Haas Launches Accelerated Access Deferred Admissions Program

accelerated accessLast week, the Haas School of Business announced the launch of a new deferred admission program for UC Berkeley undergraduates.  Called Accelerated Access, the program gives students the option of applying early for a spot in the full-time MBA program. They can then defer admission for two to five years while they gain the required professional experience.

The program will initially be open only to UC Berkeley undergraduate and graduate students in their final year of study. The plan is to expand to students throughout the University of California system and then more broadly in the future.

“Accelerated Access is an innovative way for students to secure a seat in our MBA program, providing a way for them to pursue full-time work that aligns with their passions, with reassurance that they will be able to return to a top-ranked MBA program in a few years,” said Morgan Bernstein, director of strategic initiatives, who is spearheading the launch.

Accelerated Access will reach across campus

Under Accelerated Access, undergraduates will apply to the MBA program during the final year of their bachelor’s program. Successful applicants will gain conditional admission and can enroll after a flexible two-to-five-year deferment period for professional experience.

Haas Dean Ann Harrison said Accelerated Access will attract students who previously might not have considered an MBA. “We have so much talent here in the Berkeley community,” Harrison said.  “This is another way that we are cultivating and committing to that talent.”

Bernstein has been introducing the program across campus in recent weeks, and says the early response has been enthusiastic.

“We believe that this program will increase the diversity of our class, compelling students from a wide variety of academic disciplines to consider an MBA—from students in environmental science who want to pursue careers in sustainability to engineering students who want to complement their technical skills with a business foundation,” she said.

Application fee waived

There are two application deadlines in the pilot cycle: Thursday, April 2, 2020 and Thursday, June 11, 2020. The application process is similar to that of the full-time MBA program. Requirements will include a resume, two letters of recommendation, two short essays, undergraduate transcripts, and either the GMAT or GRE standardized test. Applicants will also complete a required admissions interview.

Haas will waive the $200 application fee for UC Berkeley applicants this year. It will also make up to five $100,000 scholarship awards to celebrate the launch as well as the 10th anniversary of the Defining Leadership Principles: Question the Status QuoConfidence Without AttitudeStudents Always and Beyond Yourself.  Embodiment of the principles will be among the criteria that are considered for the awards.

Shaibya Dalal earned a BA in political science in 2011 from Berkeley and returned in 2018 as a full-time MBA student. Dalal said she couldn’t be happier that she chose Cal twice.

“The MBA culture at Haas is incredibly collaborative—whether you need notes from a class, advice for your start-up, or even help moving furniture, you can rely on Haasies,” she said. “My peers are kind, generous, open-minded, and intellectually curious. Constantly being around such brilliant people has challenged and stimulated me in completely new ways.”

For more information about the program please email accelerate@haas.berkeley.edu.

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At SBC, our consulting team includes several experts in deferred MBA admissions programs. This includes the former Harvard Business School Associate Director of MBA Admissions, who helped launch the HBS 2+2 Program targeting college seniors.  Contact us for an initial free evaluation here.

SBC’s star-studded consultant team is unparalleled. Our clients benefit from current intelligence that we receive from the former MBA Admissions Officers from Harvard HBS, Stanford GSB and every elite business program in the US and Europe.  These MBA Admissions Officers have chosen to work exclusively with SBC.

Just two of the many superstars on the SBC team:
Meet Erin, who was Assistant Director of MBA Admissions at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business (GSB) and Director of MBA Admissions at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.

Meet Andrea, who served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years.

Tap into this inside knowledge for your MBA applications by requesting a consultation.

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