UCLA Anderson’s MBA Essay Questions for 2017 Application Year
The University of California Los Angeles Anderson School of Management is widely regarded as one of the top public business schools in the United States. Admission to UCLA Anderson’s full-time MBA program is highly competitive with acceptance rates typically hovering around 15-20% in recent years. As part of the application process, applicants must demonstrate their potential for success in business school and beyond through essays responding to two of UCLA Anderson’s customized essay prompts.
Evaluating an applicant’s essays is an important part of the admissions committee’s holistic review process. The essays provide insights into an individual’s background, experiences, personality, leadership abilities, communication skills, and fit with UCLA Anderson’s culture and values. Applicants have 650 words total to respond to two of the four available essay options. It is critical for candidates to carefully consider each prompt and craft thoughtful, well-written, error-free responses that genuinely convey who they are and why UCLA Anderson is the right fit.
Here is an overview of the four unique essay questions UCLA Anderson presented to applicants for the 2017 admission cycle:
Essay 1: Diversity and Inclusion
UCLA Anderson promotes diversity and inclusion as drivers of innovation. How have your background and experiences shaped your perspective on diversity, and how might you contribute your unique perspective and promote inclusion within the UCLA Anderson community?
This prompt directly addresses UCLA Anderson’s strong emphasis on and commitment to fostering a diverse, inclusive culture on campus. Successful applicants will discuss how their individual characteristics, identities, upbringings or lived experiences have shaped their views on diversity and inclusion in meaningful ways. Responses should also convey how the applicant might actively promote these important values within the UCLA Anderson community through specific proposed contributions, initiatives or leadership roles. Addressing this prompt effectively requires sincerely reflecting on one’s own experiences with diversity as well as demonstrating alignment with the business school’s ethos.
Essay 2: Transformative Experience
Describe a transformative experience you have had, how you grew or changed as a result, and how this experience will contribute to your success in business school and beyond. The experience may be academic, professional, personal or extracurricular in nature.
This more open-ended prompt gives applicants flexibility to discuss any impactful experience from their background that promoted substantial personal or professional growth. Strong responses will go beyond simply describing the experience to also thoroughly explaining how it transformed the applicant’s perspectives, skills or outlook. Applicants should directly connect the lessons learned from this transformative episode to their preparedness and potential for thriving in UCLA Anderson’s rigorous MBA program as well as future career achievements post-graduation. Anecdotes that reveal character development through overcoming challenges tend to be especially compelling.
Essay 3: Goals and Aspirations
What are your short-term and long-term personal and professional goals? How will an MBA from UCLA Anderson help you achieve these goals?
This essay asks candidates to lay out their goals and vision for the future in a way that articulates the strategic role an Anderson MBA will play. Effective responses outline both near-term (2-5 years after graduation) and long-range (5-10+ years from now) aspirations in a manner that is specific, measurable and realistic. Applicants need to make a persuasive case for how UCLA Anderson’s resources, curriculum, alumni network and brand reputation will help them accomplish their objectives at each stage. Goals mentioned should align with the opportunities and skillsets cultivated through a rigorous MBA education.
Essay 4: Open Topic (personal statement)
This is your opportunity to share any additional information that will enhance the Admissions Committee’s understanding of your background, character, and motivation for pursuing an MBA.
As the most open-ended prompt, this personal statement allows freedom for applicants to discuss truly anything meaningful about themselves that hasn’t already been addressed in other parts of the application. Common topics include overcoming disadvantages, unique talents/interests, community service involvement, career transition motivations or meaningful life experiences. Any information is fair game as long as it provides personal insight into the individual in an engaging, thoughtful manner. Well-written essays here can help applicants stand out from the pack.
UCLA Anderson’s 2017 MBA essay questions posed thoughtful prompts designed to reveal an applicant’s fit with the school’s culture as well as their potential for success. With only 650 words to address two questions, candidates must carefully select which prompts to answer and craft polished, impactful responses conveying their authentic qualifications and goals. Demonstrating alignment with UCLA Anderson’s emphasis on diversity, leadership, and personal growth through rich experiences tends to be especially advantageous. Overall, well-developed essays are a crucial part of an applicant presenting a compelling case for admission.
Andrew Stroud