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#72 UCLA Anderson MBA Admissions Interview with Jessica Chung – “Shared Success”

Jessica Chung UCLA Anderson

“We have this idea amongst our students and the school as a whole of sharing success. Students bring their A game but they’re also encouraging others to do the best they can.”

This week I sat down with Jessica Chung, Associate Director of Full-time MBA Admissions at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management.

We had an in-depth and open discussion about UCLA’s MBA offering and culture, what admissions is looking for, and how the program supports students in their career searches. After listening to our conversation, you’ll get an insider’s feel for the qualities Anderson is looking for and how the school is evolving. Jessica is very transparent about the admissions process so don’t miss this one!

About Our Guest

Jessica Chung is the Associate Director of Full-time MBA Admissions at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. Jessica got her B.S. in Business Administration at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, and got her Masters in Education from UCLA. She also worked for USC Marshall School as a Graduate Admissions Advisor before joining the Anderson School at UCLA in 2007.

What is relatively unique about the UCLA Anderson MBA? What are its key advantages?

  • Culture of shared success and collaboration
  • 3 tracks in finance, consulting, and marketing and 10 specializations, including entertainment, entrepreneurship, real estate, and technology leadership
  • Well balanced placement in industries and functions; last year more graduates went into technology industry than finance and consulting
  • Only 1 essay and 1 recommendation required
  • Student engagement & leadership highly valued
  • Career services was rated A+ by Anderson students in Bloomberg Businessweek
  • Los Angeles location and weather; UCLA is 15-20 minutes from the beach, downtown, and Hollywood

Listen on for the insider’s scoop…

Touch MBA’S UCLA Anderson School of Management MBA Fast Facts

Program Highlights (3:12)

  • UCLA Anderson School of Management founded in 1935
  • 1 intake / year in Fall
  • Length: 21 months
  • Campus in Los Angeles, the 15th largest economy in the world
  • 350 participants/intake
  • ~35-40 nationalities/intake, class is ~30% international
  • Students ranked Entrepreneurship, Finance & Marketing highest
  • 3 tracks: Finance, Consulting, Marketing
  • 10 specializations: Accounting, Corporate Finance, Technology Leadership, Entertainment, Entrepreneurship, Global Management, Healthcare Management, Investment Management, Leaders in Sustainability, and Real-Estate
  • Students can take up to 3 graduate level classes outside the business school
  • Students can go on global immersion programs for elective credit
  • Structure – Year 1: 9 core courses Year 2: choose from ~115 electives, global immersion programs, 6-month Advanced Management Project
  • Rankings: #25 Financial Times 2015, #13 Economist 2014, #15 US News & World Report 2016, #11 Bloomberg Businessweek 2014
  • Accredited by AACSB
  • 10 Concurrent Degrees

Admissions (18:58)

  • 3 deadlines from Oct – Apr, get a decision within 2-3 months
  • 4,129 applications received, 734 admitted, 354 enrolled, 18% acceptance rate
  • Avg GMAT: 715 (80% range 680 – 750), Avg GPA: 3.5 (80% range 3.2 – 3.8)
  • GRE accepted
  • Avg age: 27 (range 22 – 42), Avg work experience: 5 years
  • Min TOEFL: 560 (paper), 87 (internet)
  • Looking for ready, engaged, and collaborative applicants
  • Interviews done by second year MBA students; some done by admissions staff

Financing (41:05)

  • Full-time MBA Tuition: $51,159 USD (in state), so ~$102,400 total or $56,159 (out-of-state) so ~$112,300 total
  • Recommended budget: $26,515 USD / year, so roughly $53,030 USD
  • 75% of class receive financial assistance
  • 60% of class awarded scholarships, amounts range from $20,000 to full-tuition
  • Scholarships are merit-based and awarded with offer
  • Int’l students don’t need cosigner for loans through Eli Lilly Credit Union

Career (44:53)

  • UCLA Anderson MBA – Full-time placement report for Class of 2014 (yes)
  • 89% of graduates had jobs within 3 months of graduation
  • Average Salary (bonus): $110,409 ($27,007)
  • Graduates in 2012 experienced 92% increase in salary
  • Top 5 regions graduates worked in: 72.5% California (nearly 50% in LA), 6.6% Northeast US, 6% West USA (excluding California), 3.5% Asia, 3.5% Latin America
  • Top 5 industries: 28% Technology, 21% Financial Services, 16% Consulting, 10% Consumer Products, 7% Entertainment / Media
  • Top 5 functions: 17% Consulting, 11% Product Management, 10% General Management, 9% Brand Management, 9% Investment Banking
  • Top recruiters: Deloitte, Google, PwC, Amazon, Disney, Microsoft, Mattel
  • 23,000 alumni worldwide in 22 countries, 43 alumni clubs

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