The MBA Insider's Blog

Early Round 1 decisions released today

We are happy to announce a batch of early Round 1 decisions was released this morning. However, please note we are continuing to evaluate candidates and interview invitations will extend through mid-January 2013.  Applicants who interviewed but have not received a decision yet are still being evaluated by the admissions committee.  Currently, we are not planning to release any more early decisions, so all our remaining Round 1 applicants will hear from us by the January 23rd deadline as noted on our website.

Updates will be posted on our blog and other social media channels, so please stay tuned for more news from us!

UCLA Anderson introduces Assets Digital magazine

We are happy to announce the introduction of the new Assets Digital Magazine. Check out the many compelling stories about our wonderful community in this inaugural issue of Assets Digital. For the best viewing experience we recommend downloading it for your iPad. 

To learn more visit the Anderson Digital site.

Access Anderson: A Fantastic Event

Tuesday’s Access Anderson event was a huge success. We improved last year’s Los Angeles information Session to include the broader UCLA
Anderson community. Over 200 registered attendees had a chance to speak with UCLA Anderson faculty, students, alumni, Center directors, and other staff members. Along with my colleague Regina Regazzi (Asst Dean, Parker Career Management Center), we delivered a vibrant, energetic presentation of what opportunities and possibilities are here at UCLA Anderson…specifically for those joining our full-time MBA Program in the future.  The agenda and panelists included:

 

Andrew Ainslie –Senior Associate Dean, Full-Time MBA Program

Robert Weiler – Associate Dean, Full-Time MBA Program

Regina Regazzi– Asst Dean, Parker Career Management Center

Alex Lawrence – Asst Dean, Director of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid

 

 

 

The admission season is moving quickly and we continue to see strong interest in UCLA Anderson. Remember, the more you discover, the more there is to like. Think in the Next!!

Come join us for Access Anderson on Nov. 27

If you plan to be in Los Angeles next Tuesday evening, Nov. 27, please join us on campus for Access Anderson -- an insightful and stimulating evening of conversation about our MBA program.

In this one evening, Anderson alumni and students will come together to show applicants our compelling nature. The event will include a short presentation by our senior officials followed by a networking reception. To learn more about this unique opportunity or to register please click here.

 

When: Tuesday, Nov. 27 at 7:00 PM sharp (arrive early to get a good seat!)

Where: Korn Hall, UCLA Anderson campus

 

We look forward to meeting you soon!

 

- MBA Admissions and Financial Aid Office

Thanksgiving Holiday Schedule

Our offices will be closed this Thursday and Friday November 22th and 23th in observance of the Thanksgiving Holiday. We want to take this opportunity to wish you a very happy and safe Thanksgiving weekend in the company of family and friends.

 

- MBA Admissions and Financial Aid

 

How to source strong letters of recommendation

I recently returned from The MBA Tour India where I had the pleasure of visiting Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Delhi and Pune. The events were all very well attended, and I enjoyed meeting some excellent candidates in the region! I thoroughly enjoyed visiting a number of fascinating sites around the country, as well as sampling the delicious cuisine (and, of course, shopping!)

While in India, I participated on a few admissions panels alongside colleagues from other universities where I was assigned the topic of ‘Letters of Recommendation.’ For those of you who have not had the chance to sit in on an admissions panel this year, I thought I would provide you with a few tips:

-   What is important isn’t necessarily the title of the person writing the letter, but how well they know you in the workplace. At UCLA Anderson, we look to your letters of recommendation to help us assess from a third-party perspective your leadership and management potential, fit with the program, interpersonal skills and teamwork abilities. In most cases, someone you have reported to on a day-to-day basis can provide more insight into these qualities than someone higher up in the organization who may not interact with you regularly.

-   Prepare your recommender as much as possible.  Give them ample time to prepare a strong letter, and perhaps give them a deadline to have the letter prepared by. Provide your recommender with a copy of your resume and remind them of your key accomplishments.

-  Who to ask? At UCLA Anderson, we prefer professional recommendations over academic. Preferably, you should have a letter from your direct supervisor. However, we understand that sometimes candidates are not yet comfortable letting their employer know they are pursuing an MBA. Indirect supervisors (people who have overseen projects you’ve worked on, a manager from another department, etc.) are a good option, as well as former employers, clients (especially for those of you who are self-employed) and supervisors from extracurricular organizations.

Next stop(s)  –  Paris, London, Istanbul and Tel Aviv. I hope to meet more of you “on the road” soon!

UCLA Anderson MBA Applications up 22% in 2011-12

Prospective students keep asking why our application volume grew by 22% last season, while the majority of b-schools saw declines instead.  Clearly we are doing something right and new students want to be a part of it!  Check out what the media has to say about our exciting performance, including The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Businessweek, and Poets and Quants.

Innovation comes naturally to us in California, as for example our flexible learning model prepares students for new careers in a way that is faster and deeper than ever before.  Our partnerships with industry keep growing, as illustrated by the spring TED Conference here, and even our admission evaluations are more powerful now with our iPad app from Matchbox.  Students who want to transform their futures know that this is a prime venue for change -- a business school combining academic rigor with a fun lifestyle too.

The fresh admissions season is picking up speed, and we are seeing strong interest in UCLA Anderson this year too.  Candidates can get to know us better on-line or in-person and the more you discover the more there is to like!

 

UCLA Anderson en route to Brazil, Peru and Chile!

 

This post is going to be very brief as my flight has already started boarding. I am at LAX getting ready to travel to South America. My stops in this trip will include São Paulo, Rio, Lima and Santiago where we will be holding information events along with our great local alumni.

I look forward to meeting some terrific new applicants looking to learn more about our school and our terrific alumni. If you haven't signed up yet, please visit our events page and register (http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/mba-events.xml).

Look for more updates from the road later this week. I have to part ways for now or the next information session I give will be to the TSA staff at the LAX.

Saludos,

Adrian Aguirre
UCLA Anderson

UCLA Anderson Attends the National Black MBA Conference in Indianapolis

Once again the 34th Annual National Black MBA Conference was well attended by some of our UCLA Anderson students as well as students from MBA programs across the country. The conference provided a great opportunity for students to network with peers but more importantly get in front of recruiters. With over 250 companies in attendance, students had a diversity of employment options. Whether students were looking for traditional companies like General Mills or non-traditional companies like the FBI, they were able to find them on the career expo floor.

It's always great to be able to represent UCLA Anderson, support our current students, and connect with UCLA Anderson alums who are representing their companies. I'm looking forward to the 35th Annual Conference in Houston next year!

NBMBAA Conference Recap

The NBMBAA and the city of Indianapolis put on a great conference this year.  We met a good number of competitive applicants for UCLA Anderson, reconnected with alumni representing great organizations, and saw our own students excelling in on-site interviewing sessions.  I'm looking forward to the 2013 NBMBAA conference in Houston.  In the short time frame, the month of October includes visits to Boston, New Haven, New York, San Francisco, and Washington DC.  But first, back to the "City of Angels" for some rest, relaxation, and weekend fun.