<p>So this might seem like a stupid question, but can someone please explain to me what the point of applying to Haas is? </p>
<p>I looked at their website and I'm still confused. Is it just so you can graduate with a business degree? because if you don't go to haas, you would just be graduating with an economics degree?</p>
<p>Or is it seen as more of an MBA like how at Wharton, when you graduate, people see that as an MBA even though it was undergrad?</p>
<p>You will get a bachelor’s degree in business administration.</p>
<p>It’s the same as majoring in business at USC or UCLA or almost any other undergrad college, the only difference is that there is an additional selection process:</p>
<p>1) I get admitted to Berkeley.
2) I take general breadth courses, electives/courses for a back-up major WHILE taking courses that are required for a Haas application.
3) In the first semester of my sophomore year, I apply to Haas.
4a) I get accepted (based on grades in the required classes mentioned in 2), as well as essays.) I am now officially a business major and graduate with a B.S. in Business Administration.
4b) I get rejected. I continue with my back-up major. I graduate with a degree in that back-up major instead.</p>
<p>The back-up major doesn’t have to be economics, it can be anything. In order to apply, however, you have to take the pre-requisite courses during your first three semesters at Berkeley.</p>
<p>A quick addition to the previous post, when you hear back from Haas during the spring if your sophomore year, you are “conditionally” admitted, which means that you officially matriculate to the program the following fall and are technically susceptible from being “un-accepted” if you do poorly academically in the semester in which you receive news of the conditional acceptance.</p>
<p>You get the “prestige” and whatever networking/career services that Haas offers.
You get a Business degree.
You get to take business classes without going on the waiting list.</p>
<p>It’s a Business major. You take different classes than Econ majors. Haas curriculum covers Corp Finance, Accounting, Marketing, financial modeling, plus a ton of electives (derivatives pricing, energy markets, consulting, etc). Stuff you might use on the job. Accounting is really, really useful. </p>
<p>Berkeley Econ isn’t Biz Econ. It’s much more theoretical, like grad school Econ prep work (although if you wanted to apply you’d need more math classes than the major requires.)</p>
<p>The most significant benefit, though, is for recruiting. It’s unfair, but Econ majors at Berkeley are initally treated like second-class citizens when it comes to recruiting, and are assumed to be “Haas rejects.” ****ty but true. It’s just easier to get an accounting/banking/consulting job as a Haas major than an Econ one.</p>
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<p>Actually, it appears (from the schedule of classes listings of class sizes) that most of Berkeley economics enrollment is in the less mathematical version (with 100A/100B/140) compared to the more mathematical version (101A/101B/141) which is recommended for graduate school (in economics) preparation (and is presumably better for certain types of finance jobs).</p>
<p>Thank you so much for all the responses!</p>
<p>But if I get rejected, then I’m basically screwed cause I won’t be able to get a business degree? That kind of sucks considering I was directly admitted to Stern or Marshall.</p>
<p>Yup it would suck. These are things you usually think through before SIR-ing…</p>
<p>^^haha, yep. Sorry about that. Then again that’s (a little part of) why Haas is so highly regarded; it’s doubly-selective.</p>
<p>So Haas or Stern? I haven’t committed to a school yet. And I really need help deciding.</p>
<p>Haas is cheaper than Stern.
But then I might not get into Haas. </p>
<p>What do I do…?!</p>
<p>I think you should look ahead and see which school gives you better opportunities, career-wise. Think about the locations, the faculty, the internship tie-ups. Go to the NYU admitted student programs in the area, and come to Cal Day and visit the Haas section, and then decide.</p>
<p>I won’t be able to visit any of the campuses/programs in the next couple of weeks so is there any websites that you recommend I look at that tell me the job opportunities after graduating from cal or nyu?</p>
<p>^You’ll have to be very specific about what job you want, otherwise it’s really hard for us to give you any opinion. They’re both very different schools that each have their pros and cons.</p>
<p>I want to someday be a CFO but I also want to work in the entertainment business eventually. I did get admitted to USC but it’s also too expensive.</p>
<p>Does that help?</p>
<p>IMO Haas and Wharton are similar, with Wharton being much better of course. But on the West Coast, Haas and Stanford grads dominate. I hear UCLA/USC business grads don’t do so well in job placement. </p>
<p>It seems that for your plans, you would want to take the finance/consulting → MBA route. </p>
<p>The more relevant question is: was Berkeley a reach for you? As in, if you applied 100% knowing that you would be accepted, I say go for Berkeley → Haas. And be smart about the classes you take. If Berkeley was a reach for you, then Stern is a good option because you are already admitted to their biz school and the location is perfect.</p>
<p>Okay thank you! And Berkeley was not a reach for me lol</p>
<p>But how would I know if it was possible to get a job in LA since Berkeley is in norcal? I really want to work in hollywood if you couldnt tell hehe</p>
<p>It’s very possible to get a job in LA. Berkeley is well known in SoCal and draws a large percentage of the student population from there. Many Haas students intern in SoCal during the summer and end up moving there to work after graduation.</p>
<p>You should really consider paying up to go to USC. </p>
<p>One of my professors was a show-runner for a studio. Talked about her work, and said Hollywood is a very, very insular industry, much more so say finance, consulting, accounting, etc. USC places extraordinarily well there. UCLA too. Berk will be better than Stern for this, but the Haas program is really intended to get you a job at an investment bank, a Big 4 accounting firm, or a management consulting position. That’s where our alumni are. </p>
<p>If you have personal connections to people IN Hollywood who can get you an internship, then go wherever you want. But if you’re just an outsider looking in, and super interested, your best shot is going to USC. Or UCLA (I know you haven’t mentioned it, but on the off-chance you got in and just assumed it wasn’t as good, GO.)</p>
<p>my haas professor spent a lot of years in hollywood.</p>
<p>she graduated from USC. </p>
<p>as triplectz points out, it is a VERY “who you know” industry and the only way to get to know people enough is to be in very close proximity and being active.</p>
<p>i’d pick usc for your case. your call. haas and stern both serve their audiences well</p>
<p>So you guys think the extra 30k tuition a year (so over four years that 120k…) is worth it just for the connections?</p>