Home » MBA Recommendation Questions » Haas MBA Recommendation Questions

Haas MBA Recommendation Questions

The Berkeley Haas MBA recommendation questions are now available for UC Berkeley Haas School of Business applicants and their recommenders.

No more than two letters of recommendation are required, and are strongly preferred to be from current or former supervisors. Select individuals with whom you have had considerable professional interaction. Recommendations may be submitted online or through the mail using a PDF version. Recommenders who choose to write a letter rather than use the form should remember to address the Berkeley Haas recommendation questions directly rather than submit a generic recommendation. Letters sent via mail must have the letter writer’s signature across the seal of the envelope.

Haas MBA Recommendation Questions 2022-2023

Recommender Information

If you are a Berkeley-Haas alum, please let us know from which program and year you graduated.

Haas MBA Recommendation

Please provide a brief description of your interaction with the applicant and, if applicable, the applicant’s role in your organization.
How does the applicant’s performance compare to that of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? Please provide specific examples. (e.g. what are the applicant’s principal strengths?)
Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response.
In the Berkeley MBA program, we develop leaders who embody our distinctive culture’s four key principles, one of which is “Confidence Without Attitude” or “confidence with humility.” Please comment on how the applicant reflects this Berkeley Haas value.
(Optional) Is there anything else we should know?

Traits Appraisal

The Haas MBA recommendation also includes a rating portion. The instructions and items in this section are presented below:

Please give us your appraisal of the applicant in terms of the traits listed below. Compare the applicant with others whom you know have applied to business school or with individuals who are being groomed for leadership positions within your organization.

Results Orientation
- Invents and delivers best in class standards and performance
- Introduces incremental improvements to enhance business performance using robust analysis
- Exceeds goals and raises effectiveness of organization
- Overcomes obstacles to achieve goals
- Fulfills assigned task
- No basis

Strategic Orientation
- Implements a successful strategy that challenges other parts of the company or other players in the industry
- Develops insights or recommendations that have shaped team or department strategy
- Develops insights or recommendations that have improved business performance
- Identifies opportunities for improvement within area of responsibility
- Understands immediate issues of work or analysis
- No basis

Team Leadership
- Recruits others into duties or roles based on insight into individual abilities; Rewards those who exceed expectations
- Actively engages the team to develop plans and resolve issues through collaboration; shows how work fits in with what others are doing
- Solicits ideas and perspectives from the team; holds members accountable
- Assigns tasks to team members
- Avoids leadership responsibilities; does not provide direction to team
- No basis

Influence and Collaboration
- Builds enduring partnerships within and outside of organization to improve effectiveness, even at short-term personal cost
- Brings others together across boundaries to achieve results and share best practices
- Generates support from others for ideas and initiatives
- Engages others in problem solving
- Accepts input from others
- No basis

Communication
- Presents views clearly; solicits opinions and concerns; discusses them openly
- Presents views clearly and demonstrates understanding of the response of others
- Presents views clearly and in a well-structured manner
- Is generally to the point and organized
- Sometimes rambles or is occasionally unfocused
- No basis

Information Seeking
- Involves others who would not normally be involved including experts or outside organizations; may get them to seek out information
- Does research by making a systematic effort over a limited period of time to obtain data or feedback
- Asks a series of probing questions to get at the root of a situation or problem
- Personally investigates problems by going directly to sources of information
- Asks direct questions to problem at hand to those individuals immediately available
- No basis

Developing Others
- Inspires and motivates others to develop by providing feedback and identifying new growth opportunities as well as supporting their efforts to change
- Gives specific positive and negative feedback and provides unfailing support
- Gives specific positive and negative feedback to support the development of others
- Points out mistakes to support the development of others
- Focuses primarily on own abilities
- No basis

Change Leadership
- Builds coalition of supporters and coordinates change across multiple individuals; may create champions who will mobilize others to change
- Promotes change and mobilizes individuals to change behavior
- Defines positive direction for change and persuades others to support it
- Challenges status quo and identifies what needs to change
- Accepts status quo; does not see the need for change
- No basis

Respect for Others
- Uses understanding of others and self to resolve conflicts and foster mutual respect
- Is respectful to all and generous with praise; ensures other opinions are heard
- Is humble and respectful to all
- Generally treats others with respect; usually shares praise and credit
- Is sometimes self-absorbed or overly self-interested
- No basis

Trustworthiness
- Is reliable and authentic even at some personal cost; works to ensure all members of the organization operate with integrity
- Is reliable and authentic even at some personal cost; acts as a role model for the values of the organization
- Acts consistently with stated intentions even in difficult circumstances
- Generally acts consistently with stated intentions
- Shows occasional lapses in trustworthy behavior
- No basis

To what degree do you recommend this applicant be admitted to the Berkeley Full-time MBA Program?