ucla essay mba

Winning UCLA MBA Essay Examples 2023-2024

If you’re considering applying to UCLA Anderson MBA Program this year, writing a winning admission essay is one of the most important steps in creating a successful application. It’s your chance to introduce yourself and make a strong impression on the admissions committee – so it has to be great! We’ve put together some UCLA MBA essay examples for 2023-2024 applicants that will help you stand out from the crowd. Drawing on years of experience reading dozens of applications each year, which provide insight into both successful target schools and what sets some apart from other candidates, we’ll show you exactly how to craft powerful essays that get results. From crafting unique angles and delving deeper into impactful stories to editing thoroughly and presenting minutiae with confidence —these UCLA MBA essay examples will provide inspiratio for developing persuasive arguments.

What are the key elements of a successful UCLA MBA application essay

The key elements of a successful UCLA MBA application essay hinge on authenticity, self-awareness, and showcasing a clear career vision.

Authenticity is crucial – the admissions committee wants to see your true self and understand your unique qualities, experiences, and perspectives. This includes sharing your personal and professional goals, passions, and values.

Self-awareness, demonstrated through reflection on your strengths, weaknesses, and areas for growth, is another important element.

Finally, a clear career vision implies not only defining your short and long-term goals but also illustrating how UCLA Anderson’s MBA program will help you achieve these.

Remember, coherence and solid writing skills can greatly enhance the clarity and impact of your message.

Tips for Writing a Compelling UCLA MBA Application Essay

• Understand and Address the Question: Begin by grasping the essay prompt thoroughly and make sure your essay directly addresses the question. While it’s important to weave in your personal and professional experiences, they should always connect back to the question. Straying too far from the topic can create confusion and reduce the impact of your essay.
• Tell a Story: Use your UCLA MBA application essay as a platform to narrate your life story, your ambitions, and what has shaped you as a person. Personal narratives are powerful tools for demonstrating dimensions of your character and motivations that aren’t evident from other parts of the application. Be genuine and avoid exaggerating.
• Highlight Your Unique Qualities: What makes you different? Show the admissions committee why you’re unique and how your distinct qualities will add value to the UCLA Anderson community. Be true to yourself – don’t try to mold your essay to fit what you think the admissions committee wants to hear.
• Explain Why UCLA Anderson: Show that you have done your research about the school. Convey your enthusiasm for UCLA Anderson by explaining how specific resources, or faculty align with your career goals.
• Proofread: Finally, never underestimate the importance of proofreading. A well-polished essay leaves a good impression and reflects your attention to detail. Have someone else review your essay for grammar, punctuation, and clarity to make sure your ideas are effectively communicated.

Strategies to answer the UCLA MBA essay questions

Before moving forward with our UCLA MBA essay examples, let’s break down each question to help you get to its essence.

 Essay 1

UCLA Anderson seeks to develop transformative leaders who think fearlessly, drive change, and share success. We believe the ability to persevere is an essential component of effective leadership. Please share an example from your personal or professional life where you demonstrated perseverance to accomplish a significant goal or milestone. (250 words maximum)

This essay prompt from UCLA Anderson is designed to assess your leadership abilities, your courage in the face of challenges, and your resilience. When you approach this question, it’s important to select a situation that truly tested your mettle and demonstrated your ability to persevere. This could be a professional challenge, a personal obstacle, or even a significant academic project.

Be specific about the situation, clearly outlining the problem, your approach, the actions you took, and the outcome. Remember to underline the lessons learned and how the experience has shaped you as a leader.

Avoid generic language and be honest about the difficulties you faced and how you overcame them. Furthermore, ensure that your response aligns with UCLA Anderson’s values of transformative and fearless leadership, driving change, and sharing success . Your narrative should be concise and compelling, as you only have 250 words to make an impact. It’s not just about explaining your resilience but showing how this trait can contribute to your performance in the MBA program and your future career.

To effectively portray your impact, focus on selecting one story that truly leaves a lasting impression. Avoid providing generic descriptions of your accomplishments and instead concentrate on a single experience that demonstrates a significant impact. It is crucial to consider what you want Anderson to learn about you. Since Anderson’s application is concise, every word counts and you must showcase the best you have to offer.

When brainstorming your stories, ensure that you choose one with a clear and meaningful outcome. This could be overcoming personal hardship, successfully delivering a crucial project, or helping a mentee achieve their goals. Once you have compiled a list, narrow it down to examples where you displayed perseverance. Stories that encompass conflict or specific challenges tend to work best in this context.

Finally, consider what you believe the admissions committee needs to learn about you and select your winning story accordingly.

Once you have shared your story, if there is space, consider including a sentence or two that highlights how your experience aligns with UCLA Anderson’s culture. You can specifically mention one or more of the characteristics listed in the essay prompt.

Short Application Questions

Describe your short-term and long-term post-MBA career goals (600 characters, including spaces)

When responding to this question, it’s crucial to start by identifying your career aspirations and how an MBA will help you achieve them. In your short-term goals (roughly 0-5 years post-MBA), be specific about the role and industry you aim to be in, underlining how the MBA program will bridge your current profile with this immediate goal. For your long-term goals, think about where you want to be in around ten years, focusing on the impact you wish to make in your chosen field. While long-term goals are inherently less specific, they should still be realistic and aligned with your short-term goals and the trajectory an MBA can provide. Remember, you only have 600 characters – including spaces – so be concise and clearly state how the MBA fits into your career plan.

How can UCLA Anderson help you achieve your career and/or personal goals? (1000 characters, including spaces) 

This question seeks to understand how well you align with the university’s program and values. It’s important to provide a response that ties your goals to specific resources available at UCLA Anderson.

Begin by outlining your personal or career goals that you have already mentioned in the previous question. Then delve into how UCLA Anderson’s specific curriculum, unique programs, clubs, or faculty can contribute to achieving those goals.

For instance, if your goal is to work in technology consulting, you might discuss how Anderson’s Easton Technology Management Center and its specific courses could provide you with invaluable insights into the industry. If you wish to improve your leadership skills, the school’s Leadership@Anderson initiative could be highlighted.

Remember to go beyond the generic aspects of an MBA program and point out specific offerings of UCLA Anderson that align with your goals. This demonstrates that you have researched the program thoroughly and understand how it can shape your career or personal growth.

Above all, be authentic and clear about your ambitions and how UCLA Anderson fits into that picture. This will help you craft a strong, convincing response within the 1000-character limit. Remember this is not just about what Anderson can offer you, but also what you can bring to the Anderson community.

Optional Essay Tips

Optional Essay: No preference is given in the evaluation process to those who choose to respond to this optional essay, so please use your best judgment:

Are there any extenuating circumstances in your profile about which the Admissions Committee should be aware? (250 words maximum)

When addressing this question, it’s crucial to understand that the Admissions Committee is looking for context that might explain certain aspects of your profile. This could be low grades during a certain period, gaps in your employment, or even a career change.

Firstly, honesty is key. If there were indeed circumstances that impacted your academic or professional performance, outline these sincerely. However, remember to avoid sounding defensive or making excuses. Instead, focus on how these experiences have shaped you, the lessons you’ve learned, and the steps you’ve taken to overcome these challenges. This will demonstrate resilience and maturity, traits that are appreciated in a business school environment.

Secondly, keep it concise. With a maximum limit of 250 words, be clear and direct in your explanation.

Finally, remember that this essay is optional. If there are no significant issues to address, it’s perfectly acceptable not to write this essay. Use this space only if you feel that it will provide critical context to understand your journey better.

Bear in mind, the aim of this essay is not to elicit sympathy, but to provide clarity. Your ability to reflect on these experiences and learn from them will demonstrate your potential for personal growth at UCLA Anderson.

3 Best UCLA MBA Essay Examples 2023-2024

Here are three UCLA MBA essay examples that we hope will provide you with different strategies to write an outstanding essay.

During my tenure as a project manager at XYZ Tech, I was tasked with delivering a major software update within a challenging three-month timeline. ( Description of personnel changes and technical roadblocks. ) Despite unexpected personnel changes and technical roadblocks, my unwavering dedication and relentless problem-solving ( describe the steps you took to overcome challenges) led to the successful implementation of the software update. ( Describe and quantify the impact of this work on the organization). This experience not only honed my leadership skills but also instilled in me the importance of perseverance and resilience in the face of adversity.

In my personal life, I set a goal to run a marathon despite having no previous long-distance running experience. The journey was arduous, filled with physical exhaustion and moments of self-doubt. ( Describe difficulties and what you did to surmount them. ) Nevertheless, my relentless pursuit of the goal, disciplined training, and mental toughness allowed me to cross the finish line. This accomplishment has since fueled my belief in the power of perseverance, and I apply this principle in all my pursuits.

As a junior analyst at ABC Corp, I was given an ambitious goal to identify strategic merger opportunities, a responsibility typically reserved for senior associates. The task was intimidating, and I faced several obstacles, including a steep learning curve and tight deadlines. ( Describe in details what the learning curve involved, how tight were the deadlines, and what you did to overcome these obstacles ) However, my tenacity and dedication to personal growth drove me to reach this milestone. I developed a comprehensive report that led to a successful merger, demonstrating my ability to persevere and achieve significant results.

Conclusion:

Crafting your MBA application can be overwhelming, but our UCLA MBA essay examples for 2023-2024 applicants are here to help. From creating meaningful angles and impactful stories to highlighting the nuances of persuasive arguments, these tips will give you strong insight for developing MBA essays that turn heads. All you need now is thorough editing — and we have just the thing: check out our MBA editing services ! No matter what path you take, with significant effort and dedication, you can create an unforgettable impression on the admissions committee. Let us help you make your dreams come true! Good luck!

With a Master’s from McGill University and a Ph.D. from New York University, Dr. Philippe Barr is the founder of The Admit Lab. As a tenure-track professor, Dr. Barr spent a decade teaching and serving on several graduate admission committees at UNC-Chapel Hill before turning to full-time consulting. With more than seven years of experience as a graduate school admissions consultant, Dr. Barr has stewarded the candidate journey across multiple master’s and Ph.D. programs and helped hundreds of students get admitted to top-tier graduate programs  all over the world .

Subscribe to Dr. Philippe Barr’s  YouTub e  channel for tips and tricks on navigating the grad school application process and get the maximum out of your graduate school experience.

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UCLA MBA Essays: Tips for 2023-2024

If you are looking for guidance on how to write successful MBA essays for UCLA Anderson, you are in the right place. The UCLA Anderson MBA application can be difficult and time-consuming, but with these tips and tricks, you can be more confident about one of the biggest parts of your application: the UCLA Anderson essays. This article will cover how to compose UCLA MBA essays that will fit the criteria for admissions and hopefully earn you a place in UCLA’s graduating class of 2025. 

At Menlo Coaching, we noticed that most MBA essays will fall into one of a number of categories: personal essays, career goals essays, behavioral essays, etc.. Read ahead for our expert guide on approaching these essays for the UCLA Anderson School of Business.

Impact Essay

• UCLA Anderson seeks to develop transformative leaders who think fearlessly, drive change, and share success. We believe the ability to persevere is an essential component of effective leadership. Please share an example from your personal or professional life where you demonstrated perseverance to accomplish a significant goal or milestone. (text box, 250 words maximum) Strong essays describe the impact of your achievement and clarify its connection to your future MBA plans in the short- and long-term. We look forward to learning about the specific ways your achievement helped set you up for future success.

Career Goals Essay

• Describe your short-term and long-term post-MBA career goals. (text box, 600 characters)
• How can UCLA Anderson help you achieve your career and/or personal goals? (text box, 1000 characters)

Optional Essays

• Are there any extenuating circumstances in your profile about which the Admissions committee should be aware? (text box, 250 words)
• “More About You” Section. If you wish to provide additional information about academic or personal circumstances not included in your Optional Essay or elsewhere in this application, please do so here. (text box, maximum 1000 characters)

Applying to UCLA Anderson

UCLA is a prestigious business school with renowned faculty and a focus on academic success. UCLA wants to admit students who are intelligent, determined, and prepared to undertake a rigorous curriculum. Further, UCLA Anderson values sharing success, thinking fearlessly, and driving change. Applicants should pay attention to the specific requirements and expectations set out by UCLA’s admissions committee when writing UCLA MBA essays. Through these UCLA Anderson essays, applicants have a chance to demonstrate their skills, accomplishments, and personal interests. 

Anderson’s Impact Essay

This UCLA MBA essay involves demonstrating how recent events have influenced the impact you would like to make in your community, career, or both. This UCLA Anderson essay gives you a space to identify how you have developed after recent events. UCLA’s MBA admissions committee wants assurance that you are self-reflective and able to identify why you would like to make a particular impact in your community and/or career.

In this UCLA MBA essay, it is important to be truthful and sincere and to explain what impact you would like to make in a compelling manner. You should include as much detail as possible for this type of UCLA MBA essay. You should reflect on what a recent event has taught you and how your goals have changed based on that event.

In this UCLA MBA essay, you might want to reflect on how you have learned from previous events and how they have shaped you as an individual.

Anderson’s Career Goals Essay

The UCLA Anderson career goals essay provides applicants with a place to let the UCLA admissions committee know how the MBA program you want to attend will help you achieve your professional goals. This UCLA Anderson essay is a great place to explain why UCLA is truly the best fit for you.

It is vital for UCLA applicants to have a solid plan for their post-MBA career aspirations. First and foremost, this is because UCLA wants its graduates to succeed. However, there are a few selfish motivations for the career goals essay, including the fact that UCLA wants to have an impressive employment report and produce graduates who will become donors someday. Further, the UCLA admissions committee wants to ensure that applicants have a career plan that plays on their past experiences and thus ensures success. They also want applicants with the foresight to develop an alternate career plan in case their first choice does not work out. 

Other things to keep in mind for this essay is the necessity to have a career goal that is both ambitious and practical. Applicants should have meaningful goals that fit with what is offered at UCLA’s MBA program. Along this vein, networking is extremely important when preparing to write your career goals essay. The more you know about the program and how it can help you achieve your personal goals, the better. UCLA Anderson also asks applicants to share how UCLA specifically can help you achieve your career and/or personal goals in a separate MBA essay.

Optional Essay

Once you’ve completed your application, the optional UCLA MBA essay gives you an additional opportunity to provide the AdCom with any additional information or clarity that you feel would enhance your application.

One trap that MBA applicants fall into is using the additional space provided by this essay to write on a whole new topic. However, this is not always the best idea.

You should only make use of this essay if you what you write will provide context to an element of your application to improve your candidacy—you don’t want to jeopardize your chances by adding unnecessary noise to your application.

Applicants to UCLA should pay close attention to the specific expectations for each type of UCLA Anderson essay. Although it may be tempting to look up sample essays and draw from these formats, it is most important to let your personal background guide the construction of your UCLA MBA essays.

Menlo Coaching can help you throughout your MBA essay writing process, offering one-on-one MBA coaching and exclusive materials.

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UCLA Anderson MBA Essays Guide: Overview, Tips & Examples

Learn how to craft compelling MBA essays for UCLA Anderson with our comprehensive guide.

Posted March 1, 2024

Featuring Geri T. and Andy P.

Applying to Top MBA Programs as a Consultant

Wednesday, april 24.

11:00 PM UTC · 60 minutes

Table of Contents

Are you considering pursuing an MBA at UCLA Anderson? One crucial aspect of the application process is crafting strong essays that showcase your unique experiences and aspirations. In this comprehensive guide, we will provide an overview of the UCLA Anderson MBA essays and offer tips and examples to help you create compelling and impactful essays.

UCLA Anderson Application and the Role of Essays

The UCLA Anderson application requires you to submit essays that allow the admissions committee to get to know you better, beyond your academic achievements and test scores. The essays offer an opportunity to showcase your personal and professional background , your goals, and how an MBA from UCLA Anderson will help you achieve them.

Admissions officers evaluate your essays to gain insights into your leadership potential, critical thinking skills, and fit with the program. Therefore, it is crucial to approach the essays thoughtfully and articulate your unique qualities and experiences.

When crafting your essays, it is important to consider the specific prompts provided by UCLA Anderson. These prompts are designed to elicit specific information about your background, goals, and motivations. Take the time to carefully analyze each prompt and brainstorm ideas that will allow you to effectively address the questions asked.

One strategy to make your essays stand out is to provide concrete examples and anecdotes that illustrate your points. Instead of simply stating that you have leadership potential, for example, you could describe a specific situation in which you demonstrated leadership skills and the impact it had on the outcome. By providing specific details, you not only make your essays more engaging but also provide evidence to support your claims.

Another important aspect to consider is the overall structure and flow of your essays. Each essay should have a clear introduction, body, and conclusion . The introduction should grab the reader's attention and provide a brief overview of what will be discussed. The body should delve into the details, providing examples and explanations to support your main points. Finally, the conclusion should summarize your main ideas and leave the reader with a lasting impression.

While it is important to showcase your achievements and strengths in your essays, it is equally important to be authentic and genuine . Admissions officers are looking for applicants who are not only qualified but also have a genuine passion for their goals and a strong sense of self. Therefore, it is important to be true to yourself and let your unique voice shine through in your writing.

Lastly, don't forget to proofread and edit your essays thoroughly. Spelling and grammatical errors can detract from the overall quality of your writing and give the impression of carelessness. Take the time to review your essays multiple times, preferably with the help of a trusted friend or mentor, to ensure that your writing is clear, concise, and error-free.

In conclusion, the essays play a crucial role in the UCLA Anderson application process. They provide an opportunity for you to showcase your personal and professional background, your goals, and how an MBA from UCLA Anderson will help you achieve them. By approaching the essays thoughtfully, providing concrete examples, and being authentic in your writing, you can make a strong impression on the admissions committee and increase your chances of being accepted into the program.

UCLA Anderson Essay Prompts (2023-2024)

Each year, UCLA Anderson provides essay prompts that applicants need to address in their application. The prompts for the 2023-2024 application cycle are as follows:

• Prompt 1: Share your short-term and long-term career goals. How does UCLA Anderson align with your career aspirations? (750 words maximum)
• Prompt 2: Describe a significant accomplishment and why it makes you proud. (500 words maximum)
• Prompt 3: Share a time when you faced a challenging situation and how you overcame it. (500 words maximum)
• Prompt 4: Describe a time when you went above and beyond to help others. How did this experience shape your leadership style? (500 words maximum)

These prompts are carefully designed to elicit specific information about your goals, achievements, resilience, and impact on others. It is important to craft your responses strategically, showcasing your strengths and demonstrating why you are a strong candidate for UCLA Anderson's MBA program.

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List of Expert Tips for Each Anderson Essay Prompt

Here are some expert tips to help you navigate each of the UCLA Anderson essay prompts:

Prompt 1: Career Goals and Alignment

When addressing this prompt, it is essential to clearly articulate your short-term and long-term career goals. Additionally, explain how UCLA Anderson's resources, curriculum, and community will help you achieve these goals. Research specific resources, such as clubs, courses, or faculty, and explain how they align with your aspirations.

Highlighting UCLA Anderson's unique offerings that resonate with your objectives will underscore your commitment and understanding of the program.

Prompt 2: Significant Accomplishment

For this prompt, choose an accomplishment that truly reflects your abilities, resilience, or personal growth. Provide context to help the reader understand the significance of the accomplishment and explain why it makes you proud.

Focus on the challenges you faced, the actions you took, and the outcomes you achieved. Be sure to highlight the skills and qualities that contributed to your success. By showcasing your accomplishments, you paint a picture of your potential to make an impact at UCLA Anderson.

Prompt 3: Overcoming Challenges

When addressing this prompt, select a challenging situation that demonstrates your ability to persevere, adapt, and overcome obstacles. Clearly describe the situation, the hurdles you faced, and the actions you took to navigate through the challenges.

Highlight the lessons you learned, the skills you developed, and how this experience shaped your character and resilience. Admissions officers look for candidates who can handle adversity and find innovative solutions, so be sure to convey your ability to do so effectively.

Prompt 4: Helping Others and Leadership Style

This prompt allows you to showcase your leadership abilities and commitment to making a positive impact on others. Choose an experience where you went above and beyond to help someone or a group of individuals.

Describe the situation, the actions you took, and the results achieved. Reflect on how this experience influenced your leadership style and values. Admissions officers seek candidates who can lead with empathy, collaboration, and a genuine desire to contribute positively to society.

MBA Essay Tips: How to Write Compelling Essays

Successfully crafting compelling essays requires careful planning and attention to detail. Here are some MBA essay tips to help you create impactful essays:

• Reflect on your experiences: Take time to introspect and identify experiences that align with each prompt. Choose the most relevant and impactful ones.
• Show authenticity: Be true to yourself and present an honest and genuine portrayal of your experiences, aspirations, and values.
• Structure your essays: An effective essay has a clear structure, including an introduction, body paragraphs that provide evidence and anecdotes, and a strong conclusion.
• Focus on storytelling: Use vivid language, anecdotes, and specific examples to engage the reader and create a memorable narrative.
• Connect your experiences to UCLA Anderson: Demonstrate how your experiences and goals align with the UCLA Anderson program, emphasizing the unique value you will bring to the community.
• Revise and edit: Proofread your essays carefully, ensuring they are free from grammatical errors, typos, and inconsistencies. Seek feedback from trusted mentors or friends.

UCLA Anderson Essay Examples From Success Admits — With Analysis

Learning from successful applicants' essays can provide valuable insights. We have compiled a collection of UCLA Anderson essay examples from successful admits, along with analysis and commentary. These examples will help you understand what makes a strong essay and how you can apply those techniques to your own writing.

UCLA Anderson Essay FAQs

Below are some frequently asked questions about the UCLA Anderson MBA essays:

• Q: Are the essay word limits strict?
• Q: Can I reuse essays from other MBA applications?
• Q: How should I choose the experiences to write about?
• Q: Is there a specific essay format or structure I should follow?

Answering these questions will provide you with additional guidance and clarity as you embark on your essay writing journey.

As you navigate the UCLA Anderson MBA application process, remember that the essays play a crucial role in showcasing your unique qualities and fit with the program. Follow the expert tips provided, review the essay examples, and craft compelling essays that truly reflect your aspirations and potential. Good luck!

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UCLA MBA Application Essays for 2023-2024

If the UCLA Anderson School of Management is on your shortlist of target MBA programs, then let the brainstorming begin. Here are the UCLA MBA application essays and deadlines for the 2023-2024 season. This year, Anderson has one updated essay question that is required for first-time applicants and optional for re-applicants.

UCLA MBA Application Essays

Required Essay:

UCLA Anderson seeks to develop transformative leaders who think fearlessly, drive change, and share success. We believe the ability to persevere is an essential component of effective leadership. Please share an example from your personal or professional life where you demonstrated perseverance to accomplish a significant goal or milestone.  (250 words maximum)

Strong essays describe the impact of your achievement and clarify its connection to your future MBA plans in the short- and long-term. We look forward to learning about the specific ways your achievement helped set you up for future success.

Optional Essay:  No preference is given in the evaluation process to those who choose to respond to this optional essay, so please use your best judgment:

Are there any extenuating circumstances in your profile about which the Admissions Committee should be aware?  (250 words maximum)

Reapplicants

Reapplicants are those who applied to the MBA program within the last two application years, so those who applied three or more years ago are considered new applicants.

Reapplicants may answer one or both of the essay questions above as options, and they must provide additional updates within text boxes given in the application for any new test scores, career developments, or other changes since their last application.

For more information on applying, please visit the UCLA Anderson MBA admissions website .

Stacy Blackman Consulting offers multiple services to meet your MBA application needs, from our  All-In Partnership  to hourly help reviewing your MBA resume.   Contact us today for a  free 15-minute advising session  to talk strategy with a Principal SBC consultant. Meanwhile, here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on  our SBC team .

With deadlines around the corner, you may be interested in the world-famous SBC Flight Test . Once a full set of application materials for your initial school have been drafted, but not finalized, the application will be sent to a former admissions committee member for a one-time review, adcomm style. You’ll have the benefit of a true admissions committee review while still having the ability to tinker and change.  You will receive written feedback within two business days after submitting.

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UCLA Anderson MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines [2022-2023]

Accepted’s B-School Selectivity Index shows that UCLA Anderson is 23rd in selectivity and 17th in the U.S. News’ ranking. Its average GMAT is 713, up six points from last year. The acceptance rate at Anderson climbed from 20.7% for the class that entered in 2016 to a high of 34.4% for the class that entered in 202. However it has since declined and for the class that entered in 2021, it was 29.8%. Many other MBA programs also saw increasing acceptance rates during the period that Anderson experienced the increase.

The essay advice that UCLA Anderson provides on its website is excellent, not just for Anderson’s essays, but for most MBA essays. Read it carefully.

UCLA Anderson 2022-2023 MBA application

We look forward to learning about your perspectives and plans via your essay responses. Essays complement the answers you provide throughout the application to show us your whole profile. The best applications are introspective, genuine and succinct in directly answering our questions and showing clear plans for the future.

UCLA Anderson MBA essay question

For the 2022-2023 application year, we have one essay question that is required for first-time applicants and optional for reapplicants: Tell us about a recent personal or professional achievement and how it connects to your MBA goals. (250 words maximum) Strong essays describe the impact of your achievement and clarify its connection to your future MBA plans in the short- and long-term. We look forward to learning about the specific ways your achievement helped set you up for future success.

First create an inventory or list of your achievements – activities that you are proud of, where you shouldered responsibility, and made a difference.  Obviously you will choose one that connects in some way to your goals, but also  think about which of your achievements show that you share Anderson’s innovative, collaborative values. You only have 250 words to succinctly describe the challenge you faced, what you actually did to meet it, and the results or impact of your initiative, leadership, and actions.  You can use a CAR (challenge – action – response) structure for this part of your response. Another and extremely brief approach is known as “ABT,” which stands for “And, But, Therefore.” Similar to CAR, you will tell your story using this structure:

• This and this was the situation or challenge.
• But , I did A, B, C, to address the problem(s)..
• Then , X,Y, and Z were the results.

Finally, tie the achievement story you just told to your “future MBA plans in the short- and long-term.”  The connection could be the impact you had and would like to have more of. It could be dealing with a certain kind of challenge or problem that you feel you are particularly well-suited to do and which your goals will give you more of.  There are many ways to make the connection, just ensure that your goals are clear in your response as well as the connection to your achievement.

UCLA Anderson MBA optional question

No preference is given in the evaluation process to those who choose to respond to this optional essay, so please use your best judgment: Are there any extenuating circumstances in your profile about which the Admissions Committee should be aware? (250 words maximum)

If there are extenuating circumstances that would add perspective or context for a weakness, you can discuss them here. A few years ago, UCLA added the following: “Please do not submit redundant information in the Optional Essay.” Good advice for all optional questions. For more suggestions, please see Optional Essays: When and How to Write Them .

Special instructions for reapplicants

Reapplicants are those who applied to the MBA program within the last two application years, so those who applied three or more years ago are considered new applicants. Reapplicants may answer one or both of the essay questions above as options, and they must provide additional updates within text boxes given in the application for any new test scores, career developments, or other changes since their last application.

Watch: Anderson Asst. Dean of MBA Admissions talks about how to master your application

UCLA Anderson at a glance

UCLA Anderson average GMAT score: 713

UCLA Anderson average GPA: 3.47

UCLA Anderson acceptance rate: 29.8%

U.S. News  ranked UCLA Anderson #17 in 2023.

Check out the Business School Selectivity Index for more stats.

You’ve worked so hard to get to where you are in life. Now that you’re ready for your next achievement, make sure you know how to present yourself to maximum advantage in your UCLA Anderson application. In a hotly competitive season, you’ll want a member of Team Accepted in your corner, guiding you with expertise tailored specifically for you.  Check out our flexible consulting packages today!

UCLA Anderson 2022-2023 MBA application deadlines

Source: UCLA Anderson website

Related Resources:

• 5 Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your MBA Application Essay , a free guide
• Expert Advice for Applicants and an Inside Look at UCLA Anderson from an Intl MBA , a podcast episode
• What MBA Students Can Expect at UCLA Anderson , a podcast episode

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2023-2024 UCLA Anderson MBA Essay Analysis

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• August 3, 2023

When one is looking to apply for the MBA program, UCLA is one of the top choices many candidates have in mind. UCLA’s Anderson School of Management has a strong reputation and is consistently ranked among the top business schools in the world. Moreover, the school’s faculty, programs, and alumni network are well-regarded within the business community. The college even fosters a diverse and inclusive environment, bringing together students from various backgrounds, industries, and countries.

While it’s not difficult to see why a candidate would look to join the school, getting an admission is not as simple as applying. Since it’s one of the top MBA schools in the world, UCLA receives thousands of applicants every year. And in the sea of applications, one way to make yourself stand out and grab the admissions committee’s attention is through the essays.

UCLA Anderson 2024 MBA Essays

Ucla anderson mba essay 1 framework, ucla anderson mba essay analysis, ucla anderson mba essay 2 framework, ucla anderson mba essay 2 analysis, final thoughts.

Just like many other business schools, UCLA’s MBA admissions process is quite straightforward when it comes to essays. They have just one compulsory essay and one optional essay for anyone applying for the MBA. Both essays have a maximum word count of 250 words, which makes conciseness the key.

Let us look at their essay questions for the 2024 application cycle, as per their website:

A) Essay: For the 2023-2024 application year, we have one essay question that is required for first-time applicants and optional for re-applicants:

UCLA Anderson seeks to develop transformative leaders who think fearlessly, drive change, and share success. We believe the ability to persevere is an essential component of effective leadership. Please share an example from your personal or professional life where you demonstrated perseverance to accomplish a significant goal or milestone. (250 words maximum)

Strong essays describe the impact of your achievement and clarify its connection to your future MBA plans in the short- and long-term. We look forward to learning about the specific ways your achievement helped set you up for future success.

B) Optional Essay: No preference is given in the evaluation process to those who choose to respond to this optional essay, so please use your best judgment:

Are there any extenuating circumstances in your profile about which the Admissions committee should be aware? (250 words maximum)

Let’s dive into how one can go about answering UCLA’s compulsory MBA question. A main framework to keep in mind while writing the essay is as below:

• Select a specific experience from your life that aligns well with the qualities UCLA Anderson is seeking in its candidates.
• Provide ample context in your essay and properly introduce the goal you were looking to achieve as well as the obstacles you faced along the way.
• Describe how you were able to overcome the obstacles and highlight how you displayed resilience, adaptability, and tenacity in the face of adversity.
• Explain how you demonstrated leadership during this experience.
• Be specific about the positive impact the experience had on you, your team, or the organization.
• Connect your example of perseverance to your aspirations as an MBA candidate.

When answering the MBA question posed by UCLA Anderson about demonstrating perseverance, it’s essential to craft a compelling and thoughtful response that showcases your ability to overcome challenges and achieve significant goals or milestones.

It is important to remember that the key to answering this question effectively is to demonstrate your ability to persevere and show how it aligns with the qualities UCLA Anderson values in its MBA candidates. Use the essay to showcase your unique experiences and leadership potential while being true to yourself and your journey. Moreover, since the essay has a maximum word limit of 250 words, make sure you don’t stretch your point on for too long.

Below are some tips to help you draft a good essay:

• Choose a Relevant Example : Select a specific experience from either your personal or professional life that aligns well with the qualities UCLA Anderson is seeking in its candidates. Look for an instance where you faced obstacles, demonstrated resilience, and ultimately achieved a noteworthy outcome. The example you choose should align with UCLA Anderson’s core values and the qualities they seek in their transformative leaders. Research the school’s mission, vision, and leadership principles to understand the traits they value, such as fearlessness, adaptability, and a drive for positive change. Your chosen example should showcase how you embody these qualities through your perseverance.
• Provide Context : Start your response by setting the stage for the situation you encountered. Briefly introduce the goal or milestone you were aiming to achieve and the challenges you faced along the way. Clearly explain the significance of the goal to demonstrate its relevance and importance.
• Highlight the Obstacles : Emphasize the difficulties and hurdles you encountered during your pursuit of the goal. This is a crucial part of showcasing your perseverance and determination. Be honest and transparent about the challenges without dwelling on negativity or making excuses.
• Highlights Resourcefulness : Explain the resources you utilized, whether they were mentors, additional training, or professional networks. Demonstrating resourcefulness shows that you sought support and took advantage of available opportunities.
• Demonstrate persistence : Describe the specific actions you took to overcome the obstacles. Show how you displayed resilience, adaptability, and tenacity in the face of adversity. Discuss the mindset and attitude you maintained throughout the journey.
• Explain the Process : Outline the steps you took to navigate the challenges. This could include strategic planning, seeking advice or feedback from others, refining your approach, or learning new skills. Showcase your problem-solving abilities and resourcefulness.
• Showcase Leadership : UCLA actively seeks out leaders for its MBA program. So, if applicable, explain how you demonstrated leadership during this experience. Leadership doesn’t necessarily mean being in a formal position; it can involve guiding and inspiring others to work towards a common goal. Highlight how you motivated or collaborated with others during this endeavor.
• Discuss Results and Learnings : Share the outcome of your perseverance and the ultimate achievement of the goal or milestone. Be specific about the positive impact it had on you, your team, or the organization. Also, reflect on the lessons you learned throughout the process and how these experiences have shaped your approach to challenges and leadership.
• Relate to MBA Experience : Connect your example of perseverance to your aspirations as an MBA candidate. Explain how the skills and mindset you demonstrated during that experience will contribute to your success in the MBA program and beyond. Consider the ways you can leverage these experiences to drive change, think fearlessly, and share success at UCLA Anderson.
• Be Genuine and reflective : Admissions committees appreciate authenticity and self-awareness. Be genuine in your response, and don’t exaggerate or fabricate your experiences. Reflect on your journey and showcase personal growth and development. 
• Practice and Edit : Draft your response and revise it multiple times. Make sure your answer is clear, concise, and impactful. Practice delivering your response with confidence and coherence to ensure it flows well during an interview.

Now that we’ve looked at how you can better answer the compulsory MBA essay, let’s see how and if you should answer the optional one.

UCLA Anderson’s second essay is not compulsory and should only be answered if a candidate feels there are some “extenuating circumstances” in their profile that the college needs to be aware of. If there are none, it is better not to opt to answer the essay. However, if you do choose to answer it, you can keep the below framework in mind to help you address the essay better.

• Make sure you’re citing relevant circumstances that have genuinely impacted your profile and are relevant to your MBA application.
• Be honest and transparent in your approach.
• Once again, it is important to remember that brevity and conciseness are key since you have a limited word count.
• Provide ample context for the situation.
• Focus on how the circumstances in question helped you grow and the positive outcomes that resulted from them.
• Make sure that your experience can be tied back to your aspirations as an MBA candidate.
• Do not victimize yourself, and instead focus on how you’ve grown from the experience.

If you do choose to address the “extenuating circumstances” question in your MBA essay for UCLA, keep in mind that the opportunity is for you to provide context for any challenges, setbacks, or exceptional circumstances that have affected your profile.

Remember that by providing a thoughtful and transparent explanation of any extenuating circumstances, you can demonstrate your ability to overcome challenges, your readiness for an MBA program, and your commitment to success. This can further help the admissions committee better understand your profile and evaluate your candidacy holistically.

Here are some tips you can use while drafting your essays to help you stay on track and get your point across effectively:

• Choose relevant circumstances : Focus on significant circumstances that have genuinely impacted your profile and are relevant to your MBA application. These could include personal, academic, or professional challenges, health issues, family responsibilities, financial hardships, or any other unique situations that affected your performance or choices.
• Be honest and direct : Approach the topic with honesty and transparency. Avoid exaggerating or making excuses. Instead, provide a clear and factual explanation of the circumstances.
• Keep it concise : You have a limited word count, so make sure your response is concise and to the point. Stick to the most crucial aspects of the circumstances you’re addressing.
• Provide context : Offer sufficient context to help the admissions committee understand the situation better. Explain the timing, duration, and impact of the extenuating circumstances on your profile.
• Focus on resilience and growth : While discussing the challenges you faced, emphasize how you responded to the situation and any positive outcomes or personal growth that resulted from overcoming these circumstances. Showcase your resilience, determination, and ability to learn from difficult experiences.
• Relate to your MBA goals : Tie the extenuating circumstances to your aspirations as an MBA candidate. Discuss how the challenges you faced have shaped your motivation to pursue an MBA and your ability to contribute to the program and the business community.
• Avoid self-pity : While it’s important to explain the challenges you encountered, avoid adopting a victim mentality. Instead, emphasize how you have taken proactive steps to address and overcome these challenges.
• Connect with your readiness for an MBA : Highlight how facing and overcoming these circumstances have prepared you for the rigors of an MBA program. Discuss how you have developed the skills and qualities necessary to thrive in a challenging academic and professional environment.
• Seek feedback if applicable : If you have received feedback or evaluations related to the extenuating circumstances, briefly mention them. This demonstrates your receptiveness to feedback and will also show the admissions committee your willingness to grow and learn.

Once you draft your essay with the above points in mind, remember to proofread it and make sure that it flows well. Do not exceed the word limit of the essay, as it may not be considered by the admissions committee. Make sure that someone who doesn’t know you can still get a glimpse into the situation you faced by just reading it, and remember to bring out the positives through it.

Essays are a crucial part of any MBA application process, especially for a competitive school like UCLA. The above tips and frameworks will undoubtedly help you draft your answers to their questions better and bring out the points you have both effectively and efficiently, while at the same time keeping them brief and clear. The process is, however, not as simple as answering essays, and if you believe you could use assistance with it, our team at Admit Expert will be able to help you with that. With many experienced consultants, which include UCLA and many other top B-school graduates, we can guide you through your MBA application journey. So, what are you waiting for? Get in touch with us now .

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MBA Essay Guidance 2023-24: UCLA Anderson School of Management

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UCLA Anderson School of Management has released its MBA application deadlines and essay questions for the 2023-24 application cycle.  Here are the important dates and Admitify’s guidance on the essays.

R1: oct 5, 2023  /  r2: jan 4, 2024  / , r3: apr 12, 2024  /  deferred admissions: apr 26, 2024, required essay.

For the 2023-2024 application year, we have one essay question that is required for first-time applicants and optional for re-applicants:

UCLA Anderson seeks to develop transformative leaders who think fearlessly, drive change, and share success. We believe the ability to persevere is an essential component of effective leadership. Please share an example from your personal or professional life where you demonstrated perseverance to accomplish a significant goal or milestone. (250 words maximum)

Admitify guidance.

Anyone who applies to a top MBA program can think of examples of “perseverance.” But – keeping in mind (a) that this is UCLA’s only required essay and (b) their use of key phrases like “transformative,” “drive change,” “share success,” and “effective leadership” – you need to share your strongest perseverance example here, one that shows courage, an innovation mindset, EQ (“share success”) and leadership. Ideally, that example will come from your professional life. But no worries if it comes from your personal (including community/extracurricular) life. Just steer clear of solo examples where there was no leadership or sharing. Briefly state the context or problem/challenge that precipitated your action, then provide as many concise and concrete examples of the actions you took to perseverantly drive others toward the goal. If these multiple examples show you exercising varied traits/strengths, all the better. Briefly state the outcome of your action(s) and if space permits include a lesson learned.

Optional Essay

No preference is given in the evaluation process to those who choose to respond to this optional essay, so please use your best judgment:

Are there any extenuating circumstances in your profile about which the Admissions committee should be aware? (250 words maximum)

This is a classic optional essay inviting you to do damage control on any issues in your profile, whether they are undergrad grades or test scores, employment gaps, recommender selection, etc. State clearly the issue you will be explaining, own it fully but also concisely, and focus the bulk of your explanation for all the context that shows that this circumstance was either not fully in your control or a moment in the past that you have since redeemed or built upon in myriad ways. Be factual, honest, and detailed.

Short Answers

Within the application, UCLA MBA applicants have a bit more space to explain their goals and interest in UCLA.  

Question 1:  If you wish to provide additional information about academic or personal circumstances not included in your Optional Essay or elsewhere in this application, please do so here. (1,000 characters)

Given that the preceding optional essay allows you to discuss traditional extenuating circumstances, you should use this second optional essay (and we do recommend you use it) to either explain extenuating circumstances that would not fit within the space provided in the first optional essay (not the ideal scenario) or – better – to discuss aspects of your background that are literally not disclosed in the rest of your application (e.g., essays, resume, data section, etc.). Most likely, these “not included” circumstances will be personal experiences that are not captured by resumes, academic transcripts or even hobbies. In other words, this optional essay is an open invitation to share a more personal, introspective glimpse into your life journey – formative experiences, diversity stories, defining moments, personal challenges. Take this prompt seriously and think it through: this could potentially be the strongest essay you submit to UCLA.

Question 2:  Describe your short-term and long-term post-MBA career goals (600 characters)

Be as concrete as possible – naming organizations, industry niches, job titles, etc. – in describing both your short- and your long-term goals. Often, short-term goals are highly practical and skill-building in nature; long-term goals can be more ambitious and impactful. If space permits, share your Plan A and B paths to both the short- and long-term goals. If space permits to share the names of people you know or know of who hold the post-MBA positions you seek, consider naming them, especially if their pre-MBA careers echo yours and especially if you have actually spoken to them about their careers.

Question 3:  How can UCLA Anderson help you achieve your career and/or personal goals? (1,000 characters)

This is a classic Why Our School essay. Do substantial research (not just online but by reaching out to Anderson people) on Anderson’s program, especially with respect to courses, faculty and other learning resources that directly relate to your post-MBA goals. Avoid general ‘I love your school’ language; concretely state as many relevant Anderson resources as you can, including student clubs, including Anderson’s culture, and including actual Anderson people you have interacted with. Wherever possible state how Anderson resources will help you achieve your goals. 

There’s still time to apply to UCLA’s full-time MBA program in R3! Contact us now and speak with one of our expert coaches. Are you a high school senior looking at deferred MBA programs? UCLA’s deferred MBA deadline is only one month away – contact us now and we’ll guide you through the application process!

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Everything You Need to Know

Application deadlines, here's what we're looking for, academic performance.

• Bachelor's Degree 
• All Majors Accepted
• GMAT/GRE/EA score is optional

Professional and Managerial Experience

• 8 years of professional full-time experience
• 5 years managing people and/or large projects
• Demonstrated leadership
• Increasing levels of responsibility over time
• Continuous career growth 

Personal Character

• Why UCLA Anderson EMBA?
• What You Will Contribute to the Classroom and Community
• Interview by invitation

Application Requirements

Create your online application.

Applicants must apply to the EMBA program online. The online application will walk you through each step. There are three admission rounds with the following deadlines: December 1, February 1, and May 1. Please see corresponding  deadlines and decision release dates above . The application fee is $200. Application fee waivers are available to all U.S. Military Personnel (active duty and veterans) and UCLA Staff. Please email Christina Marentes  prior to submission.

Order Official Documents - Transcripts, Diploma Certificates, and Degree Certificates

Applicants must hold a completed four-year bachelor’s degree or equivalent from an accredited university. We accept all majors and backgrounds. Candidates must hold a completed undergraduate degree in order to enroll in our MBA program. Usually this is a four-year bachelor's degree, or its equivalent in other countries.

Applicants are required to submit official documents from each academic institution attended after secondary/high school. All academic documents such as official mark sheets/transcripts, diploma certificates, and degree certificates must be directly sent to UCLA Anderson Executive MBA program from your educational institution.

Additional requirements are necessary for international applicants educated outside of the United States.

Digital Electronic Transcripts

Digital e-transcripts are highly recommended and considered official as long as they are sent directly from your school(s) to us at [email protected] OR select “UCLA Anderson MBA Program” as the recipient if you are ordering through Parchment. This is our preferred way of receiving your official transcripts.

Physical Hard Copy Transcripts

If your school does not allow electronic transcript delivery, you may have your sealed official transcripts, diploma certificates, and degree certificates sent to the address below:

UCLA Anderson Executive MBA Admissions ATTN: EMBA Admissions Manager 110 Westwood Plaza, Marion Anderson Hall G6.42 Los Angeles, CA 90095-1481

Frequently Asked Questions

• No, any documents provided by the applicant are considered unofficial. Please get in touch with your school to have the documents sent directly to our office.
• Many schools have adjusted their transcript delivery service methods due to COVID-19. Please try contacting your school to see if they can email  [email protected]  your official documents. What has worked for many of our other applicants is that you can email your scans to your school and ask them to forward that to us directly to verify the documents. The email sender should have an official email signature, an official title, the name of the office sending this transcript, and the name of the institution/address of the institution. If they can't email your documents to us, you can request your institution mail them to the EMBA Office directly. 
• All academic documents, such as official mark sheets/transcripts, diploma certificates, and degree certificates, must be translated into English. If your institution cannot provide translation services, you can request an official translation service (I.e., ATA Certified Translations). Please have official translations emailed to us directly to [email protected].
• If they only issue documents in English, please have them email us directly, confirming they only provide documents in English only and do not issue documents in the native language.
• If your school doesn't have your diploma/degree certificate on file, please send your school your own diploma/degree certificate scan and have your school email [email protected] those documents.
• No. Since we have our internal evaluation system for each country, we do not accept outside evaluations such as WES. Any evaluations would not be considered an equivalent copy.
• Yes, we will email you once we receive the documents from your school.

English Placement Exam​ (TOEFL / IELTS, if applicable)​

TOEFL or IELTS scores are required of all international applicants EXCEPT those from a select list of countries. Official scores are required for admission but not for applying. For more information please refer to UCLA Graduate Division Office English requirements .

Please note that work experience in English is not sufficient for a TOEFL/IELTS waiver; the key factor is being educated in English.

TOEFL and IELTS Considerations:

Applicants who were educated in countries where English is not the primary spoken language of daily life are required to take the TOEFL or IELTS, no matter the language used at their school. This includes applicants with degrees from multilingual countries such as India, Nigeria, Pakistan and others.

You are eligible for an exemption if you have a completed conferred degree from an institution based in the United States, Australia, Canada (provinces other than Quebec), New Zealand, Great Britain/United Kingdom (England, Wales, Northern Ireland, or Scotland) or Singapore (NUS, SMU or NTU). Candidates with awarded degrees from all other countries must take the TOEFL or IELTS. 

No preference is given to either language test.

Applications cannot continue the final steps of evaluation without complete test scores (as self-reported by you or officially by the testing firm), and applications receive a decision in the round during which your scores are submitted.

Citizenship, U.S. residence and/or work experience are not sufficient for a waiver of the language exam requirement.

More information on the university's testing rules for all international applicants is available under UCLA Graduate Division's English requirements .

If admitted and enrolled, incoming EMBA students who take the TOEFL or IELTS will receive a $200 credit to their account.

Prepare for TOEFL

Prepare for IELTS

GMAT/GRE/EA Tests

The GMAT/GRE/EA score is optional. However, additional quantitative support may be required upon further review of your application after submission. If additional quantitative support is needed, the EMBA admissions team will reach out with further details and recommendations which can sometimes be completed after admission. 

GMAT/GRE/EA scores are not required. Upon application submission, applicants undergo evaluation for personalized academic preparation options. All applicants and incoming EMBA students receive tailored online courses and workshops in math, statistics, and Excel, specifically designed for UCLA Anderson students. If you do not have a bachelor’s or graduate degree with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above, we encourage you to consult with an EMBA admissions representative via a one-on-one link here .  

Candidates can enhance their academic readiness by completing recent quantitative coursework, preferably in MBA-related subjects like calculus, statistics, accounting, or finance. You may complete the coursework now and arrange for the transcript to be sent with your application.

Academic Preparation Coursework Options include:

• Statistics Online Course through GMAC Business Fundamentals  (Available anytime)  
• Intro to Statistics Online Course with UC Berkeley Extension (Various Dates Available) 
• Intro to Stats and Quantitative Methods Online Course with UCLA Extension (Various Dates Available)
• Accounting Online Course through GMAC Business Fundamentals  (Available anytime)  
• Finance Online Course through GMAC Business Fundamentals  (Available anytime)  

Update Employment History and Resume

Applicants must upload a resume and also complete the career section of the application to share their employment history. Use the career section of the application and provide information with all of your post-undergraduate jobs. Our candidates have earned degrees in many fields of study and hold advanced degrees. Note: The most recently uploaded resume will be reviewed. 

We require a minimum of 8 years of professional experience and including 5 years managing people and/or large projects from a wide range of industries, including government, law, media and entertainment, banking, consulting, aerospace, technology, medicine and communications.

While some applicants need more formal business training and/or experience, they can thrive in our collaborative academic environment. We are most impressed by increasing levels of responsibility over time; those who advance faster than their peers are the prospects we admit first.

Answer 2 Essay Questions

Essays are the primary means for you to share your perspective and career plans. The best personal statements are introspective, genuine, and succinct in directly answering the questions and responding to the topics.

Essay questions are listed below for both first-time applicants and re-applicants.

First-time applicants

1. Legendary UCLA basketball Coach John Wooden once said that one’s leadership is derived from one’s character. Please provide an example of a time when your own leadership was at its best. (500 words maximum)

2. Why are you interested in pursuing an MBA at this time? Please share any goal(s) you may have that the MBA will help you achieve. (500 words maximum)

Reapplicants

Please describe any updates since you last applied which have enhanced your candidacy. (500-word max)

Identify 2 References 

Two letters of recommendation are needed from individuals who are well acquainted with your performance in a work setting, preferably a current or former supervisor, who are best equipped to provide examples of performance and impact on the organization. Final recommendations can come in after submitting your application. 

Identifying two references and providing their contact information is required to submit your application. You must register your recommenders, who then use the confidential online link they receive directly from our online application to complete the recommendation form. Your recommenders also have the option to upload an additional document if desired. Only two recommendations are accepted per application. 

• Questions from the online recommendation form are shown below and are for reference only.
• Recommendations must be submitted online. Hard-copy responses will not be accepted. Your recommenders have the option to upload an additional document if desired.

Ideally your recommendations should be from current direct supervisors or managers who are best equipped to answer questions about your leadership, communication, teamwork, initiative and other skills.

If you are unable to ask a current supervisor for a recommendation, you can ask a manager from another department or a consultant/client who knows you well enough to answer the questions insightfully.

Academic contacts are not usually able to provide information on management potential. Similarly, family members, peers and friends are not appropriate as recommenders.

Recommendation Questions and Topics*

• Please provide a brief description of your interaction with the applicant and, if applicable, the applicant’s role in your organization.
• How does the performance of the applicant compare to that of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? (E.g. what are the applicant’s principal strengths?)
• Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response.

*Please note: Questions and topics listed above are for reference only. Actual submission of letters of recommendation is done online, through the online application system only.

Required Interview (By Invitation Only)

Interviews are conducted by a member of the admissions committee and are offered by invitation only. Applicants are notified via email if they have been selected for an interview. Interviews are part of a holistic evaluation process, taking into consideration your completed application, including letters of recommendation and official documents. 

EMBA candidates have the choice to interview in person at the UCLA Anderson Campus or virtually via Zoom. Interviews last approximately 30-45 minutes. The modality in which applicants choose to conduct the interview does not affect an admission decision. Note: In-person interviews are available on limited dates, whereas virtual interviews are ongoing. 

Instructions on setting up an interview are provided at the time of invitation. Interview appointments are available in Pacific Time, and candidates only need to sign up for one interview. Second interviews are required on a case-by-case basis.

Questions generally cover topics already addressed in the application, such as reasons for getting an MBA, short-term and long-term career goals, and how they align with UCLA Anderson. The interview is a two-way street, also serving as an opportunity to explore UCLA Anderson and our culture. 

We are interested in getting to know candidates as an individual and understanding how they will fit into the next class. We assess communication skills, social skills, and readiness for our program. Most importantly, be genuine and enjoy getting to know each other.

Reapplicants are those who submitted a completed MBA application within the previous two years (that is, who applied for the MBA program starting in 2022 or 2023) and received a final decision.

The Admissions Committee will refer to your previous application when considering your admission, but an entirely new application must be submitted online. The process to reapply is streamlined:

• Create a new application.
• Indicate on the Program page of the application that you are a reapplicant.
• Submit only one new recommendation (it can be the same recommender as the previous application).
• Watch for decision notifications according to the standard release schedule.

Please Note:  Applicants who applied for the MBA program within the previous two application years are asked to indicate updates on test scores, career, academics, activities, and/or other changes since their last application (under the Reapplicants section on the Program page of the application.) Highlighting the progress made since the prior application is the best way to get a different result this time. Please answer the Essay questions if you applied three years or more prior.

Acknowledgment of Application

We acknowledge the receipt of applications for admission with an email confirmation. Applicants will be notified if any necessary documents are missing from the application packet. Admission offers will be communicated via phone along with instructions on how to accept the offer. The admission deposit is $2,500. This admission deposit is non-refundable and is deducted from your Fall Quarter program fees. Admission offers not accepted within the communicated timeframe will be revoked, and the seat will be offered to another qualified applicant.

Watch Now: Your Guide to the UCLA EMBA Application

Connect With Students & Alumni

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UCLA EMBA Application Deadlines and Essay Tips: 2023-2024

UCLA Anderson has shared their Executive MBA application essays for the 2023-2024 application cycle. This year, the school’s application includes two required essay questions and one optional essay.

For those interested in the UCLA Anderson EMBA Program, take a look at the latest class profile to assess whether the school may be a good fit for you. Accepted students had an average of 15 years of professional experience and an average of 9 years of management experience. The most recently reported class represents 28 different countries and consists of 36% women. The students come from 36 different industries and held jobs across 22 functions.

Below, please find the upcoming application deadlines and our analysis of the UCLA EMBA application essays.

The 2023-2024 UCLA EMBA Application Deadlines Are:

Round 1: December 1, 2023

Round 2: February 1, 2024

Round 3: May 1, 2024

2023-2024 UCLA EMBA Application Essays:

UCLA EMBA Essay 1: Legendary UCLA basketball Coach John Wooden once said that one’s leadership is derived from one’s character. Please provide an example of a time when your own leadership was at its best. (500 words maximum)

Personal MBA Coach’s Tips:

In this essay, first you want to clearly define what you think leadership means: what traits it encompasses and how it manifests one’s personality.

Then, the bulk of the essay should be about a situation/anecdote/time in which you demonstrated those traits, and your leadership was at its best. Pick a situation that is easy to set up so that you can quickly get into the details of what happened, the choices you made, and how you led the situation. Make sure your leadership comes through in the actions you took and in the results you produced.

If appropriate, you can conclude with something you may have learned or how this experience may have sharpened your leadership. Finally, end by looking forward: “I hope to build on this at UCLA.”

UCLA EMBA E s say 2: Why are you interested in pursuing an MBA at this time? Please share any goal(s) you may have that the MBA will help you achieve. (500 words maximum)

This essay is what we refer to as a “goals” essay. This essay is your chance to share your specific short-term and long-term goals. Even if your goal is to remain in your current role (as is often the case for EMBA applicants) you want to be specific in terms of what you hope to accomplish in your career.

A strong answer will also tell the reader where you are today and what skills/expertise you have already developed to prepare you for your future ambitions.

Finally, you want to include the UCLA programs, classes, clubs, and activities that will help you acquire the skills you need to achieve your future objective(s). Be specific about what you want to learn, making it clear that you researched the school and that you are focused on how to create an optimal learning experience at UCLA.

Optional Essay: Are there any additional circumstances in your profile about which the Admissions Committee should be aware? (500 words maximum)

The optional UCLA EMBA essay should be addressed only by applicants with extenuating circumstances . Read more about how to answer this optional essay question .

Looking for help with your UCLA EMBA applications? Personal MBA Coach’s MJ Shores is a former UCLA Anderson admissions officer and we offer customized Executive MBA admissions consulting packages to maximize your chances of success.

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UCLA Anderson’s MBA essay

This year we have reduced the number of essays for our MBA application from three to just one required essay. We anticipate that some of you may be feeling relieved that the application just got shorter, but we also know that some of you will be feeling a bit more anxious. After all, you will have fewer words to tell us about yourself and your post MBA plans. This post is intended to share with you our rationale for this change and give you some useful pointers to get you off to a great start. 

We reduced the number of essays to only one because we want you to concentrate your energy (and ours) on what matters most. The selected essay serves as an excellent proxy for a face-to-face interview before we have an opportunity to meet you in person, thus rounding off our assessment of the information your are providing on the rest of the application.

This year’s essay question is:  What are your short-term and long-term career goals, and how will an MBA from UCLA Anderson specifically help you achieve these goals?

At first glance this question may seem overly simplistic but, if used correctly, the answer can provide the admission committee with lots of valuable information about you and enhance your application. Your essay will help us understand your plans (short and long-term). It also tells us about your self-assessment/awareness and your professional maturity. A good essay should address the path you intend to follow in our program and beyond; connect it to your passions and show some insights into areas you wish to develop. Thoughtful applicants will also look to identify any resources and tools the program may offer to help you achieve your goals. Examples may include classes, activities, clubs and other extra curricular opportunities.  The goal is to communicate that you are ready for an MBA and that you have a solid understanding of what is needed to make the most of your experience. And lastly, that you have a clear plan for your post MBA life.

Now that we have laid out the foundation for a good application essay, you may be thinking about how you will be able to stand out from the several hundreds or even thousands of essays that we will be assessing this season. The secret ingredient is “YOU.” Letting a little of your personality, style and passion show through while you speak candidly about your plans will help make your essay distinct and interesting. While we know that most people are not professional writers or even native English speakers, a little personality and specific details can make it more compelling. We suggest that you have friends or family read your drafts to confirm that others understand what you want to convey and that you are adequately answering the questions. It also goes without saying that you should proofread it carefully. A good admissions essay should not have grammatically or typographical errors. We also check your essays for plagiarism, so make sure you always submit your own work.

For those of you that may have additional situations to address such as an unexplained leave off absence from work, or a suboptimal academic performance during a particular time in college, you might consider using our optional essay to address those situations.

For more information on our essays (including optional and reapplicant essays) please visit the application requirements section of  our website . 

Good luck and happy writing!

UCLA Anderson MBA Admissions and Financial Aid

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