The MBA Student Voice

No Pain No Gain

Anderprom.  Orientation Rope Course and "trust" falls.  That first Anderson pool party.  These are a few reasons to get fit while at school.  Fortunately, LA provides a wealth of opportunities to shred that adipose tissue and firm up those abs.  Below are some of my favorite things to do in the area!

UCLA John Wooden Center

John Wooden Center Website

This is the most logical, full service gym that most of us will use during school.  Complete with weights, olympic platforms, every cardio machine you could imagine, and three spick'n'span full length basketball courts, this is the spot!  Millions of hot pockets and In'N'Out burger calories have been burned in these hallowed halls.  Before school starts you can get a summer pass for just $50 if you show your Bruincard.  During school the admission fee is embedded in your tuition.

Mastering Math

#RealTalk: Numbers can be scary. Especially for those of us who are a bit out of practice.

Looking back on my past, you'd think I wouldn't have an issue. I was a member of my high school math team, a state champion in Science Olympiad and competed on the academic decathalon. I took calculus while in high school through a local community college while enrolled in college-level courses in statistics and physics. I did a lot of math back then.

So, I entered my undergraduate career with all quantitative requirements fulfilled. And, being that I have a BA in literature (and a pretty non-quantitative professional history), I haven't done math since.

This was my biggest concern when choosing to apply to business school. To be admitted to a top MBA program like Anderson I needed to demonstrate high proficiency in math. I knew it was just a piece of my application. But every admissions officer told me that - for someone with my profile - it was a big piece. But I had no record, and no practice. 

So, it was all up to the GMAT.

The first time I took the GMAT, I self-studied, thinking that I could do what I had done for every other standardized test in my life: just become somewhat familiar enough with the test beforehand to ease any pre-test anxiety, and then just figure it out as I went. My score was good. But not great.

I took it again, and really focused on math. I raised my score by 30 points, but didn't reach my goal. So, I took a prep class. It was time-consuming (and expensive!), but worth it. I learned the strategies I needed to pull off the score I wanted. I ignored the rest of the test, and just focused on the quantitative section. 

And it worked. I raised my GMAT score by 50 points, taking my score into the very top of UCLA's range. And, even more importantly, I was admitted to Anderson!

Unfortunately, however, this is only just the beginning of my reintroduction to mathematics. The reason, of course, for the demonstrated quantitative proficiency required for admission is that we will need those quantitative skills in school. Business school courses have a lot of numbers. A lot.

To prepare for this anticipated barrage of numbers, I decided to enroll this summer in two 10-week online courses offered through Anderson: Mathematics for Management and Excel for Management. I am more than decent at navigating Excel, and have a somewhat mathematical mind, but I wanted to be as prepared as possible to collaborate with my more quantitatively learned colleagues come fall quarter. 

The classes, taught by the legendary UCLA accounting professor David Ravetch, began a few weeks ago. The videos are awesome:

I never took an accounting class at UCLA, but I know he is, literally, a hero among men on this campus. And Professor Ravetch has, so far, delivered. Among his playful demeanor and palpable love of math (and Excel), he distills complex topics into learnable nuggets that are slowly awakening the quantitative side of my brain.

And while it's sometimes difficult to find time for my math homework - among working, volunteering, socializing, traveling and preparing for school this summer - I know I will appreciate it when I begin school in September and my fear of math has fallen away like the autumn leaves.

(Ok. No. We don't really have seasons in Los Angeles.)

- Devon Dickau, MBA '15

Follow me @devonianperiod and UCLA Anderson @UCLAMBA

Summer admission tips

        This time last year I was preparing for re-taking my GMAT and TOEFL, was planning my campus visits and was working on my resume, so I understand the problems and questions of Fall 2013 MBA applicants quite well. Several guys approached me to ask for my advice on the application process and the questions are very similar, so I decided to dedicate my post to the most common applicant's questions.  

• What should I start with?  At this point I suppose that the question "Do I really need an MBA?" is not your question and you have  decided for sure that you need an MBA and you are planning to apply this/next fall. My strong recommendation will be to start with the test/tests: result of GMAT is valid for 5 years, result of TOEFL is valid for 2 years; both tests are not easy, so you have to allocate sufficient time to prepare for them and make sure to save some time for potential re-take (the majority of people I know took GMAT at least twice and you can not retake it earlier than in 31 days after the initial attempt). After you are done with the tests, you are fine to do next steps. I think that next you should be working at the school selection by using your own criteria (don't forget to include UCLA Anderson in the list), working on your resume and selecting proper recommenders, probably discussing with them your intention to get an MBA. Additionally, now is a right time to attend admission events that will take place in different cities around the globe throughout the summer and autumn.

• Should I visit the schools before applying? or When is the best time to visit the schools? or Is it ok to visit the schools in the summer? or Am I at disadvantage if I can't visit the school?  My personal opinion is that you won't be at disadvantage from the admissions point of view if you can't make it to campus, but a visit o school can benefit you personally on different stages of your application. First of all, you will meet a lot of people personally and will be able to ask about their experience with the school; you will be able to make contacts with different people and refer to them at a later date when you need it. Secondly, you will have the opportunity to visit classes, see the method of teaching and the atmosphere in class with your own eyes, that's why I believe that visiting during school year is better then just walking in the lonely campus during summer or other holidays. So, if you have an opportunity, go and visit on October-May (excl. State Holidays and winter/spring breaks). When you visit UCLA Anderson, make sure to write a message to me, I will try to meet for coffee and share my experiences with you :). Thirdly, all activities during your campus visit will form your vision of the school, help you justify your choice of the school in the essays and help you make a final choice of the school when you are admited to several MBA programs.

A photo of me visiting UCLA Anderson before application:)

• What track should I mention in my essays for UCLA Anderson or is it better to mention multiple tracks?  Actually that doesn't matter! What is more important is to link your future goals and career aspirations to what Anderson has to offer. For instance, If you plan to go into marketing sphere, you can mention marketing track, but make sure you explain how you will benefit from it. My advice will be "not mention something just to mention it". As far as I learnt from the admit portal, in the fall 2013 you will have to write only one essay of 750 words, so make sure every word in it counts and adds to the whole picture of yourself! Be specific, avoid blurred goals and just tell your story!

• What are the financing options at UCLA Anderson?  There are a lot of financial aid opportunities at UCLA Anderson and you can look them up here. I can say that Financial Aid office at UCLA Anderson is wonderful, they respond to every simple question I have and within very short period of time! They are very helpful and friendly! So, if you have questions regarding financing, contact Ji Choi or Andy Promsiri from FinAid office, I am sure they will be very happy to help you. My general advice will be to start saving money from the moment the idea of getting an MBA came to your head: it will be a bit of a help when you are admitted!!!

So, these are the most common questions I have heard recently. If you have other questions, please, comment on this post, I will answer them in the comments or will make another post out of them!

Alena Kostenkova, MBA'15 @UCLAMBA

Westside is the Bestside aka Tips for Finding an Off-Campus Apartment

So that might not be somewhat biased, as I've only lived on the westside (in Westwood and three different apartments in Brentwood). As a NYC transplant, I was presently surprised by what the Los Angeles rental market had to offer (you mean I don't have to move my bed to open my closet/store my winter clothes in the kitchen stove?).

Here are some thoughts on the apartment hunting process:

1) Craigslist is not just for perverts/psychopaths, especially in LA.

Just make sure you ask a lot of questions, and find someone with a similar schedule/who will be respectful of study time. Or, better yet, the Anderson facebook group offers many rental options so you can find a roommate within the Anderson community. Plus, an apartment share offers a significant savings in both rent/utilities; my portion of our 3B/2B at Goshen/Granville was $850/month.

2) 2B/2B = #1

Math nerdery aside, the 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom share I had in Brentwood was the best of both worlds--social but with enough private space that you're not up in each others biz all the time. I paid $1100/month as my share of one such unit a block north of San Vicente at Barrington (convenient to Pinkberry, a major selling feature).

Live to Eat or Eat to Live?

Sure we all joke about taking a vow of poverty by returning to graduate school, but let's be honest--most of us will have a bit of coin to spend on some good eats that will satiate even the most finicky foodie.  Although up for debate (a debate I will strategically avoid in this post), Los Angeles is without a doubt one of the most recognized cities in the world for diverse, delectable, and delicious cuisine.  So, for your viewing pleasure, let's dive in to my top 10 eateries in the LA area!!!  Take copious notes.

5 Reasons I Chose UCLA Anderson

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.

London and UCLA Anderson International Conference

    Past week-end I was in London and I was lucky to attend UCLA Anderson International Conference!It was the first event of this kind for me and I liked it! First of all, the conference was held at Goldman Sachs London office with wonderful views of London!

    At the conference I met alums who had been super friendly and supportive! Everyone was ready to give advice on relocation, housing, transportation in LA and the choice of classes. People were so open as to speak about their experience with the school and they spoke with the sence of pride of the alma mater in their voice. It was the moment I realized that I belonged to some special community and I was the part of it. I mean I have known that I belong to the community all the time after admission, but now all these things have acquired real shape, real faces, real voice! Then, the conference began with Dean's speech "The state of the school". 

Andrew Wright, President of the UCLA Anderson Alumni Network -UK, who just took the introductory word

    Of course, Dean's speech was mainly directed to the alums to introduce them to the news happening to the school. I was aware of the main trends, but it was a pleasure for me to listen about the latest intake and about career/business of couple of alums demonstrating new school concept "Thinking in the next". I was greatly inspired by Dean's speech, it really touched me to tears and I became more confident and happy to belong to such a wonderful community and be a part of the school. One of the alums, Mary LeBlanc from Novartis told me that she was amazed by the progress the school has done since her graduation. Really, UCLA Anderson is the school that goes in line with the changing world and I can see it now from my "admit" status already. I think I will be able to tell more about it in the nearest future as soon I start my studies.

    Also, at this conference I met one of my future classmates, a very smart guy from France, Gregory. As far as I know, there are no current admits from Moscow, so meeting Gregory was a great opportunity to me to discuss some relocation staff (visas, housing, transportation, dates of arrival, intention to take part in different school events and so on). I also asked Gregory for his opinion on the conference and what it gave him personally. Here is what he answered:

        "I'm glad to have had the opportunity to see how alive the community of UCLA alumni is. No matter the generation, the alumni were all passionate about their field, be it marketing, finance, leadership, IT or entertainment. The quality of the debates was inspiring as well as the perspective of a global career after graduation."

    For me as a marketing person, the most interesting part of the conference was presentation of Sanjay Sood, Associate Professor of Marketing. He is such a perfect presenter, that I decided to take his classes for sure!

To sum up, I want to say that the Conference was very interesting and useful, the speakers highlighted trends in different industries and businesses such as Private Equity, Entertainment industry, Healthcare industry and of course, the state of European Financial Markets was in the center of all presentations. It was very interesting to learn about other industries, especially, Private Equity, which I have never had access to. I got inspiration and pride for my school and I am looking forward to begin my MBA journey this fall! Many alums told me that they are jealous of us just starting our 2 wonderful years at UCLA Anderson.

Here are some London pictures to bring the feeling of London to you!

Big Ben and Houses of Parliament

View of London Eye

View on a Buckingham Palace from St. James Park

 
A pub Churchill Arms full of flowers we were just passing by.

View of the Tower Bridge at night

Alena Kostenkova'15 @UCLAMBA

Guest Post - The Consortium OP Experience

Today, we have a guest post from Jessica Kimball, Class of 2015 and one of our incoming Consortium students.  Jessica recently attended the Consortium Orientation Program (OP) which took place in New Orleans this year.  We're fortunate to have a front-row perspective on this amazing experience, so please read on to learn more!

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As a native Los Angelino, my first impression of New Orleans after stepping out of the Louis Armstrong airport was, “Wow, it’s hot.” My second impression in the cab to the Riverwalk Hilton with 4 other Consortium Fellows I had met upon arriving in New Orleans: “Wow it’s even hotter here in the cab!”  Then, after further introductions with my cab-mates, all thoughts and wonder regarding my Consortium classmates that coursed my mind over the past few months were confirmed: Consortium Fellows are truly brilliant.  In our taxi alone, we had two entrepreneurs, one in education and one in tech; a brand manager looking to transition into the entertainment industry; an investment banker; and an electrical engineer whose job description both impressed and confused me, and I still have little understanding of what he actually does other than “working with circuits.”  These would be the first of many amazing stories I would get the chance to hear over our five-and-a-half days at the Consortium Orientation Program, known to us students as simply “OP.”

The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management is the largest MBA diversity network in the US and focuses on augmenting the number of underrepresented minorities within business.  As a half-black, half-Mexican gay woman, the Consortium’s mission is one I value dearly, and yet every portion of OP still managed to challenge me and my classmates and push our thoughts regarding professional diversity even further.

 

The Diversity Theatre our second day presented an hour-long, interactive workplace skit covering some of the biases and prejudices, both conscious and subconscious, that many of us see every day in the workplace: a female associate promoted over her male peers and their attitude towards her afterwards; an international junior associate called onto an account primarily because of her ability to speak the client’s native language and really not given much other responsibility beyond communication; and even blatant race discrimination and sexism.  The audience’s reactions and comments both during and after this presentation showed that even our diverse group of multi-cultural leaders still maintained certain unfortunate stereotypes. When it comes to improving workplace interactions, we all still have a long way to go, but we will get there.

Career services accounts for the other main focus of OP.  Our Parker CMC team fully prepared us for OP with a series of webinars, 30-second pitch practice, and mock interviews all in the weeks leading up to OP.  Even then, OP was networking and interviewing at the highest level. From the second you stepped out your hotel room door, to the second you returned and shut your door behind you, recruiters were everywhere.  We quickly learned to always be on our A-game, especially since we never knew who might be sitting next to us in any of the events.  This also means the chances to make a great impression on a company representative are even more varied than usual.  I personally started an amazing connection with one of the sponsoring companies by mentioning how much I love my car, which they happen to make.  Thanks to our Parker CMC team and the additional career training we received at OP, I feel significantly more confident regarding my networking and interviewing skills, and I haven’t even stepped foot into my first class at Anderson. 

caught off-guard while posing for a group photo!

At OP, the Consortium Executive Director and CEO, Peter Aranda, often led us in a class chant.  He would ask a series of short questions, and we would respond as loudly and resoundingly as we could: “I am proud.  I am humble.  I am gracious.  I will be ready.”  Even though our UCLA Anderson Class of 2015 has not officially started class, we can always abide by these words, even now.  I am proud to be an UCLA Anderson Bruin, and I know come this September, we will all be ready to begin our MBA journey.

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To learn more about the Consortium and its mission, please visit their website.

Packing up

Hi everyone! My name is Lorraine and I can't wait to meet all of you! I’m currently buried in boxes in my Manhattan studio, ac cranked up to the max, trying to figure out what to toss and what to ship to LA (why do I have so much stuff?). You’d think moving would be easier for me. After all, it’s not the first time I move across the country, or even across the world…

I was born and raised in Paris, France, finished high school in Honolulu, HI, and eventually moved to Boston where I studied journalism at Boston University. After graduation, I moved to NYC to start my career in publishing. Since then I’ve worked for both magazines (yes, the Devil Wears Prada kind) and book publishers (the serious nonfiction kind). I’m excited to learn new skills as an MBA student (and yes, a little anxious. I hope my math isn't too rusty!). Sure, I’m sad to be leaving my friends and NYC, but overall, I’m thrilled to be moving to sunny Westwood and to join the Anderson community. It’s been ten years since I’ve moved to the US (I just celebrated with an amazing Decade Party, woot!) and I can’t think of a better way to kick off my second decade than by embarking on a new adventure at Anderson. See you guys in the fall!

Lorraine Jonemann'15 @UCLAMBA

Allow myself to introduce...myself.

Let me christen this year's first blog post by giving you an introduction to who will be guiding you through the B-school jungle.  So belt up, strap in, grit your teeth, and flex your glutes as we begin this jubilant and joyous journey!!!

The name's Buzz Black.  What can I say, my parents have a penchant for alliterations.  Dwight Schrute from the famous American comedy "The Office" was once asked in an interview how he would describe himself.  I echo his answer in describing myself: "How would I describe myself?  Three words:  hard-working, alpha male, jack hammer.  Merciless.  Insatiable!"

 

If you looked at my childhood migration pattern it would look like the path of a pinball bouncing around the west coast and mountain west.  I was born in Sacramento, then moved to Salt Lake City, then Portland, then Houston, then back to Salt Lake City.  Nomadic, I know.

After high school I spent two years in Mexico for a volunteer church missionary program.  This photo describes how much fun I had down there.  I love my good friends from Mexico!

Upon returning from Mexico, I attended Brigham Young University and graduated with a degree in Finance.  I met my wife at school and we got married a few months before graduation.  Her name is Camille.  She is the jelly to my peanut butter.

Pure Joy

I have spent the last three years working at Merrill Lynch's Private Banking & Investment Group in Los Angeles.  In fact, the UCLA campus is just a stone's throw away from where I lived.  Three years of hard work didn't come without any cool trips!  Check out some pics from a trip to Japan, India, and British Columbia.

Golden Palace in Kyoto, Japan

Taj Mahal in Agra, India

Cycling near Victoria, British Columbia

A little more about myself...I love sports!!!   You name it--baseball, basketball, football, cycling, MMA--it keeps my life full.  If I'm not working or hanging with Camille it's likely that I'm on a court or field somewhere playing some ball.

Fun fact: my wife and I are expecting our first, a baby boy, this August.  I mean, business school isn't going to be that busy, er, right???  Should make for a fun experience.  I can't wait for the little guy to arrive!

That's me y'all.  I hope we can relate on either an electronic or subatomic level through these posts.  And most importantly, I hope my subsequent posts give you a crystal clear, HD, 1 bajillion mega pixel image of what it was like applying, what it is like waiting to start, and what it will be like when things get rolling.  Keep your eyes on the prize and go big or go home!  Signing off...