Anna Joung, Berkeley Haas MBA Class of 2028
Age: 32
Hometown: Seoul, South Korea
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Korea University, Business Administration
Pre-MBA Work Experience: GTM / Growth PM, Tech, 8 years
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
Before applying, I read a growth marketing agency for startups. It was 2024, and I watched AI business explode, driven almost entirely by startups, with San Francisco and the Bay Area at the center of all of it. Even my own clients, Korean startups, were steadily relocating to the U.S., so I became convinced that the location matters more than ever right now. As I looked for a realistic way to get to the West Coast, the MBA became my path.
Why did you choose Berkeley Haas? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
Location and people. Proximity to San Francisco and the Bay Area was crucial because it opens the door to AI and startup opportunities. I wanted to immerse myself in that ecosystem rather than watch it from across the Pacific.
People. Throughout my MBA prep process, every Hassies I reached out to was genuinely kind, eager to pay it forward, and down-to-earth. At the same time, every one of them was deeply passionate about what they wanted to build. A small, tight-knit community grounded in the four defining leadership principles made me want to be part of it.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2028?
I think I can offer a unique perspective on how things grow.
Both professionally and personally, I have built things from 0 to 1. At Asia’s leading messenger platform, I launched a new service and grew it from zero to 3 million MAU. Personally, I’m an author — my step-by-step U.S. stock investing guidebook for younger readers became a bestseller and has sold more than 60,000 copies.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
I reached something close to nirvana on a trip to Mongolia. Two weeks without a phone gave me my first real sense of what enlightenment might mean. When you are fully present, you feel a fullness you would not trade for anything. In that moment — paying attention to the people right around me — I felt that we are all connected, and that if I died right there, I would have no regrets.
Post-MBA career interests:
Joining a high-growth AI startup
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
Reaching out to current students and talking with them, in person or virtually. Talking to current students or recent alumni is the only way to get a real feel for the place, and you can tell right away that Haasies are down-to-earth and that they help each other. They genuinely care about people — so right after a conversation, you will know whether it fits you or not.
I even flew in from Korea to visit campus, and I don’t regret it for a second. After that visit, I realized I loved the campus and I loved the people here. A second-year student gave me a tour even though it was the middle of winter break. That was the moment I saw how much people here help one another, and how proud they are of the school and of each other. It sparked something in me.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
I would have reached out to current students much earlier. Once I did, I realized I had to change my narrative and my entire storyline. I was lucky enough to get feedback from a second-year student who told me to incorporate the leadership principles as much as possible. I rewrote everything from scratch, and that made a huge difference in getting in.
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
Definitely the GMAT. It took me four attempts to get my score, and the whole thing was a struggle. It took far longer than I had first estimated, and it was nerve-racking throughout. I simply kept working at it and toughed it out. On the most frustrating and exhausting days, I reminded myself of my goals and why I started this journey in the first place, and that is what got me back to my desk.
What is your initial impression of the Haas students/culture/community?
Two things stand out to me:
- People are remarkably humble. Everyone here is brilliant, but no one is stubborn or full of themselves — Confidence Without Attitude, one of the four Defining Leadership Principles, is something they actually live.
- Haas is a deeply entrepreneurship-oriented school. There are so many programs, facilities, and events that encourage you to start your own company, and some of them give you a formal path to actually launch one. I love that entrepreneurial spirit, because here you can just start building. Nothing feels too scary, and other people are doing it anyway — watching someone like you start something new really pushes you to cut off your fear and go.
What student organizations have you joined/are you hoping to join and why?
Definitely the Tech Club, since it is one of the largest and most organized clubs on campus. It offers a huge number of networking opportunities and programs that help you break into the industry, along with multiple tracks that let you deepen your understanding of the space.
What is one thing you have learned about Haas that has surprised you?
Getting to know every single member of the Class of 2028. All of them are amazing, with backgrounds and perspectives different from mine, and meeting this group feels like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The timeline is intense, but I still want to reach out to them one by one, in my own way.
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
Knowing each one member of the class of 2028, all of them are amazing and have a diverse background and a different perspective from mine. I think it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet these amazing people. The intense timeline is so I really want to reach out to them one by one, in my own style.
Getting to know every single member of the Class of 2028. All of them are amazing, with backgrounds and perspectives different from mine, and meeting this group feels like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The timeline is intense, but I still want to reach out to them one by one, in my own way.
