tip seems cliché, but its importance can’t be emphasized enough. Admission officers read hundreds to thousands of essays each season, and the ideas they contain can easily get lost within the pile. The reality is that every applicant is a very different person, yet many will try to tailor their writing to what they think the reader wants to hear. Instead, write your essay how YOU want, and let your distinct style and content make a lasting impression on the reader. For me, this felt very risky. My essays seemed overly forthright in comparison to many others I had read. But this meant my writing was different from what others wrote. That’s exactly what I wanted.

3. Find your passion:

UC Berkeley and other top universities admit students who have narrowed their interests and have dedicated genuine amounts of time and effort to them. In high school, test out every academic and extracurricular opportunity you can until you’re able to identify what topics and kind of work genuinely pique your interest! Once you’ve narrowed down what interests you most, spend your time building your knowledge and expertise, thus allowing you to have the most impact.

For me, this meant testing out nearly every club on my high school’s campus before focusing my time on the business organizations and my nonprofit, Fremont Debate Academy . Find the organizations that are most interesting to you and dedicate your time to them so that you can have an enriching experience in high school. 

UC Berkeley is amazing, and my peers in the GMP cohort are exceptional. These tips will help you as you find your own niche during your high school journey; and beyond, as you search for a college that is just right for you. Good luck, and of course, GO BEARS!

In 2018, the Empowerly success rate with UC Berkeley admissions was more than four times the average! For college help and advice, schedule a free consultation below.

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