After building her career at Genentech in marketing, Sachi Holla (Haas, ‘22) decided to pursue an MBA to make a career pivot and broaden her career opportunities. After engaging with many Haas students and alumni in the MBA admissions process, Sachi was drawn to Haas for its community and culture. During this interview, Sachi spoke about her decision to pursue an MBA, why she chose Haas, and her advice to Haas admitted MBA students.
Name: Sachi Holla
School: UC-Berkeley Haas
Class: 2022
Future Industry: Marketing/Consulting
MBASchooled: What did you do before business school, and why did you choose to apply?
I went to UC Berkeley for undergrad as well and majored in Biology, and then actually went to dental school for one year before realizing it was not the career for me. After leaving, I was fortunate to land a role at Genentech, where I spent three years in regulatory and one year in marketing.
Since I had such a science-focused background, I knew that business school would help me strengthen my business knowledge, expand my network, and potentially make a career pivot and simply broaden my horizons. I also knew that I wanted to be able to dedicate two years in the full-time program to both my professional and personal development and was fortunate enough to be in a position to do so.
MBASchooled: What were the most important questions you asked in order to help make your admissions decision?
The biggest question I asked myself was whether I would fit in with the culture at Haas. I think that overall, you can get a similar educational experience at many business schools (at least the type of experience I was looking for) therefore I was more focused on the culture and student community. I knew I wanted to surround myself with individuals who were motivated and brilliant, yet also down-to-earth and humble and Haas exemplified that perfectly.
I also worked with several Haas alumni at Genentech and knew that those were the types of people I wanted to learn from. The second question I asked myself was how difficult it would be to make a career pivot at Haas, and after speaking with several alumni, as well as realizing the proximity of Haas to the Silicon Valley, I knew that Haas would be the right choice for me.
MBASchooled: What has been your favorite experience at Haas so far?
My favorite experience so far has been watching our community of classmates continue to come together and get to know one another despite the pandemic. I always knew that Haas was a very student-run school, but seeing students take matters into their own hands and ensure that we still form friendships and a sense of community, whether that be through socially distanced hangouts in Haasies’ backyards or through virtual coffee chats, has been such a beautiful thing to witness.
One of our classmates created a monthly virtual coffee chat system in which random students from around the world would be paired together to meet through Zoom, allowing those in Berkeley to still meet and get to know students who had not or could not move due to the pandemic. Experiences such as these have shown me that Haas is more than just a school – it’s a family.
MBASchooled: After spending a semester at Haas, what’s something that you now know about Haas that you wish you knew when you applied ?
I wish I had known how intense my first semester would be! To be frank, I think that is the case at almost any business school since you are balancing academics, social, and career all while adjusting to school again, however I was not ready for the academic rigor and how fast the recruiting process was for certain industries. Luckily I had a great study group and classmates who were supportive throughout. I highly recommend listing out your goals and priorities prior to starting business school so that you are ready to hit the ground running!
MBASchooled: Now that you’ve been at Haas for a semester, is there a specific moment or highlight where you felt confident that you made the right decision?
I became interested in consulting quite last minute, and was fortunate to receive an interview invite but only had a couple weeks to prepare. After some mental breakdowns here and there, I reached out to a few students who were on the consulting path and was absolutely overwhelmed by their willingness to help me prepare, all while having to prepare for their own set of interviews.
They set up time with me to case, do behavioral prep, and generally just chat about the interview process and for this, I will forever be grateful. The fact that these students, who I had only known for a few months, went beyond themselves to help me is what made me confident in my decision to attend Haas.
MBASchooled: As an MBA Admissions Ambassador, you talk to many prospective MBA students. What questions should admits ask before making a decision?
I think the most important question to ask is whether the school’s resources and student community will help you achieve your own career goals, whether those include going into tech, consulting, a non-profit, starting your own company, or so much more. Therefore I highly encourage speaking with alumni in a variety of different roles in order to answer this question. Next, I think it is important to ask whether you can see yourself forming friendships with the students at Haas, because those friendships are not only part of your social life but will also help with both academics and career activities.
Finally, I would ask yourself what your priorities are coming into school. Are you coming here solely to learn through the curriculum, expand your network, or make a career pivot, or a combination of all three? Is there one in particular that is a priority for you? If so, I would make sure that the school’s offerings and student culture align with your priorities as well.
MBASchooled: What are you excited about for Days at Haas?? What should prospective applicants take advantage of?
I am so excited for Days at Haas! I love meeting admitted students and addressing their questions. I have also loved my experience here so far and truly enjoy sharing that with others. I think it is really important that students set their intentions prior to Days at Haas – for example, are you attending to see what the students are like? Are you attending to gain a better understanding of career resources? Are you using this event to help you make a decision between schools?
Based on answers to these questions, I would really prioritize the sessions of value to you and remain engaged. Additionally, I would talk to as many current students as possible, and finally, I would try to attend as many social events with admitted students as well since they might be your future classmates!
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