Meet UCLA Anderson’s MBA Class Of 2021

THINK FEARLESSLY AND DRIVE CHANGE

The second pillar is “Think Fearlessly.” By that, Anderson means that nothing is off-limits. In fact, students are expected to think differently, speak up, take charge, and follow their passions. In other words, they say ‘Yes.’ It is a culture of conviction over comfort and curiosity over convention.

“At UCLA Anderson, we are encouraged to ideate and create in ways we never have before without the fear of failure,” observes Austin Josiah. “Whether it’s working with fellow classmates for Business Creation Option [BCO] on an entrepreneurial venture idea or it’s taking a course that you have no experience in despite its difficulty, thinking and learning fearlessly no matter if you succeed or not is at the core of what being at Anderson is all about.”

Finally, MBAs are expected to personify the third pillar: Drive Change. In other words, it is not enough to simply imagine, plan, and test. Ultimately, business – and life – is about taking action…for the right reasons.

“One of the main reasons I decided to do an MBA was to make some sort of positive impact on the world,” adds Jessica Hodgson. “I’m particularly interested in the sustainability of food production, so I would be incredibly excited to pilot an idea that truly influences the way humans live that is beneficial to both future generations and the Earth itself.”

FEWER APPLICATIONS…SAME GREAT RESULTS

Sometimes, the numbers don’t tell the real story about a study body – and the Class of 2021 is a case in point. Take applications. During the 2018-2019 cycle, applications fell by nearly 18% over the previous year. With a decline in applications, it would be natural to expect a decline in quality, right? In reality, very little changed. The 2021 cohort – like the year before it – features 360 students. The incoming class also matched its predecessors’ 719 GMAT average (which still represents a four-point increase from four years ago).

More striking still, the school’s acceptance rate rose just 1.7%. In other words, fewer applications didn’t really translate into a better shot of landing an acceptance letter. At the same time, the percentage of international and minority students held steady and 33% and 29%, respectively. Similarly, the percentage of women slipped by just a point to 34%. That said, the class is slightly less diverse, with students hailing from 37 countries, a mild decrease from the 40 countries represented the year before.

Overall, the Class of 2021 boasts students from 157 undergraduate institutions. 26% of the class majored in Business with another 17% earning degrees in Economics – the same 43% share as the year before. Engineers account for 22% of the class, up four points from the previous year. Another 10% hold degrees in Math and Science, meaning students with STEM backgrounds hold nearly a third of the seats. 13% of the class fall into the Humanities category, down three points.

Like last year, the largest bloc of students – 26% — hail from Finance. The same is true with High Tech, which maintains the second-biggest segment at 25% (up three points). The percentage of consultants jumped from 14% to 20%, while the number of students with non-profit backgrounds was slashed in half to 5%. Heathcare and Biotech (10%), Consumer Goods (7%), Real Estate (4%), and Entertainment and Media (3%) also represent sizable shares of the class.

A “JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES” SCHOOL

UCLA Anderson is described as a “jack-of-all-trades” school by Jennifer Bae, a 2019 graduate and member of P&Q’s Best & Brightest MBAs. It is a place, she writes, “with expertise in a number of industries and functions.” According to MBA directors and top faculty, UCLA Anderson ranks among the best schools in Marketing and Finance. Among recruiters, the school scores high for graduating Innovative MBAs, while the latest Forbes data shows Anderson graduates increasing their pay by $67,300 within five years of graduation.

Big picture, Jordan Barillas boils the program’s appeal to four elements: “a top-notch MBA education, a strong career center, a culture of collaboration and inclusion, and strong ties to the entertainment industry.”

It is also a program in transition, with Antonio Bernardo, a long-time finance professor, taking the reins as dean in July. That’s just one of the big developments at the school. Recently, P&Q reached out to Robert Weiler, associate dean of the full-time MBA program, to learn more about MBA students can expect in the coming years at Anderson. From new facilities to stellar career services, here were his thoughts…

P&Q: What are the most exciting new developments in your program?

RW: “This has to be the opening of our new building, Marion Anderson Hall! All administrative areas of the MBA program (Parker Career Management Center, Admissions & Financial Aid, and Student Affairs) relocated to this grand space over the winter holiday. New state-of-the-art classrooms, superb event space, and many new areas for student collaboration will transform both the student and visitor experience.”

P&Q: LA is known for a diverse range of industries.  How does UCLA Anderson tap into these various ecosystems?

RW: “There are multiple touchpoints between the school and the business community.

Our eight Centers serve as connections between the school, faculty and students, and the business community in which we live and learn. Centers are both industry-specific (the Ziman Center for Real Estate, the Fink Center for Finance and Investments, etc.) or topical (the Price Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, the Center for Global Management and the UCLA Anderson Forecast, among others). These Centers serve to bring faculty research to business and bring businesspeople to UCLA Anderson. The Centers hold industry conferences, sponsor speaker series, secure industry professionals to lecture and connect with companies for job opportunities.

“Our position in Los Angeles, home to hundreds of thousands of small and mid-sized businesses and many corporate headquarters, allows us to offer a complete business school experience to our students. For many, securing work experience through an “academic internship” gives students a leg up in the recruiting process. With so many businesses at our doorstep, the classroom can become a place where real-world experience melds with academic expertise, and businesses are transformed into extensions of the classroom. The result is an incredibly robust ecosystem of learning opportunities.

There is not an industry that is not represented here in Los Angeles, so no matter what a student wants to do, there are opportunities to learn from people on the cutting edge of what is happening. At UCLA Anderson, it isn’t whether a student can find what she wants, but whether she can find the time to do it all!”

P&Q: What is the most underrated part of your program that you’d like prospective students to know more about?

RW: “Well, the Parker Career Management Center, while not underrated by those who know it, is a resource that I believe prospective students undervalue. The importance of a top-notch career office, especially for those who are coming to business school with the goal of switching careers in some way, cannot be overstated. The amazing team at Parker is incredibly well-versed in the “business” of career preparation and building those skills for life. Expectations among corporate recruiters when assessing candidates have grown very intense, and having a career office (and dedicated career advisor) to help guide students through that very rigorous process is so very important. Parker is the best there is at helping students find their passion and then guiding them through the process.”