In this edition of MBA Admissions Brief, we hear from Alex Lawrence of the UCLA Anderson School of Management. The Anderson School of Management is situated amid the greater University of California, Los Angeles campus in the Westwood section of the city of Los Angeles.
Alex Lawrence, UCLA Anderson Assistant Dean of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid
Alex Lawrence, Class of 1999, became the Assistant Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid in August 2012. He had been the Executive Director of The Riordan Programs at UCLA Anderson since 2004, working with Professor Bill Ouchi and Riordan Programs' founder Mayor Richard Riordan to advance high school and undergraduate students' development and educational attainment. Prior to his leadership of the Riordan Programs, Alex worked at Cap Gemini, where he developed CRM strategies and trained clients in the automotive, medical and insurance industries.
As Executive Director of Riordan, Alex developed creative programs and initiatives which target students who are the first in their family to apply to college, current undergraduates, or professionals seeking an MBA degree. Program achievements include a 100% success rate of high school participants continuing to college, and nearly 70% of Riordan MBA Fellows obtaining their MBA at the nation's elite business schools.
Read on for his insights and advice about the MBA application process.
What would you say to someone who’s applying next fall and just getting started in the MBA application process now?
First of all, I would say congratulations! If you are “just getting started,” then you made a recent decision ….(a great one in my opinion)….to take the next leap in your professional development, expand your social network, and explore what the future (the next 2, 5, 10 years) could look like for you. Use this time to understand what interests you about the MBA experience, what the different programs offer at the schools, talk to as many different people as possible, including students, staff, alumni, and other applicants. And as you go through the process, try to learn as much about the process and what it entails. Even though it can be stressful, try to have fun in the process, because in the end, the experience of matriculating to an MBA program should be a celebration of your accomplishments.
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