Anderson (UCLA): Class of 2016- Calling all applicants! : MBA Archive

Your essays are the primary way for you to share your perspectives and plans with the admissions committee. The best essays are introspective, genuine and succinct in directly answering our questions and responding to our topics.

-Essay questions are listed below for both first-time applicants and re-applicants.
-You should try to distinguish yourself by showing what makes you different from others who share similar profiles.
-Personal expression is what we are looking for, not platitudes.
-Making a strong case for your future plans requires you to first do research on career paths and find one that resonates. Even if this target will change during business school, your application essays should lay out a clear trajectory for short-term and long-term goals. Do this by demonstrating how you expect to build on skills from your past, and those you expect to gain from the MBA.
-Essays are more compelling if they include specific courses, programs, groups, opportunities, activities, etc. from which you would benefit, if admitted to UCLA Anderson. These references are best found through website research, personal discussions and a campus visit (if possible).
-Content and clarity are key elements, as we seek superior communication skills.
-Style is a consideration too, although we understand that those who speak other languages may have different manners of expression in English.
-We do check your essays for plagiarism, so make sure you always submit your own work.
-Length does not equal strength. A well-written short essay can have even more impact than a longer essay. Please try to respect the word limits indicated below.
-All responses to essays must be on double-spaced pages that are uploaded as a document. We do not accept essays in any other media but written form.

FIRST-TIME APPLICANTS - ONE REQUIRED ESSAY:
What are your short-term and long-term career goals, and how will an MBA from UCLA Anderson specifically help you achieve these goals? (750 words maximum)
OPTIONAL ESSAY:
The following essay is optional. No preference is given in the evaluation process to applicants who submit an optional essay. Please note that we only accept written essays.
Are there any extenuating circumstances in your profile about which the Admissions Committee should be aware? (250 words maximum)
RE-APPLICANTS - ONE REQUIRED ESSAY:
Reapplicants who applied for the class entering in fall 2012 or 2013 are required to complete the following essay:
Please describe your career progress since you last applied and ways in which you have enhanced your candidacy. Include updates on short-term and long-term career goals, as well as your continued interest in UCLA Anderson. (750 words maximum)

Just had interview. Was a very laid back atmosphere (interviewer was wearing a polo, and looked like he was skyping out of his bedroom, which I found cool). My laptop crashed, and there seemed to be a bit of lag which threw off the flow a bit. But regardless, he was very nice and well spoken, no surprises on the questions:

Walk me through your resume
Why MBA
Why Anderson
How would your co-workers describe you
Strengths and weaknesses (asked for a 2nd weakness too)
Biggest accomplishment
Have I looked at who recruits at UCLA
What clubs would I join
short/long term goals

About 30 minutes long. He gave honest answers to questions, which I found refreshing. I'm really liking the Cali/UCLA culture. I got rejected from Columbia after interview, so UCLA is my first choice now.

Hi all--interviewed on campus at Anderson recently. It was quick and straightforward. Some questions I received were:

Nothing out of the ordinary. I thought it went fine; it lasted 30 minutes.

More at my blog: https://mbathenonprofitway.wordpress.com/2013/11/15/ucla-anderson-interview-recap/

Had my interview at Anderson in the past few days and my experience largely paralleled that of others on here.

In addition to the above, I also got one industry specific question from my interviewer. He pulled it from a list provided by the admissions office. It was "what do you think about effect of X on the future of Y?" Where "X" is a recent trend and "Y" is the industry I've expressed a particular interest in pursuing after Anderson. It was a very easy question, however, and one that anyone interested in the field should be able to provide an opinion on.

Overall, a very relaxed and friendly experience.

Just wanted to share my interview experience.

Interviewed 12/9 and lasted 30-35 minutes.

Interviewed with Adcom, which surprised me since other prospectives in TW I met interviewed with 2nd year students. Makes sense though because right now Anderson students are taking finals.

Discussed the following:

1) Asked me about professional background and how I ended up in current job and other followup questions

2) Why MBA, Why UCLA Anderson?

3) Professional Failure

4) Teamwork example

5) Leadership experience

6) How would I contribute to class and community

7) My questions

Interviewed yesterday with a 2nd-year student. Overall I feel like it went really well. There were a couple areas I wish I would have explained a little better, but I am happy with how I did. The interview was very conversational, and for the most part, no unexpected questions. Here is a general summary of the questions I was asked:

-Tell me about yourself.
-Why an MBA now?
-Why Anderson?
-Why are you looking to change careers?
-What do you envision yourself doing when begin working in X industry?
-What are your long-term career goals?
-How will you contribute to the Anderson community?
-What are your strengths as a leader?
-What leadership qualities do you want to work on at Anderson?
-Any question for me?

The interview was about 35 minutes.

I interviewed recently; it was very conversational- I think what Anderson is genuinely trying to get out of the interview is to get to know you, and make sure you'd "fit" in their environment. So I'd say to prepare for the Anderson interview, just make sure you can answer "Why MBA" and "Why Anderson" well (what you would do for any other MBA interview), know your story, and you should do just fine! Just be yourself.

I did an interview with a second year student last Thursday. It was pretty conversational. He spent 2-3 mins telling his backgrounds and explaining the interview process. Then he went with some standard questions:
- Resume walk
- Why Anderson?
- What will you contribute to Anderson community?
- Accomplishment at work? And conflict?
- Career goals
- Why do you want to this your career path?
- What did you for Habitat for Humanity? ( I mentioned this in the resume)

This process took about 15-20 mins, which was shorter than I expected.

Then, the rest was spent questioning him.

Hope this helps.

"I had a great career in New York, and I wasn't sure I needed to go to business school, and if I did, I thought I wanted to go to one of the top five schools. When, I was introduced to Anderson, however, my perspective changed completely. The students were ambitious but supportive of each other, and were the happiest people of any business schools I had visited. From Ivy Leaguers to Iraq War veterans to former male models, the class was more diverse than I thought possible, and I knew I could learn a lot from these people. I decided to go to Anderson over other, higher ranked schools, because it simply felt right. I have never once regretted that decision.

"Anderson has been nothing short of a transformational experience. I became incredibly involved early on in my first year, and I have most enjoyed getting to know every one of my classmates through student government, professional organizations, and fun Anderson traditions like football tailgates, C4C Charity Weekend, and Lit Club. As I graduate, I feel lucky to have made such incredible new friends, and I know it is a network of impressive people that will help me for the rest of my life." - Kate Edwards, UCLA Anderson Class of 2014

First off, I am absolutely thrilled to be joining UCLA Anderson’s Class of 2016! Since officially accepting the offer, I have just gotten more excited about the program and what the future holds in store. From a hand-written note from the Admission Director to the outstanding Career Management Center, there are so many reason that led me to deciding to attend Anderson.

Students
"One of the very first things that impressed me about Anderson was the quality of the students, starting with my interviewer. He had a very impressive background and I could feel his entrepreneurial spirit. Our conversation was engaging. I was excited to talk with him through the entirety of the interview. He was also extremely helpful in answering my questions regarding his experience at Anderson. If I was going to be classmates with individuals like him, I knew would be in a place where learn and grow because of my peers, not in spite of my peers. Throughout the application process, as well as since be accepted, I have found that Anderson students have been some of the most, if not the most responsive, friendly, genuine, and helpful students I have talked to. Of the students I contacted or was introduced to, 100% of them responded and took time to talk with me. The only other school that came remotely close to that was Tuck. All the students I spoke with at Anderson were down to earth and very friendly. A few even offered me a place to stay while I look for housing. I appreciated the fact that after I was accepted I was assigned a buddy by the admission office. I was also contacted by an alumni and spoke with him about his experience at Anderson. Another thing that really impressed me compared to some of the other programs was the amount of advice Anderson students gave me in terms of preparing for school and a career transition. The advice has been extremely helpful and will definitely help me hit the ground running. I am really looking forward to becoming a part of the Anderson family.

Location
"One factor I didn’t think would be too important to me while I was researching programs, but has become increasingly so has been the location of the school. For my career goals, to transition into tech, aside from perhaps the Bay Area, I couldn’t have picked a better location. Plus, having grown up in California, I am looking forward to returning to my home state and enjoying the great weather! No more snow 2014!!! In relation to location, one thing I really like about Anderson is they offer academic internships. With the relatively strong tech start-up scene in the Los Angeles area, this will give me the opportunity to further gain and develop the needed skills and experience while in school to land a job in tech post-MBA.

Career/Technology
"Along the lines of location and career, another big plus for Anderson was the strength of their tech club, the High-Tech Business Association, and the amount of different offerings for students interested in tech. With nearly a quarter of the students from Anderson going into the tech industry, the school has put a lot of resources into developing this area of their program. With some of the other schools, I felt like I would have to put a lot of personal effort into being able to get anywhere near the experience I would at Anderson. Another big draw to the program was that Anderson’s Career Management Center, Parker CMC, has consistently be ranked one of the top MBA career management centers. From all my conversations with Anderson students, the strength of the Parker CMC is one thing that came up in almost every conversation.

Community
"Although there are a ton of other reasons I chose Anderson, the last one I will talk about is the community. I have kind of mentioned it throughout this post, but all of the students and fellow admits that I have spoken to have been very down to earth, friendly, and receptive. I initially really wanted to be a small town to make sure I got the tighter-knit, community feel from the program I attended. However, after the experience I have had thus far with Anderson, I am confident I will get the tight-knit community feel while being in one of the most vibrant cities in the world! Needless to say, (although I have said it a few times already) I am excited for the next two years." - James Huntington, UCLA Anderson Class of 2016