Tips For UCLA Anderson Application Essay

What exactly does it take to get into UCLA’s Anderson School of Management?

Stacy Blackman, of Stacy Blackman Consulting, recently offered some tips on how MBA applicants can build the strongest application for Anderson.

“Anderson’s MBA class is small and tight knit, making the personal aspects of this UCLA MBA application crucial for admission,” Blackman writes. “To make your case in your UCLA MBA application, be very clear about who you are, fit with the community, and what you will accomplish.”

Essay Prompt 1

UCLA Anderson’s first essay prompt is as follows:

a) Tell us about your MBA goals AND why you are applying to UCLA Anderson now:

* Describe your short term and long term goals (150 words maximum)

* Why is UCLA Anderson a good school for you? (150 words maximum)

Blackman says this prompt is all about evaluating your career goals and your career up to this point.

“When you think about any long-term goals you have for your career, why is an MBA the right next step? And why would Anderson be the right place to gain the education and network you need? Your career goals should be examined through the filter of Anderson’s values and how you plan to use those values in your post-Anderson life,” Blackman writes.

When crafting your essay, Blackman says, it’s important to one to two pivotal stories that illustrate your story.

“UCLA is looking to understand how you are different from other applicants and how you have determined your goals,” she writes. “Consider the turning points or moments that triggered reflection for you.”

Essay Prompt 2

The second essay prompt is as follows:

b) At Anderson, we believe our students are engaged, courageous, humble, and open. Describe a time when you demonstrated one of these traits in your personal life. (250 words maximum)

Blackman says this application essay is all about focusing on the personal side. In other words, Anderson is trying to see if you’ll be a good fit to their school culture of being “engaged, courageous, humble and open.”

“To answer this question, you will provide an example that shows you have these traits,” Blackman writes. “To answer this essay question effectively, take a brief story with plenty of detail, then explain why you think it is relevant to your UCLA MBA application. Though the essay focus on personal traits, using an example of teamwork or leadership at work would be relevant.”

Sources: Stacy Blackman Consulting, UCLA