Calling UCLA Fall 2008 Applicants

I'm in for UCLA.

hey guys, good luck applying to Anderson.
classes don't start until october 1st, but I know all first years, like myself, will be in orientation from sept 17-28... thus, lots of people will be on campus.

also another piece of advice for those applying to Anderson... keep checking the interview scheduler and schedule one as soon as you see a slot open; they fill up very quickly. don't count on them assigning you an alumni interview in your area, even if you think you have godly stats.

i'll try my best to keep an eye on this thread and answer any questions that come up.

thank you for the reply polobrute and congrats on getting into Anderson!

A few questions:

1. So UCLA doesn't do "interview by invitations only", and we have to schedule one whenever the scheduler is open?

2. Any tips for UCLA applicants? Does UCLA have any quirks that differ from other schools like Haas and Stanford?

3. Their essays are not out yet, what were they like last year?

Thanks again!

i am a part of the incoming class of 09. for us, we had two choices: we could either schedule our own interview with them, or we could wait for them to extend an invitation to an alumni interview. however, it appears Anderson has changed their policy this upcoming year, and it is now "by invitation only".

just like all schools, it truly pays to visit. I was told that the admissions office keeps notes in your application file about whether you came to campus or not. my belief is that Anderson's yield rate isn't very good. lots of awesome candidates apply to it as a safety school because it's a sweet place to spend two years and is considered an elite program; but when the candidate gets into a higher ranked school, it's "bye bye anderson". obviously they think you are more serious if you take the time to visit.
Also, during your interview, DO NOT tell them you are interested in Anderson because you want to live in LA. it's like telling a supermodel that you think she's hot. duh, she already knows she's hot! instead, try to be more informed on the curriculum and/or clubs.

Anderson essays were probably the easiest I did last year (i also applied to Harvard, Mich, and Chicago). no word limits, but rather page limits. so in addition to editting for content, i also fudged with font sizes and margins. Personally, i went with 11.5point serif font with .9" margins. All the questions were pretty standard (why mba, describe a leadership role, etc), and were only 1 to 2 pages in length, with 1.5line spacing. very short.


good luck!

thanks so much for the tips polobrute!

I plan on visiting September 19th and 21st. The only problem is that classes don't start yet. I hope there will be some students around at that time for me to talk to. The reason I'm visiting so "early" is because I'm in the area that week, and also I want to get something on the essays before the deadline (10/22) comes. I did read somewhere that it kinda sucks that Anderson's school year starts so late, since a lot of recruiters recruit in october and the Anderson students barely have time to prepare.

I fully agree not to say "I want to live in LA", but I actually grew up there, so I don't really have a super urge to go back or anything. I will have to find out more about them. If only they would send me their viewbook... I've been requesting it for a while now.

Thanks again for the tips on interviews and essays! Sounds like a good application to warm me up for the harder ones like Berkeley and Stanford.

Alright, just called the Anderson Admissions office, and I must say I was a little disappointed with the services they offer. Maybe this is true for all schools?

Anyway, I asked about visiting the week of 9/17, before classes start, but other than the infosession 9/19, they said the students won't be back yet and the student ambassador might not be ready to give any tours.

Then I asked whether I can get in contact with a student or some student groups to talk about what they do, and they said the only way is to submit a visit request online.

Finally I asked about any alumni contacts and whether I can contact one of them or not, but they said their alumni are busy and I can ask questions at the infosession, and there's no way to really reach them.

So other than infosessions, and class visits with student ambassadors (after October 1st, with their Rd1 deadline of October 22nd), there's not much one can do to learn more about the school unless you know some people already.

Any ideas?

I went to the UCLA student information session in April 2007, when people were still doing the R4 rounds. The information session is pretty good but some of the students ask such dumb ass questions that its really hard to stay still. Here are my top 5 questions, that I heard that made my blood boil.

1. I cannot get my recommendation letter from my employer. Who shall I get it from? (Try the local pimp - he can be a good source)

2. How expensive is to stay in LA? (its LA.. no answers.. UCLA is located technically in the vicinity of Bel Air and Beverly Hills)

3. Where are the good nightclubs? (what the f&&& are you doing in an information session)

4. How expensive is parking in LA? (Time to sell that piece of sh%% you are driving so you dont have to park anywhere)

5. Will I get scholarships/grants/loans? (Ask your sugar mama/daddy for advice)

One piece of info I heard, which I cannot corroborate is that UCLA does not admit students with GMAT below 630 - that is what they show on their powerpoint slides, but whether it is the official school policy or insider information leaked officially by students, that remains to be found out.

wow, those are some bad questions aviroop!

they don't accept people with <630 GMAT? I'll see if they still show it on their slides and maybe I'll ask that question.

Kryzak,
Definitely ask that question about the GMAT scores - I clearly know this, coz the student presentor emphasized upon it.

He said that chances of getting into UCLA are very slim, if GMAT scores are below 630.

I wonder with UCLA's previous years' high acceptance rate, would it be considered a "safety" school because of that?

I heard they usually announce in mid-December (even though their website says mid-Jan) if you apply R1, so I would love to know that I got into a good B-school before Xmas.

I'm applying for the Fall 2008 FEMBA program. The 630 nugget of information is good to know. It might not be hard and fast, but its nice to be aware there might be a floor to their GMAT scores for potential students.

UCLA is also my safety school - The best bet is to attend one of the information sessions and evaluate the potential applicants who come to these sessions. Everybody talks about their backgrounds, so you can compare yourself against the rest and take steps to see that your essay shows how different you are from the rest.

UCLA is an odd mix - its a safety school for students aiming in the top 7.
Again its a high ranked school for those who are targetting in the middle range. So there is competition...

Guess. there is nothing like a "safe school"..

true, unless a top 7 candidate apply for a near elite school, there is no such thing as a "safety" school just because of the randomness of some adcoms. All I can do is prepare a very good essay/app package and hope for the best.

Applying R1 I heard helps a lot for UCLA. And definitely showing that you WILL go to their school and are not just applying because they're a "safety" school helps too. I'll be visiting in late September to get a feel, and then again in early/mid October when classes start but before the deadline to get last minute additions into my essays.

Kryzak,
Let me know if you are going to the UCLA session in september - I might join you. I am sure I will get a different perspective, as I wll be applying for R1.

Besides, I plan to sit for one of their classes - I guess I have to do some schmoozing to make a mark on the admissions committee.

I want to find out one important information about the app process - UCLA starts reviewing their applications from September. I want to find out from the admissions committee the last date before they stop R1 and get into R2. I suspect that late October might be pushing the limit with respect to applying in R1.

Hey Aviroop!

I'm signed up for the 9/19 infosession. I'll be driving up from San Diego that afternoon for it (got work down there that week). Would love to have you there so we can both jot down notes!

I also plan to sit in on classes, so I need to fly down again sometime after October 1st but before October 14th (so I can have a week to incorporate what I learned into my essays for the October 22nd deadline).

Not sure what you mean by "last date before they stop R1", since their deadline on the web is clearly October 22nd for Round 1. There's no way to submit it any earlier than October 1st if you want to sit in on a class (if you didn't already this past spring), and since UCLA likes to hear that you came to visit and sat in on a class, I think it's worth turning the app in before the R1 deadline just so you have a couple visits in there and can talk about the classes you attended.

What do you think?

obviously, it's always best to apply as early as possible... but i remember reading somewhere that applying during R2 at ucla is alright because they have four rounds. i can't find the link to the article, but i'll try to find it. it was totally some random person's opinion, for what its worth, but it made sense. Obviously, if you have time to apply during round 1, do it. but maybe consider finishing those other apps first and if you still have time.

if you're looking for another good question to ask during an info session, ask for more details on the "rolling admissions" process. In fact, I don't even understand how exactly it works. all i know is, i turned in my application a few minutes before the R2 deadline, and I received my acceptance letter the day before their quoted decision date (fyi- on the actual decision date, i only heard of people getting dings, no acceptances). i remember reading on various forums that other R2 applicants were receiving acceptance letters several weeks before. i'm not sure if i was one of the last to make in the door by my credentials, or if they just looked at my stuff last... admittedly, it sucked waiting til the end, but in the end i was just glad to make it.

polobrute,
I was trying to convey the exact message - but as usual I made a mess of it while typing. I heard that too from the info session and wanted to ask more about the rolling admissions process - but at that time, some nut asked about housing and some inane question and the whole conversation just jumped tracks.