MBA Insider's Blog

Student Perspectives: Tips for Staying Organized in Business School

About Michelle: Michelle Li (’23) is a first year at UCLA Anderson. One of the dual MD/MBA candidates, she is pursuing a career in urologic surgery and is hoping to use her MBA for a future role in hospital administration. Outside of Anderson, you can find Michelle exploring new coffee shops, baking way too many cookies, or reading under her weighted comforter.

---

Student Perspectives: Tips for Staying Organized in Business School 

“For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned.” – Benjamin Franklin

While I can’t tell you much about pivoting (unless it involves Ross and a sofa) or recruiting, as a veteran student, I do consider myself an expert in how to succeed academically. Trust me – I have almost two decades of experience in the field to back it up. 

In all seriousness, a key to succeeding in business school (and in life, I’d argue) is to stay organized. Bombarded with social events, team meetings, and assignment deadlines amongst a million other commitments, I rely heavily on a few tricks that have helped me keep track of everything (or, at least most of them).

• Use your calendars – If you are one to keep mental notes of every commitment, business school may be a good time to switch things up. Keeping a calendar will help you stay accountable and redirect you from distractions throughout the day. At Anderson, most events and meetings are coordinated through Outlook, which syncs up perfectly with iCal for Apple users. By having all your activities in one place, you’d save yourself the headache of double-booking and having to send an awkward e-mail asking to reschedule. Before the end of each day, I look over my schedule for the next day to ensure that I know exactly where to be and that I am prepared for those events.

• Plan out your weeks – I always have a recurring Sunday to-do: “plan for the week”. While an old-fashioned paper and pen will always be near and dear to my heart, I’ve slowly joined the digital squad. For those that love customizability and seamless syncing on all your devices, I highly recommend Notion. I use the premade templates (there’s one called “Weekly Agenda”) and add all my to-dos for each day of the week on Sundays. If it’s not written down, it will not get done.

• Take advantage of the first week of each quarter – I started this habit in medical school, but something that I’ve found to be incredibly useful is going over all my syllabi and compiling all the assignment deadlines in one location. I try to do this the day before the quarter officially starts, but if you take your breaks seriously, the first week of classes is a great time to do this. There will be a lot of assignments (weekly readings, group problem sets, individual write-ups, etc.), and I find it much easier to have them all in one place than to pull up the syllabus or course website every day. Here’s an example of how I organized all my assignments for the semester using one of the templates on Notion:

• Set goals AND revisit them – If you applied to business school already, you’re no stranger to the notorious “Why [business school name]?”, and I’m sure you put some incredible things you want to do at Anderson – organizations you want to join, competitions you hope to enter, courses you plan to take, etc. Don’t lose sight of them! Business school goes by FAST. Write them down before you start. Add goals that aren’t business school specific. But most importantly, make sure you revisit them throughout your journey. Have you completed them? Are they still relevant? Do you have additional goals since you’ve applied? It’s very easy to get carried away by recruiting or coursework (or Netflix), so you want to make sure you maximize your time at business school.

P.S. Notion did not sponsor this blog post.

---

Student Blogger: Michelle Li ‘23

Undergrad: Harvard University ‘17

Pre-MBA: Medical student at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Leadership@Anderson: 1^st Year Director, Anderson Ambassador Corps; Director of Admissions, Healthcare Business Association; Riordan Fellows Mentor

First Year Perspectives: From Broadway to B-School - The Value of Non-Traditional Backgrounds

About Franklin: Frank Swann ('24) grew up in Denver, CO, and attended NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. At NYU, he majored in Production & Design and Politics. After graduation, Frank lived a childhood dream and worked on Broadway. He worked in a variety of roles, eventually rising to become a production manager for many shows and projects, including Hamilton (Global), The Inheritance (B’way), CAMP (Metropolitan Museum of Art), The Time’s Square New Year’s Eve Ball, and more. At Anderson, Frank is focused on strategy & operations within the entertainment, media, events/sports, and hospitality industry. He hopes to eventually work at the intersection of art and commerce, helping storytellers reach new audiences and address new topics.

---

As I was going through the business school research and application process, I quickly learned that my background was, to put it mildly, nontraditional. When I told current students, other prospective students, or even admissions staff that I was a Broadway Production Manager, it usually elicited a surprised look and a question about why I wanted to return to school. I was frequently reminded of how “unique” my experience would be.  

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about going to business school from the theatre world. While my time at NYU was rigorous, and my job allowed me to help lead some of the most exciting entertainment properties of the last decade, I did not have much experience or coursework in many of the core areas of B-School. I wondered how I could translate my experience working backstage to the classroom. Would I be able to contribute anything to the discussions? Could I keep up with my peers in classes like Finance and Accounting, where I had no experience?

In most MBA programs, you see a lot of similar work experiences in the student body: former accountants, consultants, bankers, etc. After going to several admitted student days, I was prepared to be the odd one out until I visited Anderson. For the first time in my B-School process, I found a group of people with so many unique backgrounds. From former teachers and filmmakers to engineers and entrepreneurs (and even another person who worked in professional theatre!), everyone was brilliant, driven, and many of us were trying to figure out how to take our “unique” background and bring it to the MBA. I felt like I had found a place where the school and the students truly valued all the different experiences we would bring.

Similarly, there was a ton of variety in what people wanted to do post-MBA. While Anderson has its share of consultants and bankers, my classmates also wanted to go into industries like entertainment, clean tech, non-profits, and more. It was exciting to envision myself in a world where people were coming from, and going to, all different walks of life.

Now, almost a year into the Anderson MBA, I can confidently say that getting your MBA after working in a non-traditional field is not only possible but an incredible opportunity. My professors and classmates at Anderson leverage the unique experiences of every person in the program to gain valuable and wide-ranging insights. Want to hear about queuing theory in practice? Who better to ask than a classmate who worked at a theme park managing the rides? Trying to learn about the challenges of running a non-profit? Talk to your classmate who used to run one. Or do you want to work in an industry where you have to manage creative and business teams? Find your classmate who worked on Broadway and spent his time trying to help designers & directors understand the financial and schedule ramifications of their ideas. 

So, if you’re considering business school but are nervous about it because your background is not the typical B-school path, I have a few pieces of advice:

1. Be authentic! Don’t feel like you must change who you are, what you did, and what you’re excited about to fit a mold. Just as diversity in gender, race, religion, etc., makes for a better business school community, so does the diversity of thought and experience. Bring your whole, authentic self to the application process, and it will help you find a school where you will thrive.
2. Find a school and student body you genuinely connect with. It might feel like an extra expense or inconvenience to visit schools in person, but in my opinion, it’s so worth it! In talking to other admitted students, I got a better sense of the type of class I’d be a part of and gauged if it was a community I could see myself succeeding in professionally, academically, and socially. Getting a sense of the school’s culture is incredibly important. Similarly, if you want to use your MBA in a unique way post-grad, find a program like Anderson with classes, clubs, and professional support services for a wide range of industries. Leveraging those offerings can help someone with a unique background pivot into a new career.
3. Don’t be afraid to speak up in class. At first, I was nervous to talk about my work experience. But once I started to speak up more, it benefited not only myself but also our whole class. Business school students are naturally inquisitive and want to learn more. I’ve found that everyone loves hearing about the exciting challenges and projects their classmates faced. And 90% of the time, the non-traditional background folks have way more interesting tales to tell!  
4. Be ready to put in some extra work. Business school allows people to make big changes and try new things. But if you don’t have as much experience in the business world, then some classes might be more challenging for you than some of your classmates. Don’t let that deter you! Be ready to put in the extra work, seek out help when needed, and don’t feel like you have to master something on the first try. At Anderson, I love that the professors and my classmates want everyone to succeed. Every time I’ve turned to someone for extra help, they have enthusiastically jumped in to give me that additional support. Trust me, if a guy like me, with his BFA in Theatre, can do this, so can you!

The business school application and decision process can be daunting for anyone, particularly if you’re coming from an industry where this is not the norm. Don’t be discouraged. While it might be a little extra work, the value of your unique background will shine in the MBA environment and make this degree even more meaningful!

---

Student Blogger: Franklin Swann ('24)

Undergrad: NYU/Tisch (’15) – BFA, Theatre Production & Design, Politics

Pre-MBA: Production Manager, Hudson Theatrical Associates/Hamilton the Musical

Leadership@Anderson: First-Year Director, Admission Ambassador Corps; Director of Social, Section E; Director of CEMS Relations, Entertainment Management Association; Board Fellow, Net Impact; Mentor, Riordan Program

Instagram: @frankdswann

First Year Perspectives: Why Anderson - Own Your “Non-Traditional” Background!

About Cassassandra: Cassandra Ronquillo (’24) is originally from Los Angeles County. She graduated from Whittier College with a B.A. in Mathematics. After graduation, Cassandra stayed in Southern California and worked in higher education development where she focused on raising funds and managing key relationships on behalf of the schools she worked for. Most recently, Cassandra worked as the Director of Major Gifts at UCLA Anderson. Now, as a student at Anderson, she seeks to pivot her career from higher education development to big tech.

---

I always knew I wanted to go back to school and get a master’s degree, but I was unsure of the right program for me. I spent most of my years post-undergrad in higher education development (ie. fundraising across colleges/universities in Southern California). My seven-year career in higher education was classified as a “non-traditional background.” Education is very important in my family, and we knew it was a true vehicle for upward mobility and continued growth. I explored many different options and ruled out each one by one: no to financial engineering (I was a math major so thought perhaps, but absolutely no for me), education (I come from a family of educators, but I wanted to eventually do something different), public administration (my background was in higher education fundraising, and I was hoping to pivot out). In 2017, I met my current partner, who was an MBA student, and I came to know more and more people who had an MBA. Before this, the idea of an MBA was intimidating to me, my mind was filled with many doubts like it’s been too long since I graduated from undergrad, I didn’t go to a top undergrad institution, I barely knew what consulting was (who really does anyways?!), and what I was most insecure about: I don’t have private sector experience and my job isn’t as recognizable, sexy, or cool. However, upon growing my network and understanding the array of diverse backgrounds of those who have entered and graduated from MBA programs, I realized that all these students were not that different from me or any better than me—and I knew I had what it takes to be a successful, competitive applicant.

Once I decided I wanted to go to business school, I began the school research, GMAT studying, and self-reflection on my professional and personal goals. I sought out programs that would be the absolute best fit for me, which included a place that was inclusive and location-rich, and I also put a big emphasis on a program that would help me make a career pivot into the private sector, specifically into big tech. Much of the business school application is around crafting your unique narrative to ensure the admissions teams that you’ll be successful once you’re admitted. I wondered if I could be successful in trying to make such a large pivot.

I knew that business school admissions and tech recruiting were rather competitive landscapes, so I leveraged the heck out of my work experience by diving deep into my day-to-day work, projects both big and small, and ultimately the impact I’ve delivered. Since there’s usually a smaller number of applicants from non-traditional backgrounds, it’s hard to find information in the popular online blogs, so you’re left with few people to relate to on the application journey. My mental deep dive into “what have I accomplished?” and “what the heck have I been doing for work the last 7 years?” helped me be introspective in deciding what I wanted out of a program and what is important to me in choosing a business school and beyond. I realized that my experience provided me access and opportunities to make an impact directly on an organization at some of the high levels—experiences that many people would not experience until later in their careers. I noted the levels of decision-making power I was able to achieve, the number of difficult conversations I had already had, and the influence I was able to have across senior leaders and other teams. From there, I recounted exciting stories that I could use in my application and for my future interviews. Never think that your experience doesn’t matter! In fact, a smaller team, organization, nonprofit, school, etc. often forces you to gain an array of experience across roles and functions and likely gives you an opportunity to make an identifiable impact within your organization.

Turns out, one of my biggest insecurities turned out to be my biggest differentiator in my business school apps and in my internship interviews (SPOILER ALERT: made me a star! Jk, kinda). While I thought my job was the least “cool” because it wasn’t as recognizable or as common as those coming to business school, it provided me with ample opportunities to share what I did and highlight the impact I made. It also provided me with meaningful and memorable conversations with students, admissions folks, recruiters, and tech interviewers. Sorry traditional candidates, but non-traditional candidates are coming in hot with our memorable differentiators!

I was fortunate to face a tough decision between an M7 program and UCLA Anderson (back to priorities and those introspective moments—know who you are and what you want!). I knew what kind of environment I needed to be in to ensure that I would be the most successful during the short 2-year program. I wanted to be on the West Coast long term, have success finding a summer internship in big tech, not feel like I was getting lost in a sea of people, and an underrated factor: have good vibes on campus and off.

After countless conversations, I knew UCLA Anderson would provide the best experience and chance to achieve my goals. Anderson has the perfect-sized full-time class (not too big, not too small), world-class Parker resources and advising, an impressive track record of students recruiting for tech (in addition to consulting, banking, real estate, and entertainment) from all backgrounds, one of the largest West Coast networks, and the coveted relaxed Los Angeles energy.

I came to Anderson for a number of reasons, and every reason has proven to be 100% worth it. I’m humbled to have had the opportunity to interview at some of the largest and most recognizable tech firms—and impressed at the face time with company representatives and the caliber of recruiting events I’ve been able to join. I feel as though my non-traditional background served as my differentiator even during tech recruiting: it helped me stay memorable and drive stories that focused on impact and how my soft skills could easily be translated to other roles. I finally felt that it all began to make sense and that I brought a unique value to my class. I have no regrets and it has SO been worth it (cliché, I know). Oh, and also catch me at Amazon this summer 😉

Must mention! Some key, high-value Anderson adds from the first-year experience:

1. IPT (interview prep team): One of the best offerings/programs from Parker Career Center! Four first years were grouped together with one second year to meet weekly in the fall/winter for mock interviewing and preparation for case and behavioral interviews. It was challenging yet encouraging, and probably the most helpful tool in getting good at interviewing—and a good group to vent to!
2. Parker Advisor: Because of the size of the school, I’m not competing for her attention. As someone who can run a little last minute, I love the quick turnaround time in scheduling appointments. She has also been a great person to talk candidly with, mock interview with, and talk about career paths or resume reviews with.
3. Fall networking roundtables career event from Andertech & WBC: Two of the best networking/recruiting events each club has put on where alums from top companies come to have candid and open conversations and build connections.
4. As a Consortium fellow, I took advantage of some early recruiting opportunities. These exist for Forte and some companies have specifically DE&I-focused early recruiting events, weeks, camps, etc.
5. Learning Team: This is a small group (5-6 people) from all different backgrounds that you do most of your work/projects with for your core classes. They have served as a memorable and key piece in my own learning, and I have leaned on them quite a bit. Love you guys!

---

Student Blogger:  Cassandra (Cassie) Ronquillo ’24

Undergrad: Whittier College (B.A. Mathematics)

Pre-MBA: Director of Major Gifts, UCLA Anderson

Leadership@Anderson: VP of Interviewing, Admission Ambassador Corps; VP of Social, ALMA; VP of Cultural Exchange TSBA; VP of Marketing CBC; Net Impact Board Fellow; Consortium Fellow

Instagram: @cassbass92

Advice For Consortium’s Orientation Program

About Stanton: Stanton Fields (’23) is originally from West Orange, NJ. Prior to Anderson, he worked in financial services at PGIM Fixed Income in a variety of trade support roles supporting the investment team. In his spare time, you can find Stanton playing pickup basketball at one of LA’s many outdoor courts, working on his golf swing, or running along the water in Santa Monica. 

---

As a Consortium student, you have the opportunity to network and participate in early recruiting with top employers during the annual Orientation Program (known as OP). OP typically happens in June, before your 1st year. While it may be daunting to have conversations with employers before you even start your MBA journey, below I listed some advice to make the most out of the experience:

1. Use OP as an opportunity to warm-up your networking/recruiting muscles - Don’t feel pressure to secure something right away. You are way ahead of the game. Use this time to practice your 30 second pitch and get comfortable speaking to employers. All that being said, if you see a target company/role at OP that you want, go all in for it!
2. Have a game plan - While it’s great that you have access to so many companies in one spot, it is easy to get overwhelmed. Having a list of target companies/roles will allow you to better prepare and make the most of your time during the conference. When interview prepping, always have a prepared answer for “Tell me about yourself”, “Why the company”, and “why the role”.
3. Chat with 2nd years - Many have applied to the same roles you’re interested in and can give you advice when it comes to interviews. Anderson specifically has an Anderson Consortium Buddy Program where you are paired up with a 2nd year Consortium student during the summer. This will be your go-to person as it relates to questions about OP, navigating Anderson, and everything in between. When I told my Consortium buddy that I was interviewing for PepsiCo’s Brand Marketing internship, she provided me with previous interview questions people had been asked, a framework for answering certain case questions, and even put me in contact with one of her friends that was interning there for the summer. You hear it all the time, but people are REALLY about sharing success at Anderson.
4. Make the most of it - Use each program session and company interaction as a spring. Whether you come out of OP with an offer or not, there is a lot you can learn from the experience. Gain more knowledge about companies during the informational sessions. Reflect on your interview experience and where you can improve. OP is a great learning opportunity overall.

---

Student Blogger: Stanton Fields ‘23

Undergrad: Boston College ‘14

Pre-MBA: Investment Operations Analyst, PGIM Fixed Income

Leadership@Anderson: Director of Business Development – Sports Business Association, Director of Admissions Ambassador Corps

Leadership Development Opportunities at Anderson

About Rohan: Rohan Kumar is a first year Full Time student at UCLA Anderson. Hailing from New Delhi, Rohan holds an undergraduate degree in Computer Science and Engineering. Prior to business school, he worked for Barclays as a Business Analyst in the bank’s Financial Crime Division. You can find Rohan playing tennis, trying out all restaurants humanly possible, or working (because business school does keep students busy)

---

Coming into business school from a technical role and background, I was actively looking at an MBA program that would provide me opportunities to become a better leader and encourage me to get out of my comfort zone. In the process, my objective was become more confident, versatile, and empathetic. Anderson provides a plethora of opportunities to achieve this goal.

The journey began in the summer quarter, which included the Leadership Foundations course, prompting every student to introspect on what leadership means to them, and to list down opportunities that would help them achieve their leadership goals. Students also have an opportunity to sign up for Leadership@Anderson: the school’s MBA executive coaching program. Throughout the 2 years, many of the academic deliverables are group projects, allowing students to practice and mold leadership skills and understand group dynamics. There are Section elections and Student Body elections as well, empowering students to take on leadership roles and actively work towards the betterment of the Anderson community.

Our program is truly student led, and at the center of this experience are the over 50 student led clubs, where there are several leadership positions available. From Professional Clubs such as the Management Consulting Association to Interest Clubs such as the Craft Beer Club, the list is endless. Within these positions, the responsibilities of the first-year directors can vary from being the Director of Education to the Director of Social Events. Depending on your goals and interests, there are director positions for everyone, and it’s safe to say that these positions play a truly pivotal role in honing your leadership capabilities. Apart from being a member of the Admission Ambassador Corps, I hold diverse director positions in the Tech Business Association, Craft Beer Club and South Asian Business Association. My responsibilities range from speaking to prospective members, planning events in coordination with other clubs and partnering with other communities across UCLA to organize impactful programming.

Other leadership opportunities are available in the form of case competitions pertaining to a variety of industries (consulting, sports, entertainment, technology, you name it!) as well as informal opportunities such as organizing insanely fun trips/treks (Mammoth, Las Vegas, Israel, Morocco, Ghana). The UCLA Anderson community is made up of a truly diverse group of students. But if there's one trait we all have in common, it's that we're here to lead. 

---

Student Blogger: Rohan Kumar ‘23

Undergrad: VIT University, Vellore ‘17

Pre-MBA: Senior Business Analyst, Barclays

Leadership@Anderson:  Director of Community, Tech Business Association; Admissions Ambassador Corps; Admit Events Committee; Director of Club Relations, Craft Beer Club; Director of Social and Partnerships; South Asian Business Association

5 of My Favorite Anderson Experiences

About Brad: Brad Schierhorn (’23) is first-year full time MBA student at UCLA Anderson. Prior to business school, he worked in asset management at an affordable housing investment firm in Boston. At Anderson, he seeks to develop his real estate and finance skills to pursue a career in acquisitions. Brad is a huge sports fan and loves to spend as much time outside as possible.

---

As you’ve probably learned by reading other blog posts, there is no shortage of things to do throughout your MBA experience. As we are already in Spring quarter and almost done with our first year, I can attest that it goes by fast, so make sure to enjoy it! Here are my top five experiences thus far at Anderson.

Orientation week

This is the time to meet your classmates! One of my favorite aspects of Anderson is meeting people from different backgrounds, countries, and industries. Throughout orientation week, you will take your first class (Leadership Foundations), attend several seminars about life at Anderson, and have social events each night. This was a whirlwind of a week, but one of my favorites as there was no shortage of things to do. This year, there was one happy hour on Monday on campus and then the Onboarding Committee set up happy hours two nights where each section was assigned a local establishment in Sawtelle/Santa Monica to meet at. Make sure to take advantage of this time to meet people as the Fall and Winter get much busier as you take more classes and begin recruiting.

Tailgating at the Rose Bowl

One reason why I wanted to come to Anderson was to get the big school experience and attend big time football and basketball games. Although a bit of a trek from West LA (30 miles or so), I highly recommend getting out to the Rose Bowl for some football games. Make sure to get there early for some awesome tailgating! The Rose Bowl is right next to a golf course where thousands of UCLA fans enjoy food, drinks, and lawn games before the football game. The tailgating atmosphere is amazing and the weather is tough to beat. Carpool with a group of friends or join one of the Anderson tailgates and I’ll see you out there next year!

UT Case Competition

Throughout your time at Anderson, you will have the opportunity to participate in case competitions. These can be on campus, virtual, or you might even get to travel. I was fortunate enough to compete in the UT McCombs National Real Estate Challenge with five of my classmates last November. We were given a prompt on a Thursday, had to submit our slide deck on Sunday, and then presented to a panel of judges the following Thursday with 19 other MBA programs. Although that week was stressful, it was absolutely one of my favorite experiences at Anderson. Within our group, we really bonded over that week and it was a blast to compete with other schools. After the competition was over, we chose to stay an extra night and enjoy a night out in Austin. I highly recommend participating in case competitions if you get the chance! 

Ski trip

One of the big Anderson traditions is to go on a ski trip after Fall quarter. This is organized by students on the board of Challenge for Charity (C4C) each year and is usually in early-mid December. This year’s destination was Whistler and we had an absolute blast. The planning team did an awesome job of organizing transportation to/from the Vancouver airport, picking a hotel within walking distance of everything, and setting up a great social schedule throughout the week. Theme nights included onesies, 80s, and Canadian tuxedos. To top it all off, I don’t think it stopped snowing the four days we were there.

Days at the beach

This is more of an ongoing experience as I don’t have one particular day in mind. As most students live in West LA, the beaches are pretty easy to access. My favorite is Manhattan Beach, but Will Rogers and Santa Monica are also great and closer for most of us. Whether you like to surf, play beach games, or just relax and enjoy some sun, there’s something for everyone at the beach. My favorite activities are volleyball and body surfing. I haven’t tried real surfing yet, but maybe my classmate Gus Avarello ’23 will show me the ropes sometime! The weather here is amazing and I try to enjoy as much time at the beach as possible.

---

Student Blogger: Brad Schierhorn '23

Undergrad: Dartmouth College ’16

Pre-MBA: VP, R4 Capital

Leadership@Anderson: First-Year Director, Admissions Ambassador Corps; Director of Admissions & Academic Affairs, Association for Real Estate at Anderson

Shared Success Then, Shared Success Now

About Yitsac: Prior to Anderson, Yitsac Sandoval (‘23) lived in New York City and Miami and worked as part of a rotational program at Univision. Yitsac is a first year student at Anderson and in his free time, he likes playing soccer, participating in triathlons, and riding his motorcycle through the hills of Malibu.

---

You may think that Anderson’s culture of shared success is just a tagline or marketing tool. However, it’s not. It’s actually so much ingrained in the culture that I was able to experience it as an undergraduate student.

As a Mexican immigrant to this country and previous DACA student, I grew up not knowing of all the possible career opportunities aside from becoming a lawyer and doctor. For the longest time I thought I wanted to become a lawyer. However, after spending a quarter in Washington DC working for a reputable law firm, I realized it wasn’t for me. I was back in LA and searching for a career opportunity where I could combine my strengths and passions. It was then that I joined a business club on campus where Anderson’s ALMA student club worked with undergraduate student interested in business careers. These Anderson students shared their previous experiences working on interesting projects, their career aspirations, and how their MBAs were helping them reach those goals. I was hooked. I knew that I wanted to pivot my career but I was unsure how or if was too late for me. Luckily, two Anderson students connected me to the Riordan program, helped review my application for a summer business program, and connected me to their career networks. By the end of that same year, I had secured a full-time offer for the next year. Anderson’s culture of collaboration and support had overspilled from the northside of campus and into my life and set me down a path of success.

Fast forward a couple years, as a current student, shared success continues to present itself in different ways. As I began my summer internship recruiting process, I was taken back by the amount of support from current students and Anderson alumni. Anderson alumni from different firms reached out to prep me for interviews, shared insights and notes regarding the group of interviewers, and shared what experiences I should highlight throughout my interview process with their company. Most importantly, I wouldn’t have been successful had it not been for the support from current classmates during this time demanding period. I recall one specific instance when my learning team called me before the start of interview week where I had an interview every day of the week. I was concerned about being able to juggle academics, extracurriculars, and recruiting during this time. I let my team know what I had going on through a casual chat on our group chat. My teammates immediately called me and let me know they would be happy to take on more workload so that I would be able to focus entirely on recruiting. I was heartfelt to see that there were people who cared about my success and truly saw my own as their own.

Anderson has and will always be a highly collaborative environment for students to learn, grow and thrive in. It’s one of the things I appreciate the most about Anderson. No matter what your background is or what previous experiences are, there’s always someone within the larger Anderson community who wants to see me succeed and do well.

---

Student Blogger: Yitsac Sandoval ’23

Undergrad: UCLA, ‘18

Pre-MBA: Finance at Univision

Leadership@Anderson: Director of Partnerships - Alliance for Latinx Management Association, Director of Conferences -Entertainment Management Association

Student Perspectives: Moving to LA from outside the USA, an International Perspective

About Alex: Prior to Anderson, Alex Caron (‘23) lived in Montreal and worked in management consulting at Accenture. Alex is currently a first-year student at Anderson and in his free time, he likes discovering California, playing tennis, watching sports, and reading up on technology. 

---

March 24th, 2021 – That’s when I received the phone call from UCLA Anderson Admission telling me the amazing news that I had been accepted at UCLA Anderson in the Full-time MBA program. My wife, who was also applying to business school with me, received the same good news just a few hours after. This was a turning point in my life, but I could not have anticipated the amount of work necessary to move my entire life from Canada to Los Angeles. In the months that followed, there was a lot of stuff to do in order to get ready for the move. Below I have divided my experiences in two parts: before moving to LA and after arriving in LA. I’ve tried to extract some lessons that my wife and I learned in both. 

 

Preparing to move to LA – Nowadays, a lot of the preparation for moving and living in a new city can be done before you actually arrive in that new city. Without a doubt, the most important part for an international student is the Visa application, which UCLA helps you obtain. Another key decision that we took was deciding to rent an apartment before arriving in LA. We were debating between renting a temporary place and visiting apartments in person for the first few weeks or simply doing virtual visits from Canada and signing the lease remotely. We decided to go for the latter as the virtual visits gave us a good view and understanding of the apartments. COVID further accelerated the willingness of real-estate agents to do virtual visits. My first takeaway from that experience was the importance of visiting the neighborhood virtually as well and understanding the surroundings as this can drastically impact your experience. While we also considered if we should ship our furniture to LA, we ultimately decided that the international shipping costs were too high and not worth it. The rest of the preparation was straightforward but I recommend waiting to get to LA to set up your finances and phone plan as it is much easier with a US address. 

 

Arriving in LA – My second lesson is to arrive in LA at least a few weeks before classes start. We arrived about 3 weeks before and took the first week and a half to set up our bank account, credit cards, phone plans and furniture for our entire apartment. Navigating the US with no credit, as you are an international student, is difficult. This means registering for a prepaid phone plan, buying your car in cash with no potential for financing, and trying (somehow) to get a credit card that does not require SSN. An additional trick for international students to get a credit card in the US is to use the Nova Credit website that allows you to use your credit file from your home country to apply for an AMEX credit card. Giving yourself time before the start of class also allows you to enjoy the onboarding week at Anderson. That first week is very busy and filled with activities that are much more enjoyable if you don’t have to build furniture when you come back home at night. 

 

Overall, my main takeaways from this experience are the following: 

• Enjoy and celebrate this amazing feeling of being accepted
• Make a list of things you have to do before leaving your home country and a list of things to do when you arrive in LA
• Try to have your housing figured out before arriving in LA (ideally)
• Make sure you enjoy the experience of moving to and discovering a new city 

 

Pictures

Our luggage at the airport on the way to LA

First few days of building IKEA furniture

---

Student Blogger: Alex Caron ‘23

Undergrad: University of Toronto, ‘17

Pre-MBA: Management Consulting, Accenture

Leadership@Anderson: Section Director of Community Impact, Director of Operations for Admissions Ambassador Corps, Director of Admissions for Family Business Association, Board Fellow for the Children’s Bureau of Southern California

Instagram: @alezcaron

Recruiting for a Non-traditional MBA industry (Sports, Entertainment, etc.)

About Sam: Sam Wilbur (’23) is a first year at UCLA Anderson and double Bruin. Prior to Anderson, he was an Associate for Spencer Stuart, a global executive search firm, in the San Francisco office. In his spare time, you can find Sam glued to the television watching his beloved Angels, Rams, and UCLA Bruins (typically disappointing him greatly), reading the nerdiest fantasy books he can find, or playing video games with his friends.

---

You’ve made it - bright eyed and bushy tailed. You are finally on campus for your first quarter of business school. In the last couple weeks, you’ve become friends with your section mates, re-acquainted yourself with the classroom and school assignments, and you’re learning all the amazing things that Anderson has to offer. 

But, you slowly realize that when it comes to your personal career goals, you’re in the minority. Speaking with your classmates, 70-80% of them are recruiting for “traditional” MBA industries such as the Big Three (Consulting, Finance, and Tech). You may be interested in entertainment and came to Anderson for its Hollywood connections. Or perhaps you’re interested in education or NGOs. Maybe you’re even like me, so passionate about sports that you wrote on a Kindergarten paper as a 5-year-old that you wanted to be a General Manager of a sports team when you grow up. 

As the great Bob Marley once said, “Don’t worry.” For one, non-traditional MBA industries are becoming… well, more traditional. Second, Anderson is one of the most diverse business schools when it comes to post-grad industries. And third, I’m here to give you the three biggest tips on how to successfully navigate recruiting for non-traditional industries at Anderson. 

1. Network, network, network 

This could easily be all three hints. While networking is important in any industry, it’s even more vital when it comes to non-traditional industries. One of the things you’ll learn early on at Anderson is the difference between On-Campus Recruiting (OCR) and Beyond Campus Recruiting (BCR). OCR means the companies come to you. There will be major networking events, coffee chats, and easy to submit resume drops for most of the major MBA industries. BCR means you have to hustle and blaze your own path to get yourself in front of companies. Most non-traditional industries are going to fall under the BCR umbrella, as companies in these industries may not have typical MBA internships/full-time recruiting programs and may only hire as needed. 

What does this mean for you? You can’t simply rely on dropping resumes and building relationships with target companies during the interview process; you have to build relationships before any potential applications drop. Fortunately, you can workshop this networking process first on people who are more likely to be willing to chat with you: 2nd years, Anderson alums, and other business school alums. As you get more and more comfortable with networking, you can begin to reach out to professionals at target companies who work in roles you may be interested in. And remember, even though you may only get a response for one of every 10 or 20 outreaches, you only need ONE great connection to get your ideal internship/job! 

2. 2nd years are your best friends

As intimidating as it might seem to be in the 5-10% of people in your class recruiting for your industry, remember there is a whole group of people who were in your exact same shoes just 12 months ago. When it comes to recruiting for non-traditional industries, 2nd years can be your best friends. As you progress from the summer into fall quarter, you’ll start to meet 2nd years within business and social clubs that you’ve joined. Even more important, you’ll get to know your ACT (Anderson Career Team) coaches. These 2nd years volunteer their time to coach you up every week on everything you need to know about the industry you’re interested in. Utilize your ACT sessions to ask important questions about how the coaches got their internship, the unique aspects of recruiting within your industry, and what other 2nd years may be helpful to get in touch with. 

3. Lean into the resources Parker has to offer

The Parker Career Center is one of the best resources Anderson has to offer. Every 1st year is assigned to a dedicated career advisor who specializes in your industry (even the non-traditional ones!). Your advisor is there for you, they want to see you succeed, and they have the unique experience of coaching many students over the years who came to business school to pivot into a different industry. Similar to 2nd years, they will be chock-full of advice on how to prepare resumes and cover letters specific to your industry, navigate BCR, and succeed in your interviews. You also are free to engage with any advisors beyond your assigned one that may provide different insights into your desired field. Additionally, Parker provides tons of other resources, such as lists of alumni in each industry, that can make the networking and the BCR process much easier. 

So once again, don’t worry! Recruiting for non-traditional MBA industries can be much smoother than you might initially imagine, especially at Anderson. In addition to utilizing these tips, talk with your fellow classmates who are interested in the same industry you are. At business school, you can learn just as much from your classmates as you can from your professors, both in and out of the classroom. And if you have further questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me personally ([email protected]) and I’d be happy to further walk through any of this with you!

Go Bruins,

Sam Wilbur

---

Student Blogger: Sam Wilbur ‘23

Undergrad: UCLA ‘16

Pre-MBA: Associate, Spencer Stuart

Leadership@Anderson:  Director, Admissions, Sports Business Association; Director, Marketing, Admissions Ambassador Corps; Director, AnderCup, Challenge For Charity; Director, Operations and Finance, A Comedy Club

Student Perspectives: 5 Things to Do Spring/Summer Before You Start Your MBA

About Anh: Prior to Anderson, Anh Cao (‘23) lived in the Bay Area and worked in software solution sales at a startup before it was acquired by a competitor that had recently IPOed. As a first year student at Anderson, Anh has enjoyed exploring Los Angeles for the best food scene and hiking adventures. In the future, she looks forward to creating inclusive products and chose Anderson for its programming in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, and its strong emphasis in technology recruitment.

---

It's a surreal moment after you receive notifications from MBA programs regarding your admissions. It’s a whirlwind of emotions but regardless of the outcomes you have accomplished so much from the application season alone. Hopefully you’ve done a lot of self reflection (but don’t worry that part of the journey is still not over) and now you’re ready to get started on your MBA!! Right? 

Between the time I accepted my offer at UCLA Anderson and the first day of classes, I remember thinking that I had so much to get done. Luckily I had a lot of great advice from current students and alumni about how they would’ve approached their time before they stepped on campus. And now I also have the benefit of my own experience to share those details with you all. 

 

Overwhelmingly there were five key areas of advice that many repeatedly recommended:

1. Take care of insurance, 401K, savings, in general get your financial situation together
2. Quit your full-time job! You deserve a break even if you decide to do a pre-mba internship
3. Start connecting with MBAs across the nation - you are starting your journey now and building those relationships before school even starts can help make the two years an even better experience
4. Look for apartments/housing and consider how to navigate the roommate situation
5. Travel - this is your first long break in a long time so enjoy it!! Go see the world (safely)!! Especially in these times of uncertainty, even a road trip will make a big difference

 

Each of the above categories could probably be a blog post in itself, so keep in mind that I tried to be as detailed as possible but also to the point. 

 

Take care of insurance, 401K, savings, in general get your financial situation together

I want to caveat this section by saying I am NOT a financial advisor! I am only speaking through my own research and experience. Each of our situations are different and you should definitely figure out what is best for your life. That said, some of this advice can definitely be applied in some way shape or form.

 

Even months in advance of quitting, I increased my 401K contributions since I was only staying for 5 months and I wanted to maximize the matching my company provided. I also contributed the maximum amounts to my Roth IRA and Pre-Tax IRA while I still had income so that I felt financially secure about my retirement. Also, look into your plans to make sure you choose funds and portfolios that match your risk profile! And if you’ve been making any automatic contributions, whether they were in stock portfolios or services like Stash, Wealthfront, or Robinhood, make sure you stop them ahead of time since you will no longer have a steady income.

Before you officially put in your notice, make sure to check your company’s insurance benefits and coverage policies. Plan how you will be covered during your gap before school starts because you don’t want to be caught in a medical emergency without any insurance. Personally, I looked into CoveredCA over COBRA because it worked better for my situation and although I never used my minimum coverage plan, it gave me reassurances that if something happened I knew where to turn. 

 

It may be obvious for me to advise you to start a budget for school expenses, like what tuition and housing will cost, but don’t forget about extracurricular activities, travel, and random incidentals that may arise! Overall, this will help you determine what combination of loans, scholarships, credit cards, and part-time jobs you’ll need to consider.  After doing some initial research, I reached out to Anderson’s financial aid office and the team there (specifically Ji Choi) was super helpful in guiding me through the different available options and also how the team would be able to facilitate the loan disbursement options. She answered all of my questions and gave me the confidence to finalize my financial plan.

 

For loans, look into the pros and cons of federal versus private options to see if the interest rates make sense for what you need versus the repayment plans. Personally, I went through different scenarios why one was better than the other for my own personal financial situation. There are companies out there like Earnest that makes the process a little easier but always read the fine print and do your research carefully!! 

 

For scholarships, I did an endless scour of the internet and sometimes you have to just grind through the research because random scholarships will pop up. For example, last year I found a new scholarship that paid for 100% of graduate fees and also provided a mentorship program - I ended up not being eligible but I recommended it to my friend and she ended up being 1 of 20 graduate students who became their first class of fellows. 

 

Many credit cards have offers or bonuses if you spend a certain amount in 3 months - this is good if you’re moving because you can put all those costs on to a card since you’ll already be spending it. Look into how you can optimize for cash back or travel points, but first figure out your credit score and which category you will likely be spending on the most in the next 3 months and also when school starts. Keep in mind that having a few credit cards to spread the expenses could be advisable since credit utilization affects your credit score. Although not my favorite tactic, I also considered 0% APR credit cards for the first year because you can rack up debt and pay the cards off later - again look into this because there are likely caveats or things to avoid. I have my own rotation of credit cards that I built up over the course of my post-undergraduate life and it makes it worth it when I get to spend my points on travel. I personally love the Chase family of credit cards and decided to stay in that ecosystem. 

 

Lastly, follow sites like NerdWallet, download apps like Mint by Intuit, and overall, just start focusing on your finances!

 

Quit your full-time job! You deserve a break even if you decide to do a pre-mba internship

Maybe your boss and company know you’re leaving eventually, but it’s better to make it clear the timing of your last day so that they can plan your replacement. It’s recommended to give a  2-4 weeks notice so that you leave the company on good terms, but again this is dependent on your situation. For example, you may have an upcoming bonus that you may miss if you quit too early or because you announce your departure months too early.

 

Either way, having a clear delineation between the end of your job and the start of school will do you wonders for getting into the right mindset. This break is a great time to reflect about the next two years because it will go by very quickly and getting your priorities together may help make the experience more enjoyable and targeted. This advice applies both personally and professionally! Let your friends and family know that this upcoming period you may be away and unable to focus as diligently on the relationships but that they matter to you and that you appreciate their support. On the other hand, many people try to pivot and overall advance their career, so it’s important to reflect on what you want that future to look like. Since you’re no longer writing an essay to get into school, no one cares that you don’t stick to a specific plan but it behooves you to really think about where you want to end up and how you will make the most of the two years. 

 

Start by writing down your goals and why you want to achieve them. Stay focused on those goals so that you can refer back to them when you’re at different crossroads of your MBA journey. You may realize that you need to adjust the plan later on but at least you can ground yourself in those decisions. By having record of your initial aspirations, you do not get easily distracted by shiny activities and what your peers want to accomplish. Instead, you can focus on yourself, so be a little selfish in this reflection because it will help guide later decisions where you will have to consider others.

 

For me, the Anderson Summer Quarter started August 2nd, 2021 and I quit May 28th, 2021, so I had about two months in between. This gave me a much needed break where I was able to forget about work and solely think about my future. At first I thought about getting a pre-mba internship but decided against it because I had pre-mba conferences, family travel, and was not making a major pivot that I needed to demonstrate more skills for the short term. The pre-mba conferences and company information sessions gave me a glimpse into companies I liked and didn’t like. It helped me eliminate options that were clearly not a good fit and helped me discover areas I should still consider. Overall when you hone in on your goals, the more you know going in, the more you will get out of the experience

Start connecting with MBAs across the nation!

After receiving admissions into an MBA program, you’re now eligible to attend various pre-mba conferences and forums. I attended these different events virtually, which actually allowed for more flexibility because I didn’t have to fly to many different cities, and I could do them all from my living room.  After having impactful conversations with various peers, I would follow up on LinkedIn and make the connection official. I also explored industry related groups and forums on LinkedIn based on my future recruiting goals related to technology and product management.

 

Also, many schools have prospective student events and so even if you do not end up at the same schools, you can connect with potential classmates and see what’s helping them decide between the different programs. Most of your two years will be spent with these people, so it was valuable to connect with prospective Anderson students and get a feel of who my classmates would end up being.

 

Some of the best events I attended were programs like Forté’s summer conference and Consortium’s Orientation Program! I was able to hear from industry experts and potential employers about their plan to increase equity, diversity and inclusion at their companies. Not only this, but through these two communities I met students from Darden, Kellogg, Ross, Fuqua, Haas, Marshall, and even future Anderson peers!! Since then, I’ve stayed in touch with them throughout my first quarter and I feel lucky that I will always have resources across the nation to ask questions and compare notes about our experiences. 

 

Although you may be competing with each other somewhere down the line, it’s always valuable to know people at other schools because you can trade tips or just overall perspectives on how schools are handling situations. They may be good interview buddies later on or have insight into job opportunities you didn’t get knowledge of at the school you ended up at. 

Search different neighborhoods for apartments and find those awesome future roommates

I had lived in East Los Angeles before (*cough* *cough* at the rival school) and luckily had a bunch of undergraduate friends who had moved to West Los Angeles. So I didn’t find it hard to figure out which areas I would prefer to move into and what I wanted out of my neighborhood. That said, you can always reach out to second years who would be more than happy to share their tips. 

 

Some things to consider as you’re doing your research for the apartment is your budget, amenities, and walkability. Also, think about if you want to live by yourself, a roommate, or two roommates (or more). Start with some online searches like on apartments.com, Zillow, Facebook groups, university housing, and other housing websites to understand the available market ahead of time even before you plan on moving. Keep in mind that there may be quirks to the city that you might have assumed apartments would just have because they do back where you are from, i.e. not all apartments have refrigerators, many have tandem parking or street parking, which also means street cleaning (aka constantly being worried of parking tickets), and there may be less apartments with in-unit washer/dryer or a dishwasher.

 

As you think about your future roommates, figure out what are your pet peeves, preferences, and roommate qualities that you want to uncover before moving in. You’re going to be with your roommate a lot and sharing a variety of things in the apartment. So it is absolutely crucial to get to know the person well! And know your own living habits/preferences well too. You should decide if you want to live with another MBA student or a friend, or someone in graduate school vs. undergraduate, or a working professional vs. a student. Ideally you won’t want to move after your first year, so take the time to do your research and really get to know the person and be transparent about your own needs and living preferences. The good news is that many schools have lists or forums where you can connect with other MBA students, both 1st and 2nd years.

 

At Anderson we have a shared Google Sheets called AnderList where we could put in our hobbies, preferred neighborhoods, amenities, pet peeves, interests, hometown etc. so that we could get to know each other easily and reach out for potential roommate pairings. You can meet them on zoom and do an informal interview so that both parties are able to ask questions and do a vibe check! Currently, I live in the Boulevard apartments which are university-owned and in the neighborhood of Sawtelle. Not only do I love my neighborhood, but I lucked out and I also love my roommate, who was completely random, so you just never know!

 

Travel - this is your first long break in a long time so enjoy it!! 

This is probably the shortest and most straightforward piece of advice I have for you because have I already mentioned that you deserve a break? You’ve been grinding for years at that corporate job, trying to get your GMAT scores up higher, and are now done with interviews, essays, and applications!! You deserve to spend time with family and friends before you start school. During these uncertain times, I know it’s hard to travel but even if it’s just a camping trip or a roadtrip across the country, it will be worth it! I promise you this. Check out Zion National Park, Bryce National Park, Horseshoe Bend, and Antelope Canyon if you’ve never been! That’s what I did; that plus Vegas!!

 

The point is to unplug and spend time doing something other than work. You’re going to work for the rest of your lives, so take this time to reward yourself and take a step back to recognize all the dedication and perseverance you’ve had towards these goals. You’re going to be an amazing future business leader but for now do something for yourself!

---

Student Blogger: Anh Cao ‘23

Undergrad: USC Marshall School of Business, ‘15

Pre-MBA: Technical Sales Consultant at ZoomInfo (AI Startup for Sales and Marketing Professionals)

Leadership@Anderson: Executive Vice President - Class of 2023 (Section D), Director of Startup Recruiting - Entrepreneurship Association, Director of Operations and Member Experience - Innovation and Design at Anderson, Director of Club Relations - Craft Beer Club, Director of Camping - Outdoor Adventure Club

Student Perspectives: Sharing Success at Anderson

About Mike: Mike Morgan (’23) is a first year at UCLA Anderson. Prior to Anderson, he was a Consulting Manager at FactSet Research Systems in Los Angeles, and he is planning to pivot into real estate investment post-MBA. In his free time, you can find him on his local beach in Playa Del Rey, following LA sports teams but hiding that he’s from the east coast, or coaching kids golf in Orange County with a non-profit called The First Tee.

---

A couple months after graduating college in 2016, I moved from Connecticut to Los Angeles to begin my first full-time job. Funny enough, my first boss in that job was an alumnus of UCLA Anderson. Among the many great things that he had to say about Anderson, the impressive, well-rounded, and genuinely solid people that made up his MBA class, along with the school’s culture of “sharing success” were the aspects that stood out to me the most. Needless to say, my expectations were high when I put down my deposit to come to Anderson.

 

Five months into business school, Anderson has exceeded those expectations by far. I’ve been taken aback by my classmates and their perpetual willingness to help—be it academically, professionally, or even personally—while expecting nothing in return. A few examples come to mind. 

 

The “sharing success” seemed to materialize from the jump. On just the second day of school during a fifteen minute break from Leadership Foundations class, I found myself in the corner of the lecture hall scrambling to pull together some formatting changes to my resume before a submission deadline from the career center. I’ll admit that formatting my resume has never been my strong suit. Without missing a beat, two of my new classmates, who hardly even knew my name at the time, identified that I was stuck on something and swung their chairs over to help me get the submission across the finish line in time. 

As a career switcher looking to pivot into real estate, I was apprehensive about acquiring all the industry knowledge necessary to be competitive for real estate internships. Fortunately, Anderson has it covered by placing first-years into Anderson Career Teams (ACT) and Interview Prep Teams (IPT), which are student-led groups designed to educate first-years on the industry they’re targeting to prepare them to pursue careers in their desired fields. I’ve found these teams to be immensely helpful to ready me for recruiting, but I’m also appreciative of the fact that they’re run by second-year Anderson students (who may or may not have their own recruiting to worry about) who sacrifice their free time to ensure the first-years are able to put their best foot forward in recruiting. My ACT and IPT coaches have been accessible to answer any and all questions throughout, and have (thankfully) assured the group that “there are no dumb questions” during our sessions. There are twelve or so first-year real estate ACT members, and although we are all theoretically competing with each other for employment opportunities, the group remains collaborative. We regularly share notes and tips on recruiting, and we alert each other when a local real estate firm posts a job opening on its career site so nobody misses out on an opportunity.

 

At the end of summer quarter, a classmate spent an hour with me before an 8am accounting class to help me practice and prepare for a speech I was giving to my section to run for Section President. Again, he didn’t expect anything in return for the favor, but he was happy to do it (and probably would’ve been upset with me if I didn’t use him as a resource). I wouldn’t have put together half as strong of a speech if this classmate hadn’t taken time out of his day during a hectic summer quarter to help me achieve a personal goal of mine.

 

I could go on with a dozen more examples, but I’ll stop there. Bottom line: If you’re looking for a cutthroat MBA experience, Anderson is not the place for you. But if you’re looking for a collaborative environment where classmates will lend you a hand simply because you’re a fellow Bruin, you won’t regret spending your two years of business school here in Westwood.

 

---

Student Blogger: Mike Morgan ‘23

Undergrad: Lafayette College ‘16

Pre-MBA: Consulting Manager, FactSet Research Systems

Leadership@Anderson: President, Section B; Director of Prospective Student Affairs, Admissions Ambassador Corps; Director of Events, Association for Real Estate at Anderson (AREA); First Year Director, John Anderson Golf Club