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UCLA’s Anderson School of Management recently released its admissions essays and deadlines for the Class of 2012. At first glance, there aren't a lot of changes this year, but what is most interesting with Anderson’s essays this year is something that is not included. Let’s dig into the school’s deadlines and essays, followed by our comments in italics:
UCLA Anderson Admissions Deadlines
Round 1: October 26, 2011
Round 2: January 11, 2012
Round 3: April 18, 2012
All three of Anderson’s admissions rounds have been pushed back by close to a week. Keep in mind that, if you apply to Anderson in Round 1, you might not receive your final decision until late January, meaning that you won’t know where you stand with Anderson before most other top business schools’ Round 2 deadlines come and go.
Also, note how late UCLA Anderson’s Round 3 deadline is compared to most other top MBA programs final deadlines. Anderson previously expressed that it does not want to miss out on strong applicants who may choose an international program such as LBS simply because that school still accepts applications as late as April. This is a smart move for Anderson. For you, it means that Round 3 is certainly still an option for you if you are coming into the MBA admissions process late in the game.
UCLA Anderson Admissions Essays
- What events or people have had the greatest influence in shaping your character and why? (750 words)
This question has been slightly reworded from last year. With this essay, the admissions committee is trying to dig deep into who you are and what makes you tick. We prefer this new wording, since last year’s version seemed to put extra emphasis on a single event, which may have created some pressure in applicants’ minds to come up with a dramatic single incident. In reality, it may be multiple events or people that together shaped you the most, and this question reflects that. Try to answer this question with your personal development in mind. Your tendency might be to tie it right back to your career and why you are pursuing an MBA, but consider this input from the admissions office: “Please be introspective and authentic in your responses. Content is more important than style of delivery. We value the opportunity to learn about your life experiences, aspirations, and goals.” - Describe your short-term and long-term career goals. What is your motivation for pursuing an MBA now and how will UCLA Anderson help you to achieve your goals? (750 words)
This question carries over unchanged from last year, and should be approached the same as most other “Career Goals” / “Why an MBA?” essays. Note that the “Why an MBA?” component is very important, but you absolutely MUST demonstrate in this essay a knowledge of and a passion for Anderson. One way any school protects its admissions yield is by ferreting out those who don’t show enough enthusiasm for the program. Failing to answer the second part part of the question — how will UCLA Anderson help you to achieve your goals — is a sure way to get ferreted out by the admissions committee. - (Optional Essay) Are there any extenuating circumstances in your profile about which the Admissions Committee should be aware? (250 words)
As we always advise our clients when it comes to optional essays, only use this essay if you need to explain a low undergraduate GPA or other potential blemish in your background. No need to harp on a minor weakness and sound like you are making excuses when you really don't need any. If you do not have anything else you need the admissions office to know, it is entirely okay to skip this essay!
Finally, we should note that UCLA Anderson has dropped the audio/video question that had been a part of its application for the past three years. When a school drops an essay question, that normally means that the question is not doing its job — i.e., it does not help the admissions committee get to know applicants better and separate out the great applicants from the rest of the pack. Perhaps that was what happened here. Could the school have been concerned that this unusual essay was actually discouraging potential applicants from applying? Or, could someone have raised questions about how admissions can be race- or gender-blind when applicants submit video responses? We don’t know for sure, but it is an interesting development given that one of the chief complaints we hear from MBA admissions officers these days is that the essays they read tend to sound too similar to one another. We thought the audio/video question was a novel way to try to overcome this problem.
Read about the deadlines and admissions essays of other top MBA programs on the Veritas Prep blog.
