The MBA Student Voice

Slowly sinking in..

The irony of an US Embassy situated on a street named 'Ho Chi Minh' could have unfolded in a city none other than Kolkata, India. That is where I interviewed for my F1 visa a couple of days back. After all the anxious moments spent waiting for the I-20, receiving the visa within two days came as a pleasant surprise.

It is really sinking in now that in a month's time I will be flying to LA. I put in my papers this week. After having worked with GS for four years I wonder how I am going to feel on my last day there. Most people interested in finance aspire to be a part of GS. I hope to come back too, in a different function though. 

I want to transition to Investment Banking(IB) with the help of my MBA. Notwithstanding my various futile pursuits at obtaining an internship on the finance side, I am tryinig to orient myself by reading relevant material. The financial crisis has ensured that all books available for general reading on the financial industry just balk your enthusiasm. It does help to put everything in perspective though, the 'Trillion Dollar Meltdown' by Charles Morris is a definite case in point. I am confident that Parker CMC with its many strategies is going to back all of us to follow our industries of interest.  

Next big item on the list is the house search and the many others on the to-do list I see in the mails from Anderson. I can already see why people say MBA is a hectic program. But its all in pursuit of a better life, so bring it on. 

Cheers,

Rahul Bala,  MBA '13

There's No Place Like Home, Or Finding A Place To Live!

In keeping with the idea of the summer portion of this blog addressing the challenges to be met as I prepare for school this fall, this entry is about a big topic that I know has been dominating our class message boards: HOUSING! Namely, where will I live in LA and what will I do with my house here in Florida?

The first question initially seemed the most difficult to answer but ended up being the easiest. I spoke to current and former Anderson students to find out where the best neighborhoods close to campus were (Brentwood, Westwood, Santa Monica, Culver City), what the deal with Westside Rentals was (a local realty membership service that claims to have more listings than Craigslist), and how to most effectively apartment hunt in LA.

I had anticipated a few trips to LA somehow sandwiched in between all my other plans this summer to hopefully locate that mythical 2BR/2BA that Stanton and I could move into August 15th and wouldn’t blow our budget. In advance of these trips, I hit the internet: researching apartment complexes in the area (Archstone and Avalon Bay have several properties), creating RSS feeds of my Craigslist searches, and stalking rent.com. As the unlikelihood of meeting our criteria became increasingly clear and my stress level became increasingly high, I decided to apply for student housing.

I had assumed that this option was for single students, but learned of an apartment complex called University Housing approximately 5 miles south of campus where UCLA students (mostly graduate but not all Anderson) who have significant others and families live. I received an offer for a 2/2 and since it was for a monthly rent that was significantly (and I do mean significantly) less than anything I was looking at off-campus, this piece of the puzzle became a whole lot simpler. University Village will be home sweet home! And as an added bonus, you can’t get any more LA than an address on Sepulveda Boulevard!

Now that I have a place to live, I’ve been busy on Google maps finding the nearest  Trader Joe’s (Finally! So excited to have one since there are none in Florida), Costco, LAFitness, place to get boba tea, and mapping routes to The Strand. (To the uninitiated, The Strand is a 22-mile paved bicycle/running path that runs along the Pacific Ocean from Pacific Palisades to Torrance and one of my MOST favorite things about LA. And as with most things here, it is reviewed on Yelp! http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-strand-hermosa-beach.) To say I’m getting excited about my move is an understatement!

Since I don’t want to bore you with an endless post, the update on what I’m doing with my Florida home and the other moving/school prep I’m working on will have to wait until another time. And for anyone who is interested or considering this option, here is a map from the UCLA Housing website showing the various locations of on-campus housing.

-Charlotte Baxter

I'll be by the pool in case the Blue Man Group calls...

(Excuse the quasi-lame Arrested Development-themed title)

I'm sitting at YVR (Vancouver's Airport) waiting to board my flight to Los Angeles for my final visit to California before the real move in August. I have decided to come down the coast for four days to complete two key pre-school activities: meeting my roommate and finding an apartment. I remember when I made a similar trip in the summer of 2009 to Vancouver for the same amount of time - except that time there was no roommate to help and no real experience in house hunting to steer me to sound judgment. There is a great feeling of optimism in the air as I sit here listening to the new Bon Iver album, taking in the change that is occurring around me. My visions of Brentwood and Santa Monica are formulated from a short apartment tour in April, and the commentary of my fellow classmates on Facebook. That said, that arms me with more information than when I decided on the neighborhood in Vancouver that would become my home for two years. 

I now complete this entry three days later. A roommate has been met and a friendship formed. We toured Brentwood and Santa Monica for 36 hours before finding the apartment that best met the criteria we had discussed. A heads up to my classmates...the search is tiring, and the landscape competitive. Be ready to pull the trigger immediately on a place if you like it, and don't forget to leverage Westside Rentals and Craigslist (where we found the unit we will be living in). Brentwood will be my home for the next two years and I couldn't be more excited. We have a pool. I thought that I was going to B school to find a career that allowed me to have a pool...so why bother? (kidding, but open invite to classmates for pre and post exam hangouts poolside)

The real kicker of the week? Sean (my roommate) and I were celebrating our successful house hunting trip with a few cold ones at his friends place, when we are asked if we would be able to play extras in his short film. Only in LA can one begin the day homeless by the beaches in Santa Monica and end the day with an address in Brentwood and an upcoming profile birth on IMDB. 

Edit: Second kicker of the trip. Having to go to UCLA to take care of some paperwork, I walk out of the parking garage to the screams of thousands. Quickly realizing they weren't for me, I turn to my right to see Real Madrid drive by me in golf carts. Now, I'm by no means a soccer/football enthusiast, but I could certainly get used to star sightings on a semi-frequent basis. Apparently they practice annually at UCLA...note to self: traffic sucks on those days (or all days). 

Week 2 - Food: What's life in SoCal without fish tacos? Ricky's Fish Tacos in Hollywood are apparently pretty good, so I will definitely be venturing over there for a try. 

Week 2 - Adventure: 7 Falls - take the Pacific Coast Highway north to Santa Barbara where there are tons of great hikes. The ocean air keeps the weather manageable on warm days. Great views!

If you need me I will be procrastinating by the pool. 

Cheers!

Evan

Finding a place in Brentwood - Where to start

LA is a huge city - a huge, sprawling city, from what I've heard. I've lived in the Philly area my whole life, and we have our share of neighborhoods, but the ideal places to live are fairly concentrated and everything is well connected by public transportation anyway, so you're never too far from downtown.

So where to start looking for someone that knows nothing about LA? Especially if you don't want a long commute? Westwood and Brentwood seem obvious since they're close to campus. But what if you don't want to live next to a frat house? What's the deal with the 405? I've heard nightmare stories (the notion of the upcoming "Carmageddon" is comical to me). So I asked my second year buddy match and got some great advice (thanks Tim!)

The majority of people live west of the 405 between Barrington and Bundy to the west and east and Santa Monica and San Vicente to the south and north. It's an ideal location because it's a short commute to campus (getting across the 405 is a pain but east of the 405 is where most of the undergrads and grad students without cars live), it's close to the bars that Anderson students go to most (Q's and Cabo), and it's convenient to go west into Santa Monica. Coming from santa monica is more of a congestion issue. If you don't mind a 45-ish min commute then it's doable, but it's more like 15-20mins from Brentwood.

-Brian

Things that "Wowed" me at UCLA Anderson

Earlier as an MBA applicant, and now as an admitted student, I've come to learn about the amazing things that have been happening at UCLA Anderson. In my opinion, while every business school can teach Marketing and Finance, it's these little (or impressively big!) things that really make the difference. Here's a snapshot of the things that have "Wowed" me at UCLA Anderson:

 

Sheryl Sandberg (COO of Facebook) delivers the commencement address to the UCLA Anderson Class of 2011: Ever wondered how you would react when one of the most charasmatic and powerful women of our time addressed you? Sheryl's address was not only inspiring to the Class of 2011 but also gives future Anderson MBA applicants and students courage to put their faith in the school!

 

Brand new, industry-relevant MBA curriculum: The MBA Class of 2013 is the first batch to receive a fantastic new curriculum at UCLA Anderson. The curriculum is focussed on being relevant to industry expectations for everything from summer internships to well after after school. I am particularly looking forward to the Applied Management Research (AMR) Project! By sure to check out the video by Andrew Ainslie, Senior Associate Dean of the Full-Time MBA Program.

 

$25m gift from John E. and Marion Anderson: "Wow" doesn't begin to describe my immediate reaction to this act of benevolence. The gift, the largest in the school's 75-year history, will encourge innovative academic programs, student support and faculty research. John E. Anderson is the person after whom the school has been named since 1987.

 

Sustainability Honor: Now here's something I truly believe in and I'm excited that the Leaders in Sustainibility Certificate at UCLA Anderson is regarded highly enough to have won the Dr. Alfred N. and Lynn Manos Page Prize for Sustainability Issues in Business Curricula 2010 Grand Prize. Cudos to Dr. Charles J. Corbett and Dr. Magali Delmas!

 

Challenge for Charity (C4C) Golden Briefcase: UCLA Anderson’s Challenge for Charity (C4C) is the largest charitable organization at the Anderson School of Management. Last year, Anderson C4C raised $100,000 and volunteered over 5,000 hours for its three select charities: Special Olympics, Junior Achievement, and Project ECHO. Also, it has won the C4C Golden Briefcase 3 years in a row! Wow!

 

Leaders on Leadership: Leadership is best described by those who have been there and done that. And that's what these leaders are doing! Leaders on Leadership is a podcast series that will carry on through the summer and will feature leaders such as Bob Iger, Larry King and Mitch Kupchak (MBA '87). Stay tuned to hear what they have to say!

 

After all this it's hard to not want to get started with the Anderson program right away! Wow!

- Karan Kumar, MBA '13

Pre-MBA Musings: Hawaii Trip!

So before I officially indenture myself to Anderson for the next two years, I want to make sure that I get some much-needed trips out of the way.  Being a native Californian and never having been to Hawaii, I felt a bit of shame and mentally told myself that I should--no, that I must--go.  After five years of willing this to happen, it finally did this past June.  

The trip was about eight days long, but my mom, brother, and I were able to pack in all the Rick Steves'-approved tourist activities during the trip.  My family opted to go to two islands, Oahu and Maui.  In Oahu, we stayed at a hotel near Waikiki in Honolulu, and those who've been know that it can get super-congested and it's quite the (almost) metropolis!  And of course, the first thing I did when I picked up the rental car was to make a beeline to Waiola Shave Ice (lore has it that President Obama frequented this shop as a kid) while ignoring my family's desperate pleas to stop for a bathroom break:

Click to continue reading!

 

UCLA Anderson at Forte MBA Women's Conference

In 2012 the Forte MBA Women's Conference is set to be held in the Los Angeles area, but this June the Forte Foundation held its Annual MBA Women’s Conference in New York. Nine UCLA women from both the FEMBA and full-time program represented the school. Most of us flew in on Thursday evening and met that night for dinner in a cute Mexican restaurant in Soho. We had diverse backgrounds – marketing, media, PR, aerospace engineering, education, economic and pharmaceutical consulting, automotive, HR and software – yet we all shared a bond through Anderson.

Over the next two days, while surrounded by other students from top business schools, we represented Anderson and interacted with key executives, asking questions and networking with 400+ women who attended the event.

On Friday, we were coached by Jodi Glickman on perfecting our 30 second pitch, sat in on industry panels and attended a Company Expo. We listened to Uta Werner (CSO at Xerox) and Kristin Peck (Executive VP, Worldwide Business Dev. & Innovation at Pfizer) share their professional and personal stories in a panel moderated by Pattie Sellers, Fortune magazine’s Editor-at-Large. On Saturday, we followed our interests attending discussions on topics ranging from Career Acceleration to Entrepreneurship.

Many of us stayed a few extra days to enjoy the East Coast vibe of New York. 

 

The Most Bittersweet of Endings

On the morning of April 14, I wrote a blog post about the numerous conferences going on on and off campus, and inviting the broader community to join in on those conferences.

Until now, this was my last blog post, because something that afternoon occurred that has changed my life.  Forever. 

In one of my previous posts, I talked about Sari Closet, an online nationwide rental service for saris (formal South Asian women's apparel).  To recap: Sari Closet started as a class project in our Business Plan Development class.  At the end of the class, our "final" was to present our business to the class and to a group of guest venture capitalists, whose commentary / Q&A compromised the bulk of your grade for the quarter. 

The feedback we received was tremendous, to the point where one of the guests contacted us to help us get started.  We launched the business in January and went live in May. 

So on that fateful afternoon of April 14, I was in a pod at Rosenfeld Library with my classmates-turned-business partners, preparing for the Knapp Venture Plan competition that evening.  This is a business plan competition across Anderson, with the winner getting $30,000 in prize money, presumably to launch the business (although that's not a requirement). 

Nisha and I were going to present, so we dressed as best we could like fashion executives.  Patrick was dressed like an MBA student in his last quarter: a t-shirt from a band nobody has ever heard of, old jeans, and at least one tennis shoe. 

(Digression: we made it to the next round of the Knapp competition, the semi-finals.  But in this round, all of the businesses were put into different rooms based on industry, and the judges chose the best business of the ones that they saw, and that team moves on to the finals.

I didn't realize that you had to "win your room" until 20 minutes before we were supposed to present, I thought the judges all listened to the pitches, then got togeher and chose their favorites based on all of the rooms. 

But I was wrong, and naturally, we ended up in Food and Beverage.  Any muppet can figure out that a sari is neither a food nor a beverage.  But our objections were shot down (apparently, our industry room was "Retail".)  So there we were, presenting Sari Closet after two food trucks, a beer business, and a pastry shop.  Of course, we didn't win.)

So we are meant to present at 6pm, and I get the call at 4:45pm that changed everything.  It was from Mrs. V.  I left right away, and 4.5 hours later, Mrs. V and I introduced our daughter to this world.

Like I said, something happened that changed me forever.

So I never had the chance to post again to this blog, and then I graduated.

Tearfully, it is time for me to say goodbye. To the blog, and to UCLA Anderson, at least as a full-time student. I'm officially an MBA graduate, and a father. 

I'm not going too far.  I'm still dedicated to Sari Closet, and will stilll be following the sports industry closely - the sports entertainment business remains my professional passion. 

Those of you who have enjoyed my writing (all three of you) can follow me over at Perfecting the Upset, a new sports blog started by Rahat Ahmed, a friend from college, and focusing on the sociology of sports: why are we fans, what makes us tick.  There will be a heavy dose of nostalgia, plus coverage in a way that isn't blinded by commercial interests. 

I'll be focused on my beloved Washington Capitals and Manchester United, and possibly UCLA football / basketball and the Steelers, if my daughter lets me.  I'll join there later this month. 

I'll always love my two years at UCLA Anderson, and writing this blog.  It's a bittersweet good-bye for me, a time that I will always cherish and remember fondly.

Go Bruins.

 

 

The Traveler's Guide to the Galaxy and I (with updated foreword: Don't Panic, Just Remember to Bring a Towel !!)

After a slight hesitation, I replied “curious, adventurous, enthusiastic, determined, passionate and rigourous.” For these were the adjectives I once found myself harrumphing loudly, and somewhat unabashedly, to an interviewer when I was asked that simple question: “Now please describe yourself.”

And – for the most part anyway – they are indeed true, especially when it comes to some of the things that matter most to me in life: traveling to new places, meeting new people, seeking new knowledge, experiencing new cultures, tackling new adventures, learning new hobbies and trying new foods.

Before I continue any further, however, let me first introduce myself. My name is Graham Cloke and I am delighted to have been accepted into UCLA Anderson’s MBA class of 2013. I especially look forward to meeting all of my future classmates – and friends – in September.

I have also been given this special honour of writing a few posts over the summer to update you, and anyone else interested in UCLA Anderson, of my experiences leading up to matriculation. Most importantly, though, I really hope you will enjoy reading my updates as much as I will genuinely and honestly enjoy sharing them with you.

By way of background, I was born in Hong Kong to a British father and a Chinese mother. With one foot perched in Europe and the other in Asia, I often found myself – or, more specifically, my emotions – torn between the verdancy of England and the majesty of the South China Sea.

In this boxing match for my heart and soul, England won round one, for it was there that I earned my undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Bristol. Upon graduation, Hong Kong fought back valiantly and I was re-captivated by its many charms. I returned to Asia, and it was in Hong Kong that I started a 13-year career in investment banking.

Three years later, a resurgent England threw a mighty counterpunch. Seductively flaunting its cosmopolitan disposition, London managed to win me over again. Before long, I found myself gazing longingly into the river Thames.

A further three years of domestic bliss were to follow, but this tranquility wasn’t to last. Uninvited – and from across another ocean – a gallant new suitor by the name of New York had strode into town. Just one bite of this apple was enough to sweep me off my feet and leave me thoroughly enraptured.

Like so many other explorers and emigrants had done before me, I sailed off, with head held high, ambitions held higher, and dreams of glory held highest of all, towards the fabled riches of the New World, which was where I lived for seven glorious years.

My early employers were all European, including UBS, Credit Suisse and HSBC. Upon setting afoot on American soil, I switched my allegiance to the stars and stripes of Citigroup.

Meanwhile, spend a lifetime preparing the following recipe:
1) vigourously sauté together an insatiable appetite to learn entrepreneurship and an avid desire to become an entrepreneur;
2) gently stir in a growing hunger to explore, experience and understand our planet;
3) slowly simmer over an abundant curiosity about China and a desire to learn Mandarin Chinese;
4) evenly season to taste with the lure of exciting destinations, exotic cultures, and exquisite cuisine;
5) generously sprinkle on an increasing relishment of the immense potential for Chinese outbound tourism; and,
6) lightly garnish with a ravenous compulsion to expand upon an existing business skill-set.

Just before serving, arm yourself with a passport, a credit card, a toothbrush and an indomitable spirit. (Recommended serving size: one.)

The result: a delectable 3-year adventure starting in 2008, insidiously drawing me into every crook and cranny of China, assiduously pushing me out to over 30 different countries, and, most importantly of all, irresistibly tempting me to pursue an MBA.

Why did I choose UCLA Anderson?

Having already spent most of my life circumnavigating due west, I decided to push on further, towards the eastern shores of the Pacific Rim. Walking along Santa Monica beach, I gazed out over a vast ocean when, suddenly, something caught my attention. Looming just beyond the horizon, I could sense, once again, the majestic South China Sea.

Even more captivating, however, were UCLA Anderson’s commitment to academic rigour, excellence in teaching entrepreneurship, diverse cultural and social environment, outstanding international reputation, partnerships with many MBA programs across Asia, and status as one of the most important cities on the Pacific Rim.

I hope you enjoyed reading my first post, I look forward to sharing more updates with you, I wish you all a spectacular summer, and I will see you in two month's time !!

Can't Wait to be Back at UCLA

After six long years of being a cog in a wheel of a well-oiled financial machine, I found myself applying a bit late in the game for round 3 admissions to UCLA Anderson School of Manangement.  It's one of those events where all the stars seemed aligned and the timing seemed perfect--of course, I later found that things never go the way they are initially planned.

I currently work as a financial consultant at Charles Schwab in Century City.  We are one of the premier branches in a network of 300+ nationwide, and I've been here for the entire length of my post-undergrad employment.  I was hired straight out of UCLA undergrad (I admit, I lucked out as Schwab mostly hires Series 7-licensed reps) as a client service specialist and after two years of proving myself, my manager put a whole lot of faith in me and promoted me to financial consultant.  This happened in August of 2007.  And we all know what happened later on that year:  The financial meltdown.  My job is rooted in sales & service coupled with advising, so when the crisis hit and continued its downward spiral, I faced some tough obstacles, to say the least.  But in the end, I managed to survive and learned many invaluable human lessons along the way. 

Although given great opportunities at Schwab for which I'm eternally grateful, I found that I wanted a new set of challenges & experiences.  I decided that it was time to take my future in my hands and change its trajectory.  I took the GMAT, then took it again, and finally, after a grueling round 3 application process, I found out in late May that I was part of the Class of 2013 at Anderson.  I couldn't have been more ecstatic the moment I checked the Apply Yourself site on that fateful day.  I was an anxious ball of nerves and my heart was beating out of my chest and my palms wouldn't stop sweating, but as soon as I read, "Congratulations..." I jumped up and couldn't help but do a fist pump (or two).  The only other time I was this excited was when I found out that I was accepted to UCLA undergrad back in 2001. 

So with this, I am part of the elite Class of 2013 at UCLA Anderson and can't wait to document my experiences and share them with the rest of our online community!