Everyone knows about Anderson’s strong academics and beautiful location. These are at the heart of the school’s appeal. But what else about Anderson sets it apart from other top programs? Beyond the rankings and LA backdrop, Anderson has a lot to offer. Here are a few more reasons that I’m becoming a Bruin.
Embrace of Social Impact
These days every top business school promises social impact opportunities. Yet, some are more committed to it than others. During the admissions process, I met schools that knew little about their own social impact offerings and took part in admissions interviews where my non-profit goals were met with resistance.
This was simply not the case at Anderson. During my campus visit, I was paired with a current student who talked in detail about C4C and Anderson Net Impact. And although my admissions interviewer was not academically involved in social impact, she spoke highly of the Riordan Programs and gave me the chance to make a case for my social impact goals.
Tracks & Specializations
My non-business background left me a little lost when I first began looking at MBA curriculums. Anderson resolved this by organizing its breadth of courses into Tracks and Specializations. These academic paths helped show me which courses were essential to my focus and all the possibilities to customize my MBA at Anderson. They also showed me that Anderson has put serious thought into its curriculum and will be a clear way to signal my (newly acquired) business expertise to potential employers.
First Impression
First impressions are important and Anderson made a great one during my campus visit. Although I visited other schools with strong reputations, beautiful campuses and close-knit communities, none had the complete package that I found at Anderson. The student body was diverse and took a genuine interest in me as a prospective student. Campus was stunning and Gold Hall had a vibrant, open atmosphere. Everyone I met was positive and down to earth. By the time I left LA, Anderson had jumped to the top of my b-school list.
International Network
When I began researching business schools, one of the first things I heard about Anderson was its incredible LA network. This is definitely true. But as I dug deeper, I also found that Anderson and UCLA have great international networks – especially in Asia. With long-term goals that may take me permanently abroad, it’s great to know that I’ll have a professional network waiting for me no matter where I land.
Forward Momentum
Over the past few years, Anderson has redesigned its curriculum, rolled out new branding and fought to gain self-supporting status. Application numbers are also up at a time when most schools are experiencing declines. All of these changes convinced me that Anderson is working hard to continue moving its program in the right direction. As (future) MBA students, we’ve all done some self evaluating and are returning to school to prepare ourselves for a better future. I’ll be proud to attend a school that has done the same!
Daniel Genter, MBA '15 - Follow UCLA Anderson on Twitter.
