Ace Your Haas MBA Video Interview
Going forward, the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business plans to forgo in-person interviews for applicants to its Evening & Weekend MBA program. Instead, applicants will submit answers via a Haas MBA video interview.
Candidates will respond with 1-2 minute answers to two specific questions. For the first question, you’ll share why you’re pursuing an MBA and why Haas is the best fit. The second question asks you to share a leadership experience.
To understand how to complete this new Haas MBA video essay format successfully, 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.
The adcom will be assessing applicants’ verbal communication skills, personality, and more. As a result of this new Haas MBA video format, the team will have a better feel for your personality as well.
Clare explains the simple reason for the switch to a video platform. “It’s a much shorter time commitment,” she says. “We know you’re busy. You don’t need to find time in the middle of your workday to come to campus.”
SBC Video Prep Service
For many applicants, this new format requires some rehearsal to become comfortable conversing with a computer screen. Stacy Blackman Consulting has an online video platform that grants you unlimited practice doing precisely this. You can answer from a comprehensive menu of questions, record yourself, watch and assess, tweak, and try again.
Invest 30 minutes a night and reap the benefits of increased comfort level and more articulate answers when you have your live interview. You can even choose an interview to submit to the SBC team for review and professional written feedback.
Set yourself up for success with this small investment and rock your video interviews!