Hello, Jgalapatt,

Most likely it would be preferable to get a year of work experience – but not just any experience. Ideally it would be experience related to building a foundation for your goals and would involve some business component. Imagine yourself writing goals essays for your MBA applications and describing the steps you’ve taken to prepare for your goals and to gain practical experience to make an informed decision regarding your goals. That exercise should help you determine the kind of work that would be most beneficial.

That said, it all depends on your goals, and depending on what they are you may be able to make a credible case without the year of work. If you choose this path, focus on providing a clear rationale for your goals and show that you are making an informed decision about your goals even though you lack the conventional experience.

You may find Accepted.com’s article on younger applicants helpful – many of the points are relevant for people with less work experience, regardless of age.

The numbers you cite would fundamentally be acceptable for the program you mention, but I would need to know more about you to assess whether you’re a qualified candidate for Berkeley and similar programs.

Cindy Tokumitsu
Senior Editor, Accepted.com
www.Accepted.com