MBA Insider's Blog

UCLA Anderson Application Insider: Choosing an MBA Program

This blog post is part of our "Application Insider" blog post series that provides insider information, tips, and advice about applying to the UCLA Anderson MBA program.

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APPLICATION INSIDER TOPIC:

CHOOSING AN MBA PROGRAM

With our Round 1 release date in a few weeks, we wanted to give you some food for thought over as you consider your options -- below you'll find some recommendations for action items to take to help you make a decision. If you're applying in Rounds 2 or 3, hopefully this post will give you a quick look into what to expect once the applications and interviews are all done!

 

(1) Connect (or re-connect) with students and alumni

Once you've gotten admitted into a program, it's natural that the type of questions you have will change. Share the good news with people you interacted with along the way, and take this opportunity to set up follow-up conversations to discuss your next-level questions. At UCLA Anderson, we pair you exclusively with a student buddy and an alumni buddy once you're admitted so there will be two more additional resources for you, too.

(2) Save the date for admit weekends

Even if you've visited the school before submitting your application, we highly recommend visiting on admit weekends. These events are the best way to assess a school's location, culture and overall environment, in addition to meeting your potential future classmates. Anderson's Round One Welcome (AROW) and Anderson Days (A-Days for Rounds 1 and 2) feature sessions with our top-ranked Parker Career Management Center, faculty spotlights, housing tours, student-hosted dinners, 1-on-1 loan advising sessions, and more. 

(3) Consult your personal "Board of Advisors"

At the end of the day, you want to attend the best program possible for you and your goals. Assemble a list of the people in your life who are your personal and professional mentors that can advise you. Don't forget your "gut feelings", too -- those intangible qualities about a school that leave you feeling more empowered, inspired, and included can make the difference between an "ok" MBA experience and a life-changing one.

 

I also encourage you to think beyond the immediate post-MBA job. I am proud to call UCLA Anderson my home because of what our school stands for -- sharing success, thinking fearlessly and driving change - and how we live those values every day.  My classmates and professors pushed me to a new level of potential, and I am so excited that UCLA Anderson could be a part of your journey!

 

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Stay in Touch: Introduce Yourself
Follow the Admissions Team @uclaMBA:  Twitter and Instagram
Questions? Contact us at: [email protected]

Student Perspectives: Making The Most of Your Time At UCLA Anderson

This post is a part of the Student Perspectives series - each post is written by a current UCLA Anderson student, and provides first-hand perspectives and experiences about being an MBA student at UCLA Anderson.

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I was recently hosting a prospective student in my finance class and he asked me what the biggest surprise has been since I started Anderson. My immediate answer: how busy I am! There are countless amazing opportunities at Anderson but only so many hours in the day and the biggest challenge for me has been balancing everything - academics, recruiting and social life. While everyone has a unique Anderson experience, I have heard many of my fellow classmates echo the same sentiment. Here are tips I have for coming in prepared and balancing everything once you get here. 

1) If you can take some time off before business school to relax or travel it will help you come into the school year refreshed. In addition to relaxing, try to reflect on your career aspirations. The Parker Career Center is an amazing resource at Anderson and will help you think through a lot of the career decisions you will have to make but the earlier you know what you want to do the better. Anderson starts in early August and I remember thinking it was crazy how early they made us get to campus but in retrospect I am so appreciative of the head start we had on recruiting and academics. 

2) Reflect on the skills you want to gain while at Anderson and prioritize the extra-curricular activities you want to dedicate your time to. There are countless clubs, speaker events, conferences and trips you can join but you have to remember you don't have time for everything. I decided to take on a Director position in one professional club, get involved with Admissions and join the Anderson Venture Impact Partners which is a student-led venture capital fund focused on social impact. I have joined as a member of other clubs and go to events when I can but I am sure to be selective about the leadership roles I commit to. 

3) Dive into the social activities as soon as you get to campus. The summer session feels busy but it only gets busier so it is great to spend the first couple of months meeting people and saying yes to everything. When recruiting gets hectic you will have to say no to more social events but remember that you have two years and it is a marathon not a sprint. I have also found joining clubs and group projects to be a great way to meet people. 

It has only been 3 months but I can already confidently say that this experience has pushed me to grow in ways I could not have imagined. At times I feel overwhelmed but ultimately I am grateful for each opportunity at Anderson!

 

-- Iman Nanji MBA/MPP '20

 

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Student Blogger:  Iman Nanji '20 Hometown: Los Angeles, CA Undergraduate Studies:  Columbia University, B.A. Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies Pre-Anderson: Policy Analyst, Los Angeles Mayor's Office of Budget and Innovation Post-MBA Goals: Consulting/Impact Investing Activities@Anderson:   - Director of Alumni Relations, Anderson Student Association  - Director of External Affairs, Management Consulting Association  - Director, Anderson Venture Impact Partners  - Director, Admissions Ambassador Corps

 

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Stay in Touch: Introduce Yourself
Follow the Admissions Team @uclaMBA:  Twitter and Instagram
Questions? Contact us at: [email protected]

Student Perspectives: The Path to Creating Your Own Business with BCO

This post is a part of the Student Perspectives series - each post is written by a current UCLA Anderson student, and provides first-hand perspectives and experiences about being an MBA student at UCLA Anderson.

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I came to Anderson knowing I wanted to do Business Creation Option, or “BCO,” as my capstone project during my second year. BCO is a 20-week program in which a student team launches a business. I had a lot of fun during my first year preparing for BCO by refining my business idea, assembling a team of classmates, and completing the prerequisite courses.

A few months before I started Anderson, I had several frustrating shopping experiences. I generally prefer dressing in a masculine-of-center style but had trouble finding clothes in this style that fit a woman’s body. After doing some research on the space, I found a gap in the market for this type of clothing and realized BCO would be the perfect opportunity for me to solve this problem.

My first step was joining an ACT team during Fall Quarter with other first-year classmates who wanted to start a business. Our team was led by three fearless second-year students who had completed the first-year entrepreneurship curriculum and were actively starting their own businesses in BCO. We met weekly to assemble the basic components of a pitch deck and listen to second-year and alumni entrepreneurs share their experiences. At the end of the quarter, we pitched our ideas in front of two entrepreneurship faculty members, who are active investors, and received their feedback.  

During Winter Quarter, I signed up for the first prerequisite course for BCO, Entrepreneurship and Venture Initiation (frequently referred to as “EVI”). I assembled a team to work on my idea, learned about starting ventures from case studies and guest speakers, and ultimately completed a feasibility study on my idea. My team concluded that the idea could become a viable business and that we could continue working on it in the next prerequisite course, Business Plan Development, or “BPD.”

I really enjoyed the BPD class. Each week we complete one component of the business plan for our idea. For example, we built a preliminary financial model and this week we are developing a sales and marketing strategy. We also learned about these various functions in startups from cases and weekly guest speakers. At the end of the quarter, I created a completed business plan that I can take into BCO.

While my BCO teammates headed off to their summer internships, I decided to stay in LA to work towards launching this company thanks to the Wolfen Fellowship.  I'm very excited to launch this company soon with a team of rock stars during BCO!

-- Katie Farias '19

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Student Blogger:  Katie Farias '19 Hometown: Scranton, PA Undergraduate Studies:  Georgetown University, Anthropology Pre-Anderson: MUFG Securities Americas, Corporate Accounting / Capstone LLC, Marketing Strategy Post-MBA Goals: Launching my apparel business Activities@Anderson:  Out@Anderson, Retail Business Association, Admissions Ambassador Corps

 

 

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Stay in Touch: Introduce Yourself
Follow the Admissions Team @uclaMBA:  Twitter and Instagram
Questions? Contact us at: [email protected]

UCLA Anderson Application Insider: Career Pathing

This blog post is part of our "Application Insider" blog post series that provides insider information, tips, and advice about applying to the UCLA Anderson MBA program.

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APPLICATION INSIDER TOPIC:

CAREER PATHING

Thinking Through Your Short- and Long-term Goals

 

Before pursuing an MBA, it’s important to carefully think through why you want to pursue this particular degree, what you hope to gain, and how it will impact your career. This is why career pathing is crucial to submitting a compelling application. It will help you decide if an MBA is right for you, determine when you should pursue an MBA, and help you focus on what you need to do in order to reach your future career goals. Career pathing will even help you decide where to apply.

The first step to career pathing is to consider your past and present experiences, and accomplishments. Think about what you’ve done so far, the skills that you’ve gained, what you like most about your experiences, and what you like least. Reflecting on your career to date will provide you with insight into your strengths and areas of development. Think about how this information can inform your decision to pursue an MBA and potentially set the foundation for your post-MBA career goals

Next, think about the type of career that you hope to have post-MBA. Be specific and narrow down the function and industry that you would be interested in pursuing. Consider what skills you will need to be successful in your post-MBA career and what you hope to accomplish throughout your career. A big part of career pathing is to also research the types of companies that you would like to target. Based on your post-MBA goals, what would be the top three companies where you would like to work?

Once you’ve taken a thorough look at your pre-MBA work experience and thought through your post-MBA goals, you can then focus on how you will use your time in an MBA program. Understanding the transferable skills that you already have, will help you target the areas that you want to develop further through an MBA program. When evaluating the skills that you want to develop further, you should consider both “hard” and “soft” skills. Hard skills refer to specific teachable abilities or skill sets, such as improving your quantitative background or focusing on a specific specialization. Soft skills tend to be more interpersonal in nature. For example, you may want to improve your teamwork ability, your communication, and/or your leadership skills. Consider not just the skills that you want to gain, but how you will gain them. Are there particular courses, clubs, or career resources that you will benefit from?

An MBA will help you bridge the gap between where you currently are in your career and where you want to be in the future. You want to understand your motivations for pursuing an MBA, your current skillsets, and areas of development, so that you can pinpoint what resources you will need for your continued development and ultimately decide which MBA programs you are targeting. Creating an outline with this information will not only help you understand the impact that an MBA can have on your life and career, but it will also make it easier for you to write compelling MBA essays and support your MBA plan throughout the application process.

 

Check back for more "Application Insider" blog posts that will cover information and tips on the many aspects of applying to the UCLA Anderson MBA program!

 

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Stay in Touch: Introduce Yourself
Follow the Admissions Team @uclaMBA:  Twitter and Instagram
Questions? Contact us at: [email protected]

Student Perspectives: Finding Balance at Anderson

This post is a part of the Student Perspectives series - each post is written by a current UCLA Anderson student, and provides first-hand perspectives and experiences about being an MBA student at UCLA Anderson.

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It’s no secret that you will be very busy in business school; however, it is important to find balance, so you can enjoy the experience rather than feeling overwhelmed all the time. There’s an adage in the business school community that you can focus on only two of the following three at a time: recruiting, academics, and social life. While true to some extent, here are some tips to help you navigate through your time at Anderson: 

1. Recruiting: You will spend a lot of with your classmates recruiting for an internship in your desired industry. I encourage you to enjoy this shared experience and use it as a time to get to know your classmates. You will be spending a lot of time laughing (or crying) together, and I met some of my best friends during recruiting.
   
   
2. Academics: Instead of grades, focus on learning the material and applying it in the business world. Very few employers care about your GPA; rather, they are more interested in your business knowledge. You will learn so much from the world-class faculty at Anderson and from your classmates. There will be times when you feel overwhelming during recruiting but remember that your learning team and section mates will always have your back!
   
   
3. Social: There are so many things to do that you should not feel bad about missing a few events here and there. From weekly happy hours and Anderson Afternoons to learning team dinners, winter (Park City) and spring break trips (Israel, Japan, Morocco), school-wide events (tailgates, 90s Party, AnderWeen, AnderProm), and club-sponsored events – just to name few – there is always something to do. I encourage you to enjoy student life while you can, but again, don’t feel pressured or obligated to go to everything.

Lastly, it’s okay to change your priorities as you go through school! For instance, during the summer and fall quarters, I focused on recruiting and academics, and during the winter and spring quarters, I ramped up my involvement in clubs and socializing with classmates and friends in LA.

-- Michael Wang '19 

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Student Blogger:  Michael Wang '19 Hometown: Belmont, MA Undergraduate Studies:  Harvard University, Classics Pre-Anderson: Huron Consulting Group - Analyst, HBR Consulting - Senior Consultant Post-MBA Goals: Management Consulting Activities@Anderson:  Management Consulting Association, Anderson Ambassador Corps

 

UCLA Anderson Application Insider: Extracurricular Activities and Leadership Roles

This blog post is part of our "Application Insider" blog post series that provides insider information, tips, and advice about applying to the UCLA Anderson MBA program.

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APPLICATION INSIDER TOPIC:

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND LEADERSHIP ROLES

 

Here at UCLA Anderson, our community -- including students, alumni, faculty, and staff -- is defined by three core qualities: we share success, think fearlessly and drive change. When you apply to Anderson, your extracurricular activities and leadership roles in your undergraduate studies, workplace and/or community can help to show us how you have exhibited these qualities to leave an impact. 

Overall, the Admissions Committee is looking for the QUALITY of your involvement and leadership roles, NOT quantity. We look to your prior involvement since we believe your past is a good predictor for how involved you will be on Anderson's student-run campus. Did you know that our 40+ student clubs and leaders help to host over 400 events every year? Recruiters and employers also see your past leadership experiences and involvement at Anderson as signs of your future leadership interest and potential in their organizations. 

You may have been involved in activities you've since forgotten or have had varying levels of involvement in depending on other events in your life. Here are some great examples to hopefully jog your memory (or inspire you to get involved again...it's never too late to start!):

University/College Activities

• College athletics: Team captain? Most Valuable Player? Operations manager?
• Leadership role in a campus club, non-profit organization, sorority or fraternity 
• Writer or Editor of a campus publication
• Mentor for high school students
• Orientation leader or campus tour guide
• Volunteer missions
• Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC)
• Case competitions 
• Peer tutor

Post-College Activities

• Leadership role in an alumni association
• Continued involvement/role in non-profits or professional organizations
• Workplace engagement teams
• Volunteer team leader
• Public speaking or teaching roles
• Active role in political organizations or local campaigns
• Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) role
• Founder of a non-profit or community event

One of the most common questions we get is why college activities might still be of relevance or interest to the admissions committee given that they may have happened 5-10 years ago. If you think about it, college life is similar to MBA life in that once again, you'll be balancing academics with career recruiting and social activities. Your past involvement gives us some indicator of your ability to contribute to your community while succeeding in these other areas at the same time. If you didn't balance it well in college, let us know how you have grown professionally and personally to be able to manage effectively as a student. In the end, we value all contributions, big and small, that our students make to create the amazing environment and culture that we have on campus!

 

Check back for more "Application Insider" blog posts that will cover information and tips on the many aspects of applying to the UCLA Anderson MBA program!

 

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Stay in Touch: Introduce Yourself
Follow the Admissions Team @uclaMBA:  Twitter and Instagram
Questions? Contact us at: [email protected]

UCLA Anderson Application Insider: Academics

This blog post is part of our "Application Insider" blog post series that provides insider information, tips, and advice about applying to the UCLA Anderson MBA program.

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APPLICATION INSIDER TOPIC:

ACADEMICS

 

We mentioned in an earlier post that UCLA Anderson is a rigorous school and we expect that our students are able to master the business fundamentals of our core curriculum in order to be successful in their academics and eventually, their careers. However, equally important to each student being successful, we want all our MBA students to benefit from the rigorous academics here at UCLA Anderson and to help their fellow classmates learn as well. This is one way we “share success.” You will find that the Learning Teams you are in will be critical to your academic success. To ensure that all students are academically fit, we carefully screen all applicants to ensure that they can thrive here based on their past performance in school. We will analyze the whole undergraduate record and for those who also have prior graduate degrees, we examine those too. We will take a deep dive into your academic profile by determining the rigor of your undergraduate school, major, and coursework, your trends in grades, as well as other academic accolades to get a better sense of the context of your achievements. If you are an international applicant, we will evaluate your file based on your country’s own system. There is no need for you to convert GPAs into an American 4.0 scale, nor will we do that.

What we look for in each file is a record of above-average achievement, and if there are weak spots then we seek offsetting strong points (e.g., a trend of grades getting better over time, final two-years GPA, quantitative coursework). Quantitative coursework is a plus since the MBA program core is quant-based, but we aspire for academic diversity to add value into the classroom. You’ll see in our class profile that only 25% of the in-coming class have a business related undergraduate degree. Overall, the applicants we tend to like are those who consistently performed above their peers in similar schools and concentrations.

There are other ways to boost your academic profile if you feel that you need to enhance your undergraduate degree. Professional certifications such as a CPA or CFA, or a whole graduate degree, can help too. However, these are pretty industry specific and likely time consuming for most. You can also take classes in accounting, finance, and statistics at a local college and send those transcripts over. Although it won’t be counted towards your undergraduate GPA, we will look at as an additional data point. Just remember that the application review process is one that is holistic, so you do not need to only rely on the academic portion to be a successful applicant.

On a logistical note, please do not send us hard-copy documents unless we request them (generally this will happen along with an interview invitation). The scans you upload with the application are sufficient for our preliminary evaluation. Please see our application requirements website for more information on academic evaluations and other aspects of the application.

The academic environment at UCLA Anderson is fast-paced and challenging, and we welcome those who are well-prepared to come join in for the benefit of all!

 

Check back for more "Application Insider" blog posts that will cover information and tips on the many aspects of applying to the UCLA Anderson MBA program!

 

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Stay in Touch: Introduce Yourself
Follow the Admissions Team @uclaMBA:  Twitter and Instagram
Questions? Contact us at: [email protected]