Haas Students

<p>I've heard they're really nasty and cut throat? This true? What are they like? Is the undergrad education as good as it's cracked up to be or is it mainly a grad school? Thanks</p>

<p>depends on what you mean by "undergraduate education." </p>

<p>if you mean professors who know your name, then berkeley would have terribly poor undergraduate education, especially in the sciences and more sciencelike social sciences. </p>

<p>if you mean hard to get As. then yes. its hard to get As at berkeley. or at least harder than at other top research shools. </p>

<p>if you mean teaching quality, berkeley is mostly not it. some profs are great, though. </p>

<p>if you mean professors research, berkeley is one of the best places in the world. </p>

<p>in the end, the same profs who teach the world famous grad programs teach undergrads.</p>

<p>As a newly-admitted Haas student, I can attest, we're not all "nasty and cutthroat." I'm actually a tree-hugging hippie who plays guitar and watches MTV reality shows all day. But yes, you will most definitely encounter those "haasholes" in prereq courses--they look perpetually tired, dress conservatively, and either: 1. raise their hand in lecture all the time, not because they're confused, but because they love to hear themselves talk, or 2. keep to themselves and mad-dog anyone who appears to be remotely in their way.</p>

<p>From what I hear, the prof's are hard, but the classes are much smaller, and some prof's teach certain sections, so its better than the campus at large.</p>

<p>Really though, the only reason people go to business school, undergrad or grad, is the network. Competition and hard work is the simple measure of success the business world, and those people who can handle it succeed. I like to think of it this way, though, personality plays a major part, and its what you do with your education that really counts.</p>

<p>haasholes- that's a good one.</p>

<p>Ah yes, it's frequently used.</p>

<p>What cracks my non-existent nuts is that "Haasholes" think that Econ students are morons. I basically told someone my majors, and someone said "yeah, Econ is merely a buffer major." Cheers for that, considering Econ is my main major. However,I will admit that I briefly entertained the notion of applying to Haas before realizing lawyers make more money.</p>

<p>In response to this question,everything you hear is probably an over-exaggeration.</p>

<p>Sure there's competition, but it's not that cut-throat X-nay the few anal retentive arses. Also, Statistics 21 is not that hard unlike what everyone says, particularly if you have a brain. I heard tons of scary stories before I took some business prereqs, but if you do the work, you will defo be fine.</p>

<p>yes, already I know a few people who see econ as their backup major if they fail to get into Haas.</p>

<p>They shoudl really have professional schools rather than universities. I would never have gone here had I realized over half the undergrads were just money-hungry middle class trash.</p>

<p>Are there many people who transfer to other schools if they do not get into the HAAS program?</p>

<p>Is that a valid option? Is it a popular one?</p>

<p>No, they usually take another major and try to milk the berkeley name.</p>

<p>"They shoudl really have professional schools rather than universities. I would never have gone here had I realized over half the undergrads were just money-hungry middle class trash."</p>

<p>Over half?</p>

<p>Hm.. well this does remind me how my RA switched out of premed b/c it was too expensive and applied and got into Haas. Then one day I had dinner with her and somehow the conversation went on to a point where she said "I want money, I want to get rich." -_-</p>

<p>
[quote]
I briefly entertained the notion of applying to Haas before realizing lawyers make more money.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>You could have gone to Haas for your bachelor's and still gone to law school. In fact, some Haas grads do exactly that. For example, I see that at the bottom of this weblink, some Haas grads went directly to such law schools as Berkeley (Boalt), UCLA, NYU, and Stanford </p>

<p><a href="http://career.berkeley.edu/Major/BusAd.stm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://career.berkeley.edu/Major/BusAd.stm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Besides, I would say that Haas grads who are truly dedicated to making money can easily make more than lawyers do. Just go to investment banking. First-year IB analysts fresh out of undergrad make about $110-130 k to start (including all bonuses) which is only slightly less than what lawyers at the best firms get in their first year. And they didn't have to go to graduate school to make that. Bankers fresh out of MBA school will make about $200-250k in their first year (again, including all bonuses). Those who make it to Vice President (which you generally reach at about 5 years after your MBA) make about half a million. Managing directors make 7 figures.</p>

<p>The issue that presents itself is that the investment banking lifestyle is notoriously harsh. 90-100 hour workweeks are typical, and so are all-nighters and extreme stress. A lot of people could get into Ibanking, but decide that the lifestyle is just too hard. I know plenty of people who got Ibanking offers and turned them down because of issues with quality of life. </p>

<p>But that needs to be talked about in contrast with the law associate lifestyle. If you take a partner-track job at a major law firm (the ones that are going to pay you well), you are also going to be working ridiculous hours and dealing with heavy stress. One might also say that most Ibankers don't make it to the Vice-President or Director level, and that's true, but then again, most law associates don't make it partner. </p>

<p>
[quote]
yes, already I know a few people who see econ as their backup major if they fail to get into Haas

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Yeah, but the problem with that is that econ is also an impacted major. So you have people who try to get into Haas, and can't get in. So they try to use Econ as a backup major, and then find out that they can't get into that either. Then they look for a "backup of a backup".</p>

<p>
[quote]
Are there many people who transfer to other schools if they do not get into the HAAS program?</p>

<p>Is that a valid option? Is it a popular one?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Yes, it is a valid option. No, I wouldn't say it is a popular one. The truth is, if you don't have the grades that are good enough to get into Haas, then you probably don't have the grades to transfer into a school that is as prestigious as Berkeley is. </p>

<p>
[quote]
They shoudl really have professional schools rather than universities. I would never have gone here had I realized over half the undergrads were just money-hungry middle class trash.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Well, in fairness to Berkeley, I would point out that the same avarice exists at rival schools as well. Believe me, there are plenty of Harvard and Stanford students who care only about money.</p>

<p>"They shoudl really have professional schools rather than universities. I would never have gone here had I realized over half the undergrads were just money-hungry middle class trash."</p>

<p>Maybe that's why I enjoy being an english major. You know that none of us are in it for the money:)</p>

<p>


</p>

<p>Yeah, but business does not help AT ALL regarding logical, analytical, and writing skills. There's absolutely no use for business classes if you want some law school prep/</p>

<p>Yeah, I said about a little over half were, not the entire campus. </p>

<p>Sakky is right; you do not want to do law to make money. The general ordering is business>medicine>law.</p>

<p>Business makes the pie bigger; law generally slices a little off the top of the pie already there. Medicine is even better than law to make money because its completely safe and even crappy doctors make lots wheras most lawyers really don't make that much.</p>

<p>You should really only do law if you like it IMO, but I'm sure there are a lot of lawyers that try to do it because they couldn't cut it as a doctor or somethign else.</p>

<p>
[quote]
yes, already I know a few people who see econ as their backup major if they fail to get into Haas.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>So true. It's just semi-annoying though how they automatically think that I was rejected from Haas because I'm an Econ major. It's also more annoying how someone asked me what I was doing at an honors society meeting, because I guess I don't LOOK like I'd be an honors student. hehe</p>

<p>
[quote]
Yeah, I said about a little over half were, not the entire campus.</p>

<p>Sakky is right; you do not want to do law to make money. The general ordering is business>medicine>law.</p>

<p>Business makes the pie bigger; law generally slices a little off the top of the pie already there. Medicine is even better than law to make money because its completely safe and even crappy doctors make lots wheras most lawyers really don't make that much.</p>

<p>You should really only do law if you like it IMO, but I'm sure there are a lot of lawyers that try to do it because they couldn't cut it as a doctor or somethign else.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Nah, doctors make jack crap nowadays due to insurance rates. Unless you're a dermatologist or something, it's basically unprofitable to be a doctor. They made much more 30 years ago. </p>

<p>Anyway, I want to be a corporate attorney, hence more money than say the average attorney. </p>

<p>Some attorneys make nothing: ie) prosecutors, immigration</p>

<p>While others make a lot: tax, some corporate, international, etc.</p>

<p>On this note, if I had ever considered pre-med, as my dad wanted me to, I'd be a dermatologist. Easy, extremely lucrative, yet very competitive. </p>

<p>Also you get free skin products.</p>

<p>For business majors, it's not as stable. Berkeley Haas undergraduate majors usually make about 45,000 starting pay or so, which is basically nothing. You have to go to graduate school to get a decent salary, which applies to practically all majors except engineering. There are business majors who make A LOT and then there are many who work in financial firms making relatively nothing. It really depends.</p>

<p>Wow. I am shocked at how few undergraduates from HAAS decide to go to graduate school. I am personally planning to try to get into a JD/MBA program or apply to Law school at another college after (hopefully) getting an undergraduate degree from HAAS.</p>

<p>Is this a reasonable goal? Is there any reason why most HAAS graduates dont decide to do something like this?</p>