Berkeley Haas has officially kicked off the 2025-2026 MBA application season by announcing its application deadlines and essay prompts for the 2025-2026 application cycle. Personal MBA Coach just returned from Berkeley Haas, which hosted the 2025 AIGAC Conference, and got a first-hand glimpse of the school’s small class size and close-knit community. Learn more about Berkeley Haas here to determine whether it is a strong choice for you.
2025-2026 Berkeley Haas Application Deadlines
Round 1: September 11, 2025
Decision: December 11, 2025
Round 2: January 8, 2026
Decision: March 26, 2026
Round 3: March 31, 2026
Decision: May 7, 2026
Tips to Master Berkeley Haas 2025-2026 MBA Essays, Video Essay, and Application
Berkeley Haas MBA Essay Prompts:
Berkeley Haas MBA Video Essay 1: What makes you feel alive when you are doing it, and why? (300 words maximum)
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.
Although Berkeley Haas has retained this long-standing and unique essay question, applicants are now required to answer via a video essay. Video essays are increasingly common in MBA applications, and last year the Berkeley Haas essays also include a video essay. This is a great opportunity to tell the admissions committee a bit more about your story. With this new format, get right to the point. Make the most of this opportunity to talk about your true passions and what really drives you.
For some applicants, this may be their job (but tread cautiously here). If your job is what truly drives you, be sure that you have a strong reason and can illustrate passion as you write. Extracurricular work also could fit well but be sure it is an area where you have emerged as a leader and/or have added substantial value. Be succinct and speak from the heart.
A strong story will include a balance of “what” and “why.” While this is not the time to brag about accomplishments, an ideal answer will show something you have done to set yourself apart.
A word of caution – we do NOT recommend you use AI to develop this video as Admissions Directors have shared how this can be detrimental to a candidate’s application.
Berkeley Haas MBA 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)
Berkeley Haas has retained the classic “goals” essay. (Find out more about the most common MBA essay types and how to address them here.)
With only 300 words and directions to include both short-term and long-term goals along with how a Haas MBA will help, there is a lot to cover with limited space! Many schools allocate 400 or 500 words to their “goals” essays. This means you have to make every word count!
Often with a goals essay, we recommend that applicants cover their past successes before sharing their goals. However, with such a short essay, there is very little space, so you will need to set the context for your goals succinctly.
Next, you should share both your short-term and long-term goals. While this new wording invites candidates to think about their long-term goals a bit more broadly, Personal MBA Coach recommends that these goals should be ambitious yet achievable! For more on how to develop compelling goals, check out this blog and video.
Finally, let the Haas admissions committee know why you need an MBA (and specifically a Haas MBA) to achieve these goals. To answer this question, think about your skills gaps—both technical and leadership—and what offerings at Haas will help you to address these gaps. Take the time to research Berkeley Haas’s offerings. Personal MBA Coach suggests being specific in detailing the opportunities you plan to take advantage of on campus and carefully articulate how each will position you to achieve your career aspirations.
Berkeley Haas MBA Supplemental Information Essay:
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)
With this short essay, Berkeley Haas is looking to evaluate how you will contribute to the diversity of thought on campus. As we shared in our blog highlighting the takeaways from the 2025 AIGAC conference, admissions committees continue to seek a well-rounded student body and are looking for students who can add a unique perspective to class discussions. For some applicants, this will be easy to answer. However, if an example does not come to mind easily here, remember that it is ok to think of your uniqueness more broadly.
As you approach this essay, we recommend focusing on a few examples and using them to show the reader the type of classmate you will be!
Optional Berkeley Haas Essay Prompt
Berkeley Haas also has one optional essay.
Optional Essay: 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.
For this Haas optional essay, answer only if you have specific or extenuating circumstances to explain. Read more on our approach to optional essays here.
Contact Us for Custom Support to Develop Your Berkeley Haas Application
Looking for help developing a compelling Berkeley Haas MBA application? Schedule a consultation today to find out how Personal MBA Coach can help and learn why we are the home of the most positively reviewed MBA Admissions Consultant.
