Berkeley Haas welcomed 295 new full-time MBA students to campus last week for four jam-packed days of orientation before fall classes begin.
“Today marks the beginning of a 22-month journey that will transform your lives and careers,” Wendy Guild, vice dean of MBA programs, told the class of 2026 gathered in Andersen Auditorium.
Under a revamped FTMBA orientation held Aug. 7-23, international students arrived on campus first to learn about academic and career support services tailored to their experience. The entire class then came together for WeLaunch, where they got a big-picture overview of the school, learned about the academic program and the career management team, got to know classmates, and received advice from second-year students. Finally, students participated in ACE (Academic & Career Essentials) Week to prepare them for classes, which begin Aug. 26.
“I think our big win this year was the way that we restructured orientation into three sessions to give students more time to settle in and build community before they start classes,” said Jenn Bridge, executive director of the FTMBA program.
Building community
While the orientation schedule was busy, students still had plenty of time for courtyard chats, music, meditation, and mingling at social mixers.
“One of my favorite things about orientation so far is getting to authentically know my classmates, going deeper beyond the surface-level conversations,” said Amy Wu, MBA 26, who was joined in the Haas courtyard by Delaney Overton, also MBA 26. Overton said she’s also enjoyed getting to know her classmates and learning about what everyone hopes to get out of the next two years.
Throughout the orientation, students learned about how important leadership and communication are in all aspects of their business school experience. They heard from Haas leaders in sustainability and diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. They also learned more about the school’s Defining Leadership Principles—or DLPs—from UC Berkeley Chancellor and former Berkeley Haas dean Rich Lyons.
All new students are assigned to cohorts, groups of students who stay together while taking their core classes. In a welcome address to the new class, Interim Dean Jenny Chatman asked members of each cohort to shout out one of the DLPs, which include Question the Status Quo, Confidence Without Attitude, Students Always, and Beyond Yourself.
“If there’s one thing I really want you to take away from this week, it’s that these aren’t empty words here at Haas,” Chatman, a renowned researcher on organizational culture, said. “You heard from Chancellor Lyons about how important the Defining Leadership Principles are and why we codified them and what they mean to us. These are the guiding stars that will help you navigate the complexities of business and life. We hope you will make them your own as you turn your insight and knowledge into action.”
A diverse, global class
The new class is perhaps the most diverse ever, with 29% identifying as students from historically underrepresented groups, including Latinx, African American/Black, and Native American. Nineteen percent of the class identifies as LGBTQ+, 15% are first-generation college students, and 7% are military veterans. Forty-two percent of the students are women.
Reflecting the school’s global footprint, 38% of the class is international, including students from 35 countries; the top two nations represented are India, with 22 students, and China, with 17.
The Berkeley Haas admissions team praised the new students’ talent and flexibility. “This class of students is well prepared to make an impact in an ever-changing business environment,” said Eric Askins, director of full-time MBA admissions. “They have such a broad array of skills and abilities that they bring to the classroom from a wide range of professional backgrounds and academic disciplines. They are prepared for the pace of change.”
The average student in the class is 28 years old with 5.7 years of post-undergraduate work experience before coming to Haas.
Sergio Cruz, MBA 26, is among 20% of students who join the class from the technology sector. Cruz worked for the digital commerce company Flywheel as a channel director before he arrived at Haas, where he is hoping for a career change. “I want to try my hand in the media and entertainment industry, so I am looking to see if the MBA can help me do that,” Cruz, who is from Bridgeport, Connecticut, said.
About 24% of the incoming class formerly worked in consulting. Vince Nguyen, MBA 26, who is from Chicago, worked as a senior associate at KPMG on healthcare technology and supply-chain projects before coming to Haas. Nguyen said he hopes to pivot from health care to a career in the education sector.
Thirty-three students in the incoming class are pursuing dual degrees, with 12 enrolled in the new MBA/MCS (climate solutions) program, 11 in MBA/MPH (public health), nine in MBA/MEng (engineering), and one in the MBA/JD (law).
