The MBA Insider's Blog

Kicking off the new admissions season

The MBA Admissions & Financial Aid office has officially kicked off our admissions season for the Class of 2015.  As seen in recent posts, we've already begun traveling and meeting candidates and now we're eager to start reading files to learn more about our applicants on paper (or iPads, to be precise) soon. 

Below is an email we sent to all our mailing list subscribers with useful links to jumpstart your application to our program.  Please be sure to fill out our inquiry form to be included on these emails if you haven't done so already!

 

Greetings from the MBA admissions team at UCLA Anderson! As the 2012-13 admissions season gets underway, we invite you to connect with us online or in person. Please take advantage of the following resources as you navigate through the admissions process:

• View our admissions requirements and deadlines or start your application
• Discover how our customizable curriculum and the Parker Career Management Center will prepare you for success
• Learn about our partnership with TED and other recent developments at UCLA Anderson
• Experience the vibrant UCLA Anderson student culture through The MBA Student Voice and video profiles
• Meet us at an event in any one of 37 cities around the world, on campus, or online
• View or download our program brochure

We look forward to sharing exciting developments in our Full-Time MBA program with you, as well as information on how to put together a successful application for the Class of 2015.

A few FAQs from the road

I've recently had the pleasure of chatting with prospective candidates at The MBA Tour fairs in New York, Boston and Washington DC. It's always interesting to see the types of questions that pop up at these events, and I thought I would post a few FAQs that seem to be on people's minds at this stage in the admissions process.

Q. When is the best time for me to visit campus?

A.  Prospective candidates are welcome to visit campus at any time of the year. Thanks to our lovely LA weather, the UCLA campus is a beautiful place to visit all year round. We hold Group Information Sessions (GIS) on campus year-round. However, if you do have flexibility in your schedule and can visit between mid-October and April, we will have class visits available for you to sign-up for. At the moment, classes are not in session, so it may be best for you to wait until we have some additional offerings for you to get the most out of your campus visit. Schedules for class visits are typically posted in late September/early October, so please keep checking our website for updates.

Q.  Is it to my advantage to apply far in advance of a round deadline?

A.  Our application rounds are not rolling. So, if you decide, for example, you're going to apply for Round 1 (deadline: October 24th), you are at no advantage if you apply on September 1st or October 24th. Admissions officers typically start to review applications after the deadline has passed. However, it might be wise for you to click "submit" a day or two before the deadline just in case you run in to technical problems. Of course, we always recommend that you start working on your application far in advance of the actual round deadline.

Q. Am I at a disadvantage if I'm applying with a non-business undergraduate degree?

A.  UCLA Anderson reviews applications from candidates with all different undergraduate majors. In fact, there isn't really a "typical" degree from which we admit candidates, and we like to have representation from all different backgrounds. For candidates who do not have a lot of quantitative coursework in their degree, we do tend to rely a bit more on the GMAT exam to assess your ability to complete the rigorous quantitative coursework in the first year of the program.

Please be sure to check our events schedule for opportunities to meet our admissions officers in person in a city near you. If we're not in your region this year, don't forget to check out one of our weekly webinars. We're happy to answer any questions you may have about the admissions process and our program!