The principles are real
Question the Status Quo, Confidence Without Attitude, Students Always, Beyond Yourself. You’ll hear them in class, in clubs and in interviews. Students actually use them.
The facts
How hard is it to get into Berkeley Haas? The numbers
Haas has one of the smallest classes of any top MBA program: 3,442 applications for the class that started in 2025, and 273 students enrolled. U.S. News reports a 21.4% acceptance rate, and 37% of those admitted chose to come. Outcome numbers below come from Haas’s own employment report and from U.S. News data compiled by Poets&Quants; we gathered and cleaned them in our 2026 Career Report so you can compare Haas with 28 other schools.
Getting in
Acceptance rate21.4%Class that entered in 2025, from 3,442 applications. 37% of those admitted enrolledSource: U.S. News, Best Business Schools 2026
Median GMAT730Class that entered in 2025. GMAT Focus median 675. GRE medians 161 verbal, 162 quant. Average GPA 3.67Source: Haas class profile
Class size273Class of 2027. 43% women, from 42 countries, with 5.6 years of work experience on averageSource: Haas class profile
Tuition$88,8472026-27. Nonresident rate, added up from UC Berkeley's 2026-27 per-semester fee schedule (tuition, professional degree supplement and nonresident supplement, two semesters).Source: Berkeley Haas's published tuition, checked November 2026
Jobs and pay, Class of 2025
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Job seekers who had accepted an offer at graduation | 62.6% | Haas employment report |
| Job seekers who had accepted an offer three months after graduation | 84% | Haas employment report |
| Median base salary | $167,250 | Haas employment report |
| Average (mean) base salary | $164,930 | Haas employment report |
| Median signing bonus | $30,000 | Haas employment report |
| Average (mean) signing bonus | $35,826 | Haas employment report |
| Share of accepted jobs in technology | 38.6% | Haas report via Poets&Quants |
| Share in consulting, and in financial services | 26.8% and 15.7% | Haas report via Poets&Quants |
| Round | Apply by | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time MBA, fall 2027 entry | ||
| Round 1 | Sept 10, 2026 | Dec 10, 2026 |
| Round 2 | Jan 7, 2027 | Mar 25, 2027 |
| Round 3 | Apr 1, 2027 | May 6, 2027 |
| Accelerated Access, deferred admission | ||
| One round | Apr 1, 2027 | June 3, 2027 |
Source: Haas application deadlines, checked 10 November 2026. Accelerated Access is Haas’s deferred-admission path for applicants still in school. All Haas dates on one page, or every school’s deadlines.
See Haas against the other 28 schools →Placement, pay, and where the jobs are, in the 2026 Career Report.
Companies that recruit at Haas →
Haas names 266 employers on its published lists for the Classes of 2023 to 2025. A few by sector, with the number of employers in each:
- Technology (64)Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Adobe
- Financial services (34)Bank of America, J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs
- Health care (26)Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Eli Lilly
- Consulting (22)Boston Consulting Group, Deloitte, McKinsey
- Energy (22)NextEra Energy, Chevron, ENGIE
- Venture capital (16)Bessemer Venture Partners, BBG Ventures
Source: Haas’s published employer lists, the Classes of 2023 to 2025, via our Recruiters by School lookup. See all 266 →
The facts
What is the Haas MBA like?
Haas is the business school of the University of California, Berkeley, on the main campus in the East Bay, across the water from San Francisco. Everything at Haas runs on four Defining Leadership Principles: Question the Status Quo, Confidence Without Attitude, Students Always, and Beyond Yourself. The class is small, about 270 people a year, and close.
| First year | A core curriculum taken with your cohort, then electives |
|---|---|
| Hands-on | Experiential learning courses where teams work on real problems for real organizations |
| Second year | Mostly electives, including courses across UC Berkeley |
| Summer | An internship between the two years |
| Values | The four Defining Leadership Principles, used in admissions and in class |
| Location | Berkeley, California, in the Bay Area |
Source: Haas Defining Leadership Principles and the Haas MBA program pages, checked November 2026.
In this video
- Why the best MBA program is the one that fits you, not the ranking
- How to judge fit beyond the top-ten list
- Where a school like Haas fits in that thinking
Our coaching view
Love it or hate it: three things that make Haas different
Small and close
About 270 people a year. You’ll know your class, and the community is part of why people choose Haas over bigger programs.
Tech and impact, next door
Silicon Valley and San Francisco are a short trip away, and the Bay Area’s clean energy and impact scene is too. 38.6% of the Class of 2025 went into tech.
You’ll probably thrive at Haas if
- You like questioning how things are done
- You can lead without needing the spotlight
- You want tech, venture, energy or impact work
- A small, values-driven class sounds right
You may be happier elsewhere if
- You want a big class and a huge alumni network
- You’re aiming squarely at Wall Street
- Values talk feels like marketing to you
- You want a classic case-method classroom
According to MBA Protocol, the fit test for Haas is simple: read the four principles and ask whether you already live them, with stories to prove it. If you have to stretch to find them, think hard before you apply.
Our coaching view
What does Haas look for in MBA applicants?
Haas says it admits for the four Defining Leadership Principles, and in our experience it means it. Applicants who are strong on paper get sorted by how clearly their stories show these three things.
Principles you’ve lived
Specific moments when you questioned how things were done, led with confidence and no attitude, kept learning, or worked for something bigger than yourself. Real moments, with stakes.
Confidence without attitude
The Haas pairing: a strong point of view and real openness to others. Leadership that brought more people’s ideas to the table, not just your own.
Beyond yourself
Evidence you’ve invested in communities beyond your own career. Choices you made when you didn’t have to, beyond volunteering for the resume.
Where Haas applicants go wrong
| The mistake | Do this instead |
|---|---|
| Quoting the four principles back to Haas | Show a moment that proves one. If the principle is visible without being named, the story is working. |
| Performing humility, or performing confidence | Haas wants both at once. Tell stories where you held a view and still changed your mind. |
| A why Haas built on location | “Near Silicon Valley” isn’t a reason. Name the courses, people and programs that fit your goals. |
| Saving diversity for the interview | It came up in nearly every Haas interview our clients reported. Have a real story ready for what you’ve done and what you’ll do at Haas. |
What are the Haas MBA essays for 2026-27?
For 2026-27, Haas asks for a short video essay, one to two minutes, introducing yourself and what makes you feel alive, plus something not evident elsewhere in your application. The written essay, 300 words, asks about your post-MBA goals, how Haas will help, and how you’ll stay adaptable. There’s also a short-answer section, a 300-word optional essay and, where it applies, a 300-word supplemental essay on distance traveled.
Source: Haas essays, with prompt wording from Clear Admit, checked October 2026.
- Map your stories to the principles. Two or three for each.
- Talk to students. Your goals essay needs real Haas detail.
- Rehearse the video, not a script. Warm and real beats polished.
Video essay: who you are
1 to 2 minutes“Briefly introduce yourself, then tell us what makes you feel alive when you are doing it, and why?” · Haas application, 2026-27
What they’re asking
Your energy and your values, in your own voice. The video lets Haas meet you in your own voice.
What works
One specific thing you love doing and why it lights you up, told the way you’d tell a new friend. Then something about you that isn’t anywhere else in the application.
Watch out
A memorized script, or a mini-resume. If it sounds rehearsed, it costs you the warmth the video exists to show.
Essay: goals and adaptability
300 words“What are your post-MBA career goals, and how will the resources at UC Berkeley Haas help you achieve them? How do you plan to remain adaptable as your career evolves?” · Haas application, 2026-27
What they’re asking
A clear goal, a credible path and specific Haas resources, plus proof you can adjust when the path moves. Students Always, in practice.
What works
Name the role and the kind of organization, then two or three Haas courses, clubs or programs you’ll use and why. Give one real example of a time you adapted.
Watch out
Generic praise for Haas and the Bay Area. Or a plan so rigid it leaves no room for the adaptability question.
Two recommendations
Ideally current employerHaas accepts the GMAC Common Letter: how you compare with peers, the most important feedback you’ve received, and a leadership grid. Choose people who have seen you question the status quo and bring others with you.
Distance traveled
300 words, if it appliesContext about circumstances and influences that shaped your journey. Use it only if there’s a real story the rest of the application can’t hold.
Optional essay
300 wordsFor gaps, academic questions or anything else that needs explaining. Bullets are fine. If nothing needs explaining, skip it.
Reapplying
Show what changedHaas wants to see growth since last time. The Reapplication Strategy Pack reviews last year’s application with you, $797 per school.
According to MBA Protocol, the Haas applicants who struggle most are performing the principles instead of showing them. The committee can tell the difference in a sentence.
What is the Haas MBA interview like?
Haas interviews are by invitation. Your interviewer is usually an alum, sometimes a current student, and has seen only your resume. It’s warm but structured: the interviewer works through a list Haas supplies, starting with why MBA and why Haas, then behavioral questions tied to the four principles.
- 100%asked why MBA and why HaasOften the very first question
- 95%asked about diversity and inclusionPast actions and what you’ll do at Haas
- 68%with an alumStudents ran most of the rest
- 79%virtual since 202011 of 14 interviews
Source: 22 MBA Protocol client debriefs, 2018 to 2025, in our Haas interview guide.
What it’s really testing
Whether you really live the four principles. Interviewers ask for specific stories, often about a rejected idea, a time you challenged the status quo, or how you’ve promoted inclusion, and listen for confidence without attitude in how you tell them.
How to prepare
- Map one strong story to each of the four principles, and know them all by name.
- Prepare a real diversity and inclusion story, past and future.
- Have a story about an idea that was rejected, and what you did next.
- Know why Haas specifically, beyond the Bay Area.
Interview guide · 2026 edition
Invited to interview at Haas?
Warm, scripted, principle-driven. Who interviews you, the format, and how often each question comes up, counted across 22 MBA Protocol client debriefs, 2018 to 2025.
Want every real Haas interview? The Haas interview archive has 19 of them, every question in the order it was asked. $29.
According to MBA Protocol, the most common Haas interview mistake is treating the principles as a checklist. Saying you question the status quo without a specific story tells the interviewer you’ve memorized the website.
Our coaching view
How do you get into Berkeley Haas? Our honest take
Haas wants to see you already living its principles.
Berkeley Haas is the program that most openly states its values, and most consistently uses them to choose its class. The four principles are the lens every application is read through.
So a 760 GMAT won’t save an application that reads as closed-minded, arrogant or only about you. And applicants with unusual paths get in when their stories show curiosity, humility and a commitment beyond themselves.
One of our coaches puts it this way: Haas breaks the mold, and it wants you to as well.
According to MBA Protocol, before you write anything for Haas, take each of the four principles and find your two or three strongest real moments for it. If the stories come easily, you’re in the right place.
What did our Haas admits have in common?
They could tell a specific, true story for each of the four principles. And they chose Haas on purpose, because its mix of Bay Area access, a small class and principled leadership was right for them.
Got into Chicago Booth and Kellogg + 1 more
Angela’s interview preparation was invaluable and contributed for my admissions at Booth (with a USD 40k merit scholarship), Kellogg, Berkeley and waitlist spot at Wharton / Lauder.
Carlos Rosis / MBA Class of 2025 Admit · worked with Angela
From zero to hero
This is my second year applying for MBAs. in 2021 I applied to MIT, Wharton, Harvard and Stanford with help of another admissions consultant. I was interviewed by HBS and Wharton and got admitted to none. I felt that my applications were superficial and did not reflect my true self, containing what I thought that the schools wanted to see.
Last year (2022) I had Angela’s help to reflect and understand my personal stories and values during the application process, this completely changed the application experience. Moreover, my self-discoveries during this journey will greatly impact decisions in my personal life and career over many years to come. This second time, I applied to Harvard, Stanford, Wharton/Lauder, MIT, Booth, Kellogg and Berkeley. I landed interviews at Stanford, Wharton, Booth, Kellogg and Berkeley. Angela’s interview preparation was invaluable and contributed for my admissions at Booth (with a USD 40k merit scholarship), Kellogg, Berkeley and waitlist spot at Wharton / Lauder.
Finally, I am so supportive of Angela’s & Career Protocol’s work that I have sponsored their services for a dear friend, Ronaldo, from an underprivileged background with aspirations to change education in Brazil. With Career Protocol’s help, he was admitted at MPAs / MPP both at Columbia and the University of Chicago, both of them with extremely generous scholarships.
Carlos Rosis
The highlighted sentences are the ones quoted above.
Your story won’t look like this one, and it doesn’t need to. Tell us yours on a free 25-minute call and you’ll know whether we’re the right team for you.
Let’s talk about my storyGot into Berkeley Haas
I am happy to share that I am an incoming student at Berkeley Haas with a full-ride and have also received a full-ride from a top 10 school and received scholarships to attend 2 other schools in the top 15 in my second year. Turnarounds do happen!
Class of 2024 Admit
Grateful To My Coach!
I’m writing this review from the POV of a reapplicant. I purchased the 5 school application package and was paired with my coach in my first year of application. I found his ability to synthesize and distill down my values and guide me through essay writing invaluable. I cried when I read my final draft of “what matters most to you and why?” on Stanford’s essay because he helped me see layers of what really matters to me (this was useful beyond the MBA application for me and into what I want my long-term vision to be). It was a heart and mind-opening exercise to write that essay as my first b-school essay and have that as the basis for all of my other essays. He was open, approachable, caring, and would give honest feedback whenever I had questions. It was tough when I found out I didn’t get into any schools in my first year even with the help of Career Protocol and his guidance. When it came time to reapplication, the greatest value-added from my coach and Career Protocol has been the ability to follow up with him in the second year to approach a post-mortem and see where to improve for my reapplication. He helped connect me to the right resources to strengthen my application and think about points to highlight in the optional essay required for reapplicants. I am happy to share that I am an incoming student at Berkeley Haas with a full-ride and have also received a full-ride from a top 10 school and received scholarships to attend 2 other schools in the top 15 in my second year. Turnarounds do happen!
Even though I wasn’t with my coach for my second-year reapplication beyond the optional essay, he’s been a pivotal person in my MBA application journey from the very start in year one and helped me kick off applications in year 2. I learned the art of applying to business school, what matters to me/my values, and in general appreciated having an insightful, caring, and kind sounding board for business school and general career woes. Grateful is the only word I’m left with when I reflect on my MBA app journey with him and CP!
The highlighted sentences are the ones quoted above.
Your story won’t look like this one, and it doesn’t need to. Tell us yours on a free 25-minute call and you’ll know whether we’re the right team for you.
Let’s talk about my storyGot into Chicago Booth and Kellogg + 3 more
With Brian, I was admitted to 5 out of 6 MBA programs with $150k+ scholarships: Booth, Kellogg, Yale, Haas, and Ross (and was invited to interview at Wharton as well).
Class of 2028 · worked with Brian
Super Brian: The Superhero You Want
Repeat with me: “I. Want. Brian.” With Brian, I was admitted to 5 out of 6 MBA programs with $150k+ scholarships: Booth, Kellogg, Yale, Haas, and Ross (and was invited to interview at Wharton as well).
I’m an international future student who has been working in Marketing and Sales for the past 5 years. From the very first call with Brian, I could immediately tell that he’s not only an amazingly professional and trustworthy person, but he’s also the chillest, most fun guy I’ve met in years. And trust me: you really want someone you can fully trust and who lifts your mood during this process – especially when you’re doing it on your own and most friends and family won’t fully grasp the amount of work ahead.
Brian will not forget a single detail of your personal and professional story. He has remarkable emotional intelligence and an incredible ability to highlight your persona in the strongest, most authentic way. With his help – made of lots of laughter, some shared tears, and tough love – I developed the most compelling stories in my essays, without ever settling or feeling like I wasn’t myself.
But the work we did went far beyond essays. We rebuilt my resume from scratch (even though my previous one had already helped me get into FAANG companies), strategized on the best recommenders, and carefully selected the portfolio of schools that best fit my goals and dreams. Most importantly, Brian was always there: ready to answer questions of all kinds and to offer thoughtful, honest advice whenever I needed it.
You just cannot go wrong with Brian. And, in the end, he’s someone that will always root for you as long as you are willing to work hard, be authentic, and have fun. I already miss working with him, but I’m sure I’ll keep in touch for the rest of my life.
“I. Want. Brian.”
The highlighted sentences are the ones quoted above.
Your story won’t look like this one, and it doesn’t need to. Tell us yours on a free 25-minute call and you’ll know whether we’re the right team for you.
Let’s talk about my storyRead every client story that mentions Haas →
99.1%of clients who followed our protocol, including our school portfolio guidance, earned admission to at least one school since 2018. Counting everyone who applied, 93.1%. How we count
$109,000average scholarship per admitted client, over the last three years.
77%of our Poets&Quants reviews describe a personal relationship with the coach, against 11% to 36% at five other firms. Read the study
Where are you right now?
Pick your stage. Everything here is about Haas.
Just starting, or not sure you’re competitive
- Join the free MBA Momentum ClubStep-by-step lessons, 4 to 36 months out
- Check where you stand at HaasFree in MBAmo, Haas already picked
- Haas in the Career ReportJobs, pay and visas, free
- Take the MBA Story QuizAbout a minute, 8 questions
Choosing your schools
- Compare Haas with 28 schoolsThe 2026 Career Report
- Companies that recruit at HaasEvery employer on its list
- Shape your school portfolioQuest Launchpad, $495
- Request my free 25-minute callWhich schools fit your story
Writing your essays
- Request my free 25-minute callWhat we’d do first
- MBA Guided QuestCore: your coach guides you start to finish
- Comparing consultants?Questions to ask every firm
Reapplying to Haas
- Reapplication Strategy Pack$797 per school, or included in Core
- Request my free 25-minute callWhat to change, honestly
Invited to interview
- The Haas interview guideFree, from 22 client debriefs
- Haas interview archive$29
- MBA Interview Toolkit$197, for an interview a couple of days away
- Expert Interview CoachingFrom $997, with a mock interview
Waiting, or admitted
- 20 Things To Do While WaitingFree guide
- Guides for waiting and afterFrom our library
Comparing consultants? Here are our straight answers
What does it cost?
MBA Guided Quest starts at $5,000 for one school. Most clients invest $12K to $18K. Every price is on the Guided Quest page.
How fast is feedback?
2 to 3 business days on Essentials and Core, 24 to 48 business hours on Admit All Access.
How many clients does a coach take?
At most 10 a round. As far as we know, the lowest cap in the industry.
Who writes the essays?
You do. Your coach helps you find the story and shape it.
Talk through your Haas plan
The Quest Map Call is your free 25-minute conversation with a coach. You’ll leave knowing what makes your story worth telling, which schools fit it, and what we’d do first. No pitch. Angela takes these calls herself and replies within 24 hours with a time.
The form takes about 3 minutes.
Haas MBA FAQ
What GPA and GMAT do I need for Berkeley Haas?
Haas has no minimums. The class that entered in 2025 had a median 730 GMAT, a median 675 on the GMAT Focus Edition, GRE medians of 161 verbal and 162 quant, and a 3.67 average GPA. People get in below those numbers when their stories show the four principles clearly.
How hard is it to get into Berkeley Haas?
Very hard. U.S. News reports a 21.4% acceptance rate for the class that entered in 2025, from 3,442 applications for 273 seats. In our experience, fit with the four Defining Leadership Principles decides more outcomes than scores do.
What are the Haas deadlines for 2026-27?
For fall 2027 entry, Round 1 was September 10, 2026, Round 2 is January 7, 2027, and Round 3 is April 1, 2027. Decisions come out December 10, March 25 and May 6. Accelerated Access, for applicants still in school, closes April 1, 2027.
What are the Haas essays for 2026-27?
A short video essay, one to two minutes, introducing yourself and what makes you feel alive, and a 300-word essay on your post-MBA goals, how Haas will help, and how you’ll stay adaptable. There’s also a 300-word optional essay.
What are the four Defining Leadership Principles?
Question the Status Quo, Confidence Without Attitude, Students Always, and Beyond Yourself. Haas uses them to evaluate applicants, so your stories should show them in action without naming them.
Who interviews Haas applicants?
Usually an alum, sometimes a current student, by invitation. In 22 MBA Protocol client debriefs from 2018 to 2025, 68% of interviews were with alumni, and interviewers had seen only the resume.
What do Haas MBAs earn?
The Class of 2025 had a median base salary of $167,250 and an average (mean) base salary of $164,930. The median signing bonus was $30,000. 84% of job seekers had accepted an offer three months after graduation, and 38.6% went into tech.
The bottom line on Haas
Berkeley Haas is a small, values-driven MBA in the Bay Area, with a 21.4% acceptance rate (U.S. News) and a big tech pipeline: 38.6% of the Class of 2025 went into tech. For fall 2027 entry, plan for a video essay, a 300-word goals essay, two recommendations and an interview by invitation. Lead with stories that show the four principles without naming them.
Sources
- Haas admissions: rounds, decisions and Accelerated Access. Checked 10 November 2026.
- Haas essays and Clear Admit’s 2026-27 essay analysis; Haas recommendation letters.
- Haas Class of 2027 profile: class size, GMAT, GRE, GPA, women, countries, work experience.
- Haas cost of attendance: 2026-27 tuition at the nonresident rate.
- Haas employment report, Class of 2025: graduates, offers, pay. Industry shares from the same report via Poets&Quants.
- U.S. News data via Poets&Quants: acceptance rate, applications and yield.
- Haas essay prompts: MBA Protocol essay question bank, 2026-27. Recommendation questions: MBA Protocol recommendation guide, 2026-27.
- MBA Protocol 2026 Career Report and Recruiters by School: 266 employers on Haas’s lists.
- MBA Protocol Haas interview guide: 22 client debriefs, 2018 to 2025.
We update this page every application cycle.