MBA Insider's Blog

My MBA recruiting adventure through Asia - part 2

In continuing to regale you all with stories from the road, I'd like to highlight my stop in Tokyo.

Once our MBA Tour group landed in Tokyo, we actually had a free day to explore. The majority of my colleagues chose to partake in the scheduled group trip but I decided to do something that I had always wanted to do and opted for visiting Tokyo Disney. Yes, I know, I'm a California native and Disneyland is only 45 minutes from home (as one of my Japanese alums noted), but Tokyo Disney was still a must-see and must-experience destination for me.

                       

Here are just a few things that I loved about my trip to Tokyo Disney:

1. It's clear that the Disney spirit knows no borders. In all honesty, I think that our Japanese friends actually embrace and demonstrate the Disney spirit much more enthusiastically than the majority of us Californians. I was amazed to see the number of Disney characters being represented by visiting guests. For example, there were couples who were dressed like their favorite Disney couple - guys wore clothing representing the male Disney character, e.g. Mickey, while the girls wore clothing representing the female Disney character, e.g. Minnie. Of course, this wasn't just limited to couples, I saw groups of friends as well as families all wearing the same character outfit or same t-shirt or jacket to show their love for Disney! I also enjoyed seeing guests throughout the park with their Disney character hats.

2. They had Mickey shaped hamburgers! I think that's all the explanation this point needs.

                                     

3. They offered different flavored popcorn throughout the park! My favorite was the strawberry! I'm hoping to recreate it here at home - wish me luck. 

4. They offer tons of reusable snack containers! My favorites were all of the options that they had for popcorn buckets. I purchased the little green alien from Toy Story since he was the option with the strawberry popcorn, but I have to admit that I ended up buying a Mickey one (without popcorn) before leaving the park. Not only do they sell the buckets but they also have souvenir snack containers! I also brought home the little green alien snack container from my delicious yogurt-like dessert dumplings.

                

So yes, while I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Tokyo Disney, my visit to Tokyo also involved work.

The day after Tokyo Disney it was time to get back to MBA recruiting. One of the reasons that I love going to Tokyo is the fact that we have such a stellar group of alums that come out to help and this visit was no exception. I was very lucky to have six alums and one current student who willingly volunteered their time to share their passion for UCLA Anderson and help guide the next generation of UCLA Anderson students. Together we were able to take the time to answer each prospective applicants questions and provide some insight into what UCLA Anderson can offer in terms of academics, culture, and life long network. We're looking forward to another year of strong applicants from Japan who will one day also give back to our community.

Here I am with a few alums and the always supportive Mr. Tadashi Yokoyama.

                       

Until next time...

My MBA recruiting adventure through Asia - part 1

Although I've had the good fortune of having travelled to Asia in the past, I'm always surprised by the new experiences that I'm able to have and I thought I would share a couple of them with you.

My first stop was Taipei and I was able to see a whole new side to Taipei. I'll admit that my past trips have been limited to going to the top of Taipei 101 and visiting a couple of night markets, but this year I was able to go beyond the usual tourist stops and gain a different perspective. One of my favorite memories from this trip involves taking a ride on the wild side by riding in one of the Crystal Cabins of the Maokong Gondola. Most people will tell you that I am not the biggest risk taker. I don't mind taking risks as long as they are calculated risks, and riding in a glass bottom gondola hanging from what looks like a thin cable for more than 2.5 miles over the hills of Taipei is kind of a big deal. Luckily for me, Hello Kitty is the Maokong Gondola's annual mascot this year and she helped to make me feel safe.

I definitely would recommend the Maokong Gondola to anyone visiting Taipei. Not only did I ride in a Hello Kitty themed gondola and enjoy beautiful views of Taipei, but I was also able to enjoy a delicious lunch at the top of the mountain and learned how tea is traditionally prepared. And as a bonus, for you cost-conscious travelers out there, the cost for a round trip gondola ride is less than $4 and if you purchase an all day Taipei Pass (with Maokong Gondola) then it's only a little over $8 and it includes unlimited MRT/bus/gondola rides for the day - the perfect way to get around Taipei!

So once I returned from my gondola adventure, it was time to get ready for the evenings events - meeting prospective MBA applicants at our school presentation and MBA fair organized by the MBA Tour and held at the Regent Taipei. I'm glad that I was able to count on the help of three UCLA Anderson alums who were able to share their point of view with the prospective applicants. We always meet great applicants in Taipei and I'm looking forward to evaluating their applications. 

Fall quarter class visit schedule is now available

Hello everyone!  Orientation for the Class of 2016 started on Monday, and it's wonderful to see students here pumped up and excited to start their MBA journey at UCLA Anderson!  

Orientation kickoff in a packed Korn Hall

Meanwhile, our team has been busy recruiting next year's class, attending events near and far.  It's hard to believe September is half over and we'll be reading Round 1 applications in a little over a month (I think I say this every year).

Whether you plan to apply for Fall 2015 or a future year, I highly recommend you connect with us by participating in a class visit or campus tour.  Not only will you get the classroom experience firsthand, you'll also meet lots of current students who'll provide a wealth of additional information about Anderson, classes, extracurricular activities, and career resources, as well as other points of contact for you during the application process.  If you're in the LA area or plan to be here in the coming months, we'd love to see you.  Our fall schedule is available on the Events page:

 

 

Click on the box titled "Class Visits and Tours" and click the bolded link to class visit or campus tour to see all available options.  

We hope you'll come to campus soon - stop by the admissions office for questions or just to say hello while you're here!

 

Fall 2015 MBA application essay

As you may have noticed, we made some changes to the MBA application essay question this year:

“UCLA Anderson is distinguished by three defining principles: Share Success, Think Fearlessly, Drive Change. What principles have defined your life and pre-MBA career? How do you believe that UCLA Anderson's principles, and the environment they create, will help you attain your post-MBA career goals?”

The principles above are highly evident when you meet UCLA Anderson students and alumni.  In fact, one of the main reasons why students choose Anderson over other top schools is because of our inclusive, supportive culture.  To provide more context behind these principles, I wanted to share some resources that can help as you begin crafting your application.

Our website: our recently redesigned website is a great place to start learning about our program and the culture that defines UCLA Anderson.  This page includes additional information about what it means to Share Success, Think Fearlessly, and Drive Change, plus links to videos showcasing members of our community.  Be sure to read through the rest of the site!

Dean Olian’s speech: In this year’s commencement speech, UCLA Anderson Dean Judy Olian defined our three principles, providing a great overview of what you can expect as part of the UCLA Anderson family.

Our students: Anytime someone asks me “Why UCLA Anderson?” I always end my answer with, “But don’t just take my word for it – talk to our students.”  Sharing success goes beyond our current students and includes outreach to future students as well, which is the mission of the Admissions Ambassador Corps (AAC). Learn more about the group and connect with an ambassador here.

When it comes time to start writing your essay, I understand the difficulty in choosing only a few tidbits from the span of your entire life to share with us.  However, think about what specifics you want the admissions committee to know about you and the principles that have defined your life to date.  You can start by reviewing your resume, making a list of professional/personal accomplishments, talking it out with a friend/colleague, etc. - the key here is self-reflection.  Keep in mind your post-MBA career goals are still a very important factor in your response, so be sure to articulate focused career plans and tie them to why an MBA from UCLA Anderson is a crucial step in your path.  For more insight, check out our detailed application instructions on our website, plus advice from our student bloggers Matt and Alena on The MBA Student Voice. 

Best of luck with the application! Leave us a note below or contact us if you have any questions.