Husband. Wife. Partner. Significant Other. Sig-O. Better Half. The list goes on...Before applying to UCLA, I was a little concerned about going back to school with a wife and new baby. I had heard the misconception that most MBA students were single and that I would be the part of a very small minority of students with families or significant others. I was worried that one of two things would happen--I would either end up diving too deep into the MBA social scene and lose out on "family time" or I would overcompensate for being gone so often that I would miss out on the MBA experience. Fortunately, that isn't the case at UCLA Anderson.
15 years ago, only about 25% of incoming MBA students had spouses/families. Now, the number is reaching 40% or higher at some schools. This makes sense, since the average pre-MBA work experience each student is around 5 years, making the average student age 27-28. In response to this growing trend, UCLA Anderson, and many schools for that matter, have created well-organized programs/clubs aimed at the significant others of the MBA student.
At UCLA, we have the following resources to involve our families in the program. Believe me, if they want to be busy and involved, there are plenty of activities to choose from!
"Joint Ventures Club: The UCLA Anderson Joint Ventures club aims to encourage the integration of spouses, partners, fiancées, and significant others into the UCLA Anderson Community. The club organizes social events to allow significant others to become acquainted with one another, find friends with similar interests, and become a support network during your time in Los Angeles. Past events have included wine tasting, museum trips, BBQs, and hikes in the nearby Santa Monica Mountains.
Anderkids: AnderKids is a sub-club of Joint Ventures especially for student families with children of all ages. We organize fun events and attend such Anderson activities as the ski trip, C4C weekend and Rose Bowl football games.
UCLA Anderson and Campus-Wide Activities: Significant others are welcome at most UCLA Anderson clubs and events. Many spouses and significant others join social events, Alumni Weekend, special speaker events, and Challenge for Charity volunteer events. Besides Joint Ventures, some clubs have leadership roles within their organization created solely for significant others.
In addition to UCLA Anderson activities, spouses and dependents of our students can enjoy other activities offered through UCLA. For example, the UCLA Film and Television Archive offers its vast holdings through a wide range of programs dedicated to the preservation, education and exhibition of the moving image. In addition, the UCLA Central Ticket Office sells student tickets to UCLA sporting events, performances by the UCLA Departments of Music and Theater, and other performing arts venues.
Volunteering: Volunteer opportunities in the city of Los Angeles include helping out at local libraries, museums and schools as well as working with the elderly, the homeless, and animals. Using LA Works is one of the easiest ways to find other volunteer opportunities in Los Angeles. Please visit their Website at: http://laworks.com.
Entertainment: Los Angeles is the entertainment capital of the world. You and your student partner will find a wide variety of activities to enjoy in the Los Angeles area. As well as selling tickets to UCLA events, the UCLA Central Ticket Office offers discounts on tickets to attractions such as Disneyland, Universal Studios, and the San Diego Zoo.
UCLA Youth Programs: UCLA Recreation also organizes a variety of summer day camps, recreation classes, enrichment programs and year-round weekend activities for children of the UCLA community ages 18 months through 17 years. The Youth Programs Division offers students a number of summer employment opportunities and a chance to work with children in a learning environment."
Hope this list of resources gives you an idea of how UCLA has provided the perfect environment to maximize your ENTIRE FAMILY'S MBA experience!
