Get to know some new UCLA Anderson School of Management MBA students in the latest edition of our ongoing series, Real Humans: MBA Students.
The UCLA Anderson MBA Class of 2026 is a dynamic group of individuals from around the world, united by their drive to excel, their passion for innovation, and their commitment to collaboration. With diverse career backgrounds, unique personal stories, and bold aspirations, these students embody Anderson’s values of Share Success and Think Fearlessly.
Take Brianna Rodriguez, a former teacher and college counselor who spent nearly a decade fostering college access for Latinx and first-generation students. Driven by a desire to expand her impact through consulting, Brianna chose Anderson for its alignment with her values of diversity and social impact, as well as its supportive, team-oriented culture. A Consortium Fellow, she looks forward to channeling her passion for equity and leveraging her leadership experience in management consulting.
Then there’s Nicole Martin, who pivoted from management consulting to business school to explore human capital and strategic transformation. Nicole’s versatile professional background, spanning project management, data science, and HR, allows her to bring a wealth of perspectives to her cohort. Attracted to Anderson’s collaborative and down-to-earth community, she’s eager to explore LA and immerse herself in her new network.
For Krit Pattarawongvisut, a seasoned professional in Southeast Asia’s tech sector, Anderson represents an opportunity to expand his horizons and dive into the U.S. health technology industry. Known for his Thai cooking and love of coffee, Krit contributes global business insights and a penchant for fostering connections—both in and outside the classroom.
Danielle Ostrove, an English major turned enterprise customer success manager, saw business school as a way to sharpen her leadership and analytics skills. Drawn by Anderson’s innovative and inclusive community, Danielle is already making her mark as president of her section and a leader in the Tech Business Association. She is energized by the vibrant opportunities Los Angeles offers and the career connections the Parker Career Center facilitates.
These four joined 301 other students to make up the UCLA Anderson MBA Class of 2026. Forty-three percent of the new class are women and 41 percent are international. Based on federal guidelines, 32 percent of U.S. students identify as Asian American, 13 percent as Black/African American and 11 percent as Hispanic. During their undergraduate years, business was the most popular major at 34 percent. Another 22 percent had studied engineering and 14 percent humanities/social sciences. Eleven percent earned degrees in economics. Their average GPA landed at 3.5. Altogether, the new class averaged 5.4 years of work experience before matriculating. Twenty-one percent hailed from the finance industry, followed by 16 percent from tech. Twelve percent had worked in consulting and 10 percent came from healthcare. When they took the GMAT, UCLA Anderson students scores an average 714. For those who took the GRE, they reported average scores of 162 Verbal and 165 Quant.
Beyond the class profile, we meet a few of the standout individuals shaping the UCLA Anderson MBA Class of 2026 in the following pages. Read on to learn more about their stories and advice on admissions.
