I am a R2 admit to UCLA Anderson, as of 28 March. I interviewed on-campus for Anderson back on 14 February with Jessica Luchenta, an Associate Director of MBA Admissions, and a 1st-year student that was sitting in to learn about giving interviews, as Jessica said this student was going to be assisting Admissions next year with interview prospective students.
The email notifying me of my interview said to bring my resume…I brought three copies with me, and was able to provide the 1st-year a copy (I think this went over well when I offered a copy to the 1st year).
The tone was conversational and started off with the standard “Why an MBA? Why Anderson?” I was able to talk for a while about all my reasons for choosing Anderson, which worked well for me. I have a military background, and used the time to fully relate my military background to my reasons for desiring an Anderson MBA. The interviewer also followed up some more about my military background, and I think I was able to connect with my answers…even though it took some time to explain some things without using military jargon. The interviewers gave me the time to explain myself, and this really helped me communicate my accomplishments and goals.
Other questions they asked included:
- What companies are you going to look for internships with?
- What area of your management skills do you feel you could most improve upon? (I had a good answer for this because Tuck asked a similar question in this year’s essays).
The total interview time was about 35 minutes, along with follow-on time for me to ask questions. I had a few prepped, so I believe I was able to communicate my interest in Anderson this way also, along with getting some more info for my ultimate decision.
