{"id":38326,"date":"2017-07-19T12:28:01","date_gmt":"2017-07-19T19:28:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/?p=38326"},"modified":"2017-07-19T12:28:01","modified_gmt":"2017-07-19T19:28:01","slug":"ucla-anderson-mba-admissions-according-to-dean-alex-lawrence-episode-215","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/ucla-anderson-mba-admissions-according-to-dean-alex-lawrence-episode-215\/","title":{"rendered":"UCLA Anderson MBA Admissions According to Dean Alex Lawrence [Episode 215]"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Listen<\/a><\/p>\n

Come learn about UCLA Anderson\u2019s full-time MBA program<\/a> with Assistant Dean of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid Alex Lawrence.<\/p>\n

It gives me great pleasure to welcome Alex Lawrence, Assistant Dean of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid at UCLA Anderson School of Management, which just happens to be where I earned my MBA. Alex is a fellow Anderson alum, who earned his MBA in 1999. Prior to that he earned a bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s in electrical engineering. After earning his MBA, he worked in management consulting for four years and then returned to UCLA Anderson as Director of the Riordan Program. In 2012 he became first the director and then the Assistant Dean for MBA Admissions. Welcome!<\/p>\n

Can you give us an overview of Anderson\u2019s full-time MBA program?<\/strong> [1:50]<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a great program in a fantastic location \u2013 Los Angeles \u2013 that offers so many opportunities. We have recruiting strengths in management consulting, finance, real estate, entertainment. Students have a flexible curriculum, and an amazing career services center. There are so many opportunities for those who attend Anderson and become part of the family.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s new or changing at Anderson?<\/strong> [2:55]<\/p>\n

We\u2019re building a new building! Marion Anderson Hall \u2013 we\u2019re breaking ground soon and we expect it to be ready in 26 months. It will be fantastic, building on what we already have.<\/p>\n

We have a new leadership development program, which launched last year. And our social development specialization just launched.<\/p>\n

We changed the start of the school year for first year students. Now we bring first year students to campus in August (instead of September). They appreciate the chance to get used to the environment earlier \u2013 they take one course and have an orientation before fall quarter starts at the end of September. It also means that recruiting and info sessions are spread out over an extra month and a half.<\/p>\n

What is the nature of the leadership development program?<\/strong> [8:10]<\/p>\n

It gives students the opportunity to learn from their peers and from staff, and to build a rapport with senior leadership. They get insight on qualities they want to develop. They all take the Berkman Assessment Tool. It\u2019s an opportunity to get feedback from a different perspective from the classroom.<\/p>\n

In the classroom, there\u2019s not always an opportunity for them to share all their skills \u2013 but working with the coaches they can get guidance on the opportunities they\u2019re seeking.<\/p>\n

UCLA Anderson is proud of its culture where students share success, think fearlessly and drive change. Let\u2019s unwrap each of those core qualities. What do they mean?<\/strong> [11:10]<\/p>\n

Share success<\/strong> \u2013 when you collaborate to win, that\u2019s when you share success. We have our students collaborate in learning teams. We want them to support each other. Second year students serve as coaches for first years. And alumni remain supportive and involved \u2013 I\u2019ve definitely been the recipient of that support.<\/p>\n

Thinking fearlessly<\/strong> \u2013 our entire community is fearless in thinking about opportunities and innovations. When you look at the accomplishments of our alumni, there are countless examples of how they\u2019re thinking of how to do business differently and respond to challenges.<\/p>\n

Driving change<\/strong> \u2013 this really comes from the idea that we\u2019re pragmatic, action-oriented. We measure ourselves against results. Being part of the community as a student, alumnus, and part of the staff, I see how these qualities come out in the community. There\u2019s something different about UCLA Anderson.<\/p>\n

Anderson has had a capstone project since before I got there. It was then called Field Study. It has by now morphed into Applied Management Research, and recently Anderson added the BCO, Business Creation Option. Can you describe these options?<\/strong> [17:10]<\/p>\n

Anderson was the first b-school to create this project over 50 years ago. It\u2019s a 20-week project where our students partner with a client to solve a key strategic business challenge that the client has. The client could be a Fortune 500 company, a small business, a startup, etc. It\u2019s a fantastic opportunity to have a chance to solve real world problems and gain experience. And it\u2019s not localized to Southern California \u2013 there are opportunities across the US and internationally.<\/p>\n

The Business Creation Option is for more entrepreneurially-minded students. Each year 20-23 teams participate. Students get input from faculty and exposure to the VC community. We have a number of success stories. Over 50% of the BCO projects have launched! An example of a success story is Vow to Be Chic \u2013 a designer bridesmaid rental site.<\/p>\n

You mentioned Anderson\u2019s location \u2013 how is it an advantage?<\/strong> [23:20]<\/p>\n

Many times people think automatically about media and entertainment, and that\u2019s definitely a strength of being in LA, but it\u2019s much more than that. The student experience is very rich \u2013 people are taking advantage of academic year internships in all industries. The classroom environment is exciting: we have lecturers who bring in their industry experience. And the Dean brings industry leaders to speak and meet with students.<\/p>\n

Recruiting is changing. There are more recruiters, and more opportunities, but the hiring path is more diverse and splintered than it was ten years ago. How is Anderson adapting to those changes? <\/strong>[30:00]<\/p>\n

The career center does over 4,000 advising sessions for our students. We have \u201cday on the job\u201d events coast to coast. We prep students for video interviews, and help them get their resumes ready. And we begin those relationships even before students arrive on campus.<\/p>\n

We hear from recruiters that Anderson students are as competitive as students from other top programs, and they\u2019re also really strong team players.<\/p>\n

UCLA Anderson accepted approximately one out of every four applicants. Who gets the interview invitations? From those invited to interview, who gets accepted? How do you winnow it down?<\/strong> [34:40]<\/p>\n

We really want to bring in individuals who resonate with our culture \u2013 people who show evidence of working in teams and being collaborative.<\/p>\n

Our class profile is on our website. People often ask if they need to have a certain GMAT\/GPA. We do admit people with lower scores, and deny some with higher scores.<\/p>\n

We ask, how will this person perform academically and contribute to the community? We\u2019re not looking for the \u201clone wolf\u201d profile. Academically, you have to be competitive \u2013 in the range \u2013 but it\u2019s a holistic process overall.<\/p>\n

UCLA has a new essay question. Can you share the question and some advice?<\/strong> [38:00]<\/p>\n

We have two essays this year. We\u2019re not trying to make it more complicated \u2013 we\u2019re just giving the applicants more opportunity to showcase why Anderson is the right choice for them.<\/p>\n

Essay 1:<\/strong> Describe your short-term and long-term career goals.<\/a> How can UCLA Anderson contribute to your career development?<\/p>\n

Most people pursue an MBA to advance their careers \u2013 how does UCLA Anderson fit into your career trajectory?<\/p>\n

Essay 2:<\/strong> Describe how you would contribute to the UCLA Anderson community.<\/p>\n

The people who are most successful have done their due diligence. We\u2019re a very open campus \u2013 visitors can attend a class, meet professors, potentially meet an admissions officer. We travel as well for info sessions. Once you start learning what it\u2019s like to be part of the Anderson community, think about how you would fit into it.<\/p>\n

We know not everyone can visit, but our website has a lot of information, videos, student ambassadors you can contact. Learn why they chose Anderson. Learn about speakers, conferences, etc. It\u2019s great when you can start talking to people who\u2019ve been there and done it \u2013 you can really visualize yourself as a member of the community.<\/p>\n

Any other changes to the application?<\/strong> [43:40]<\/p>\n

There\u2019s starting to be a move to a common letter of rec. I can\u2019t talk about the nuts and bolts of it now. But at the end of the day, schools all want to learn similar information from a letter of rec.<\/p>\n

Do you have advice for people planning ahead to apply in 2018?<\/strong> [45:55]<\/p>\n

It takes a while to get the standardized test score you really want \u2013 it takes some prep. So start thinking about that.<\/p>\n

If possible, visit the campus<\/a>. Starting in October, you can visit our campus and visit classes. Start talking to people who\u2019ve gone to b-school and have an MBA \u2013 people learn about b-school from people who\u2019ve done it already.<\/p>\n

Start looking at the elements of the application itself \u2013 for multiple schools. Some schools have video essays and different interview formats. So it\u2019s good to be aware.<\/p>\n

If they\u2019re not sure of their career direction, should they take time to clarify that direction this year, and maybe do informational interviews, etc?<\/strong> [50:25]<\/p>\n

Definitely, definitely. The strongest applicants are those who have a sense of what their goals are.<\/p>\n

Having an awareness of what the career is and the skillset it demands is very important. Go a couple of layers below the surface.<\/p>\n

Finding the right fit from a school standpoint is important \u2013 you need to know if the school will help you get to your ultimate goal.<\/p>\n

What do you wish people would know about Anderson?<\/strong> [52:25]<\/p>\n

They don\u2019t realize we\u2019re not just an entertainment school. People here go into tech, finance, consulting\u2026 They start their own businesses. LA is an incredibly vibrant startup\/small business scene. It\u2019s more about what you want to do.<\/p>\n

We have a worldwide alumni network and a strong brand.<\/p>\n

Being in an environment where people are not just going to be part of the status quo is exciting.<\/p>\n

\"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

Related Resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2022 Anderson Full-time MBA<\/a>
\n\u2022 UCLA Anderson B-School Zone<\/a>
\n\u2022 UCLA Anderson Essay Tips & Deadlines<\/a>
\n\u2022 How an MBA from Anderson Helped this Career Switcher<\/a>
\n\u2022 B-School for Good: Pursuing Social Impact Through UCLA Anderson\u2019s Fully Employed MBA<\/a>
\n\u2022 UCLA Anderson Executive MBA Application Essay Tips & Deadlines<\/a><\/p>\n

Related Shows:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2022 UCLA\u2019s MS in Business Analytics: Prep for the Sexiest Job of the 21st Century<\/a>
\n\u2022 What\u2019s New at NYU Stern? A Lot!<\/a>
\n\u2022 From Wall St to Wharton, While Starting Wall Street Oasis<\/a>
\n\u2022 What\u2019s Life Like as a Darden MBA and Entrepreneur?<\/a>
\n\u2022 Make a Difference at Michigan Ross: An Interview with Soojin Kwon<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"Get<\/a><\/p>\n

This article<\/a>\u00a0originally appeared on\u00a0<\/i>blog.accepted.com<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n

Applying to a top b-school? The talented folks at Accepted have helped hundreds of applicants get accepted to their dream programs. Whether you are figuring out where to apply, writing your application essays, or prepping for your interviews, we are just a call (or click) away.<\/p>\n

Contact us, and get matched up with the consultant who will help\u00a0you\u00a0<\/i>get accepted<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Come learn about UCLA Anderson\u2019s full-time MBA program with Assistant Dean of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid Alex Lawrence. It gives me great pleasure to welcome Alex Lawrence, Assistant Dean…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,939,775,113,243],"tags":[2042,1979,44,1794,876],"class_list":["post-38326","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mba","category-accepted","category-admission-consultants","category-applications","category-blog","tag-podcast","tag-podcast-admissions","tag-ucla-anderson","tag-ucla-anderson-application-advice","tag-ucla-anderson-school-of-management","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38326","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38326"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38326\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38330,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38326\/revisions\/38330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38326"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38326"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38326"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}