UC-Berkeley Haas SuperSaturday Experience

Like to share the Haas SS experience with my fellow Chinese applicants.

Interview questions: (with a first-year student)

1. I am very interested about your involvment in XXX (a charity org), can you explain your experience to me?

2. Work thru the resume.

3. Can you tell me about your experience of team work?

4. Why Haas?

5. Last question, maybe because we just finished the final for marcoeconomics last night and you have Finance major in your undergrad. Can you tell me your thoughts about marcoeconomics? How did you perform with that course? (the interviewer acknowledged this is a out-of-box question when he asked, I was shocked at first second but was glad I gave a concise and good answer)

The interview was quite laid back, so I asked the interviewer did he read my application? Ans: No. Then I asked: why didn't you ask me my long-term goals (I don't know what's wrong with my brain), Ans: I don't have to know, but I don't mind if you breifly tell me. After I told him my long-term goal, I even discussed whether he is part of AdCom and what he was looking for in the interview as he didn't ask why MBA, what's your long-term goal at first place. Then he told me his role as interviewer is just to have a  conversation and a personal impression, he just need to think about "do I want this guy to be my classmate? do I like to work with him in the study group? or even just do I like to grap a bear with him at a local bar?" So I think the key is really: be yourself and relax. I know it has been stated many times, but it's really true.

Other Information from SS

Haas received 2700 applications this year (increased from last year), and has admitted 130 in R1. Usually 75% of the 100 applicants who attended SS will be admitted. Out of the total 240 seats in Haas, also consider the 40% yield from R1 and the 75 R2 SS applicants, there are probably 158 seats still available for applicants who will have a off-campus interview.

The current students are as bright as those in any other top schools, and the interviewee pool is also impressive. Lot of interviewees are from Ivy undergrad. Most of interviewees are Lao Wai, around 10 are Asians, but most of them are ABC except myself and maybe one or two other Chinese I didn't talk to.

Overall assessment: very good school, wonderful people, wonderful environment and weather (BayArea), highly recommended to anyone who is interested in working in beautiful west coast, or interested in tech and want to work in silicon valley, or anyone interested in public health, real estate, marketing.

Sorry, typo, should be "grab a beer". No one want to grab a bear (no matter live or toy bear) with a guy in the bar...