For the Haas MBA Feels Alive essay examples in F1GMAT’s Berkeley Haas MBA Essay Guide, I have used five themes.1) A Globally Known ChallengeFor this strategy, we take the reviewer to a global challenge that was in the news cycle for a prolonged period of time (more than a month). Typically, news with such longevity tends to get rehashed or picked up on social media. The subject also gets broken down into multiple socio-economic angles. When such a wide readership exists for a topic, it becomes much easier for an applicant to connect with the reader. Climate Change is the best example of such a cause. I have highlighted one such example – the declining coastal line in Fiji from Climate Change in the Haas MBA Feels Alive Essay.2) Industry ChallengeThe industry challenge example in Haas Feels Alive works for applicants in the Oil and Gas industry or a function that requires regulation (Finance, AI). The challenge to make this example believable for Haas Feels alive essay is in capturing a sincere tone. Many of the manufactured narratives on a person working in high-polluting industry or industry known to have several bad apples feel forced. There are no indications on the person’s thinking beyond the narrow pursuit of a career in the industry. Volunteering and examples of serving those affected by climate insecurity or insecurity from a disappearing industry or those left behind by systemic inequity are excellent ways to improve the sincerity of the essay.Editor’s Tip: Education is a good theme for the Haas Feels Alive Essay that works for applicants working in the Oil and Gas industry or in roles where there are limited opportunities to showcase a ‘caring’ aspect of their personality. I have captured an example in Education – a reinvention of curriculum for rural students in Africa, where none of her responsibilities in her day job is mentioned. This presents a holistic perspective on the applicant’s journey instead of her superior technical skills as a remote engineer in the O&G industry.3) Random Experience to Professional Experience (Both Similar Feelings)This MBA Essay Writing strategy depends a lot on the art of segue. Once you know the themes of Segues that are effective in MBA essays, switching from a random experience to a professional pursuit will not look forced. It needs a lot of practice. I have seen applicants wasting hours to get this transition right. A better strategy is to focus on the overall essay and the theme of what makes you feel alive and then work on perfecting the transitions in the 3rd and 4th iterations of the essay.In this MBA Essay example on a person’s hardship growing up, the experience looks random until the reader reaches the middle of the essay, where the applicant’s passion for serving the beneficiary makes sense. A technological intervention with AI as a tool adds to the theme of the MBA essay, we are likely to see this year. The mention of the technology solutions also dispels the myth around Marketing and Branding persons’ limited quant skills.4) Evolution of a Person’s Outlook, a.k.a GrowthA great technique to show vulnerability, self-awareness, and emotional intelligence is through addressing a perspective you had before and comparing it with your perspective now. In one of the Haas Feels Alive Essays, I shared an applicant’s passion for flying, that started with her motivation to master the instrumentation technology. Later when the applicant began working on a Healthcare diagnostic startup, she realized the limitations of just relying on ‘technology as the only solution’. This evolution of her thinking could not have been captured in the Goals or the DEI essay. We strategically used two examples – Flying as an extracurricular and her experience in a startup to demonstrate her growth in outlook. Writer’s Tip: You should show care while shortlisting such examples. The growth should not look trivial. It should be genuine and meaningful in how you see the world now. One easy way to understand the evolution of your character is by monitoring your change in hobbies or interest in a topic over the past 5 years. Ask Why? The answer will reveal your changing perspective.5) Influence of Mentors/ParentsThe experience or extra-curricular that you mention in the Haas MBA Makes you Feel Alive Essay often involve parents or a mentor. An example of fly fishing or hunting with parents to being a passionate supporter of preserving wetlands or forests has a logical connection if you carefully reconcile both the narratives. The challenge is not to dwell on one activity and learn to segue at the right moment.
