2. Round Three Strategies:
UCLA Anderson Beckons
School that you might want to consider
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com
3. Round Three Strategies:
We've been running a lot of Round 3 strategies on this
space the last few weeks. Why? It is timely, obviously.
But also, Round 3 is just so misunderstood that we find
every conversation leads to new epiphanies for our
clients.
In turn, we pass along the broadest and most helpful of
those pieces of information to the general public.
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com
4. Before we get into it, a few notes:
•Just because we are singling out UCLA does not mean
it is the only great option for this time of year.
Many European programs are still very active in building
their classes (IESE, in particular, has been good to our
late- stage folks over the last few years) and there are
more than a few domestic programs that offer more
than a cursory look at March/April candidates.
•If you want to get our advice on how to approach
Round 3 in general, please see this previous post.
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com
5. Okay, UCLA. First, how do we know it stands as a better
Round 3 option than most?
A few reasons:
1. Assistant Dean of Admissions Mae Jennifer Shores
says so. She has stated that UCLA has a "true Round 3"
many times before ...
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com
6. 2. It makes logical sense.
Just because Mae Jennifer says "we're open for
business" doesn't necessarily make it so.
Admissions officers must first and foremost drive
applications, so it is natural to promote deadlines.
That said, we're talking about one of the best and most
straight forward admissions professionals in the
business, so we're inclined to take her at her word. Of
course, we really don't have to.
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com
7. The fact that UCLA is a "downstream" program from
Stanford and Haas means that plenty of really good
applicants are going to get dinged or waitlisted from
those Bay Area giants and take a second look at the
terrific school six hours south.
Note: THIS IS NOT A KNOCK ON UCLA ANDERSON.
Amerasia founder Paul Lanzillotti is a proud UCLA
Anderson grad and we hold the school in the highest
esteem. However, we also know that the NoCal
programs - Stanford especially - can catch people's
attention earlier in the process, if for no other reason
than people are slaves to the rankings and those schools
are ranked higher in certain publications of note. 3.
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com
8. 3. UCLA Anderson looms larger, later.
What we mean by this is that as candidates develop their
narrative and MBA desires, they often discover Anderson
as a top choice a bit deeper into the journey.
This is true of people looking for certain cultures
(teamwork-focused, friendly, more relaxed), specialties
(real estate, media/entertainment, entrepreneurship),
geographic recruiting advantages (particularly elite L.A.
finance), and, yes, weather (it's no shock that as people
visit schools and attend campus interviews, they
suddenly realize they can go to school in either 80-
degree sunshine or 20-degree snow).
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com
9. Perhaps more than any other business school, UCLA
Anderson is a "late bloomer." But when it blooms, it
often explodes into full color for an applicant. Thus, it
makes sense for Anderson to hold out and let those folks
make the discovery on their terms. Okay, so we know
that UCLA Anderson is more accessible for Round 3.
They are devoting more resources, they are holding the
application deadline back as late as possible (April 12
this year), and they are saving more seats in the class
(and scholarship dollars as well). How do you proceed
from there? Conceptually, it's simple.
You must marry "Why now instead of two rounds ago?"
with "Why an MBA from UCLA Anderson?"
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com
10. This means taking the normal approach you would use
applying to UCLA and folding in the extra rules that we
apply to any Round 3 school:
•Why an MBA takes you were you need to go.
You + an MBA = Next step.
•Why UCLA Anderson is the right fit.
Understanding the DNA of the program and showing how
that perfectly aligns with your approach, strengths, and desires
for a business school experience.
•Why you will add value to the UCLA Anderson experience.
•Why you are just now applying to UCLA Anderson.
(The Round 3 wrinkle.)
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com
11. Keep in mind that if you are to reapply to UCLA
Anderson at a later date, you will add a "Reapplicant
Essay" answer to your existing application.
So this is NOT a place to just throw a dart, figuring you
can hit the reset button. You have to do it right. Take
your time. Engage a consultant if resources allow. Do
the best job you can, because this application will stay
with you next year. All told, this is one of a handful of
places out there that truly wants to see what Round 3
has to offer.
So if you are someone late to the party, but you have the
chops and the desire to be enrolled at a great b-school in
the Fall of 2011, give UCLA Anderson a long look.
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com
12. If you need help with Round 3 – either comprehensively or just
stress testing your essays to make sure they hit the mark – email
us at mba@amerasiaconsulting.com.
The arms race for consulting help usually starts in April for
Round 1 of the next year, but the best value is probably right
now. You can get more distance from the field in Round 3 than
at any other time and the quality of your work will make a huge
difference. To demonstrate our commitment to doing Round 3
right, we have a very unique policy: work with us on a
comprehensive package for Round 3 and we will help you
reapply to the same schools free of charge in the fall, should it
come to that.
http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com/