UCLA Anderson MBA Interview Questions 2024-25
Globally ranked #15 in QS, #18 in the Financial Times, and #20 in US News for 2024, the University of California - Los Angeles’s Anderson School of Management sits in the prestigious T20 tier of US business schools. It’s the leading business school in Los Angeles, with strong industry connections in finance, consulting, and tech, including top investment banks, the MBB consulting firms, and the US’s major LA-based tech hub. These 3 industries also account for most of the post-MBA offers accepted by Anderson graduates.
Anderson’s class size is just over 300 students. They have an average of 5.4 years of professional experience, and 87% of the class is composed of students switching careers. There are 43% women in the Anderson MBA classroom, and 41% of the class is international. UCLA Anderson's average GMAT is 714, with a middle 80% of 670-750, and its average GRE is 327 (162V and 165Q).
In this blog post, we will discuss how UCLA Anderson structures its interview, who conducts UCLA Anderson interviews, what UCLA is looking for in its MBA cohort, and give you Anderson-specific interview tips to help you get admitted.
The UCLA Anderson Interview Process
Interviews are by invitation only, and offered on a rolling basis. The UCLA Anderson interview can be conducted in person or by Zoom based on your choice. While an online interview will not negatively affect your chances, consider a trip to LA if you can! In our experience, schools appreciate the extra effort.
Your UCLA Anderson MBA interview will be conducted by a member of the Admissions Committee. Interviews are blind. This means that your interviewer will review your resume but not any other application material, including your essays and recommendations.
Interviews last for 30 minutes. While the interview may go over this time for some applicants, others have mentioned that their interviewer set a hard stop at 30 minutes for their interview.
Who is UCLA Anderson Looking For?
Located in “Silicon Beach”, UCLA Anderson is an excellent choice for those wanting to enter tech roles post their MBA. Over 500 tech companies and startups call LA home. The school is also highly suited for those who want to explore entrepreneurship, consulting, and finance.
UCLA Anderson’s culture is centered around 3 pillars: sharing success, thinking fearlessly, and driving change. They value individuals who push each other to do better through healthy competition, who are open-minded and creative, and who have the drive to change businesses and communities. Focus on demonstrating these qualities in your interview.
Many UCLA alumni also rank the school’s Parker Career Management Center highly. Each student is assigned a career advisor based on their target post-MBA industry, and they are heavily invested in the counseling process.
UCLA Anderson MBA Interview Schedule & Application Deadlines 2024 - 2025
UCLA AndersonSchedule | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 |
Application Deadline | 01 October 2024 | 06 January 2025 | 07 April 2025 |
Decisions Released | 13 December 2024 | 27 March 2025 | 16 May 2025 |
UCLA Anderson Interview Questions
About You
Tell me about yourself / Walk me through your resume.
What are your key strengths? Can you give some examples?
What are your key weaknesses? Can you give some examples?
Any reasons why we should not select you?
What are your interests and hobbies – why do you do it, and what have you achieved/learned?
Career
What is your leadership style? Can you give an example of a project you led?
What is your biggest achievement?
Did you receive any critical feedback in your career? How did you act upon it?
What is your backup plan if you don’t get an MBA?
What are your short- and long-term career goals?
What is your Plan B in case your primary goal does not happen?
Which companies are you planning to join after your MBA?
UCLA Anderson/ Motivation
Why an MBA? Why Anderson/UCLA? Why now?
What clubs do you want to get involved in? What other ways will you get involved in the Anderson/UCLA community?
How will the Anderson/UCLA network help you? How will you contribute to it?
Tell me more about how Anderson/UCLA will help you achieve your career goals.
What is a weakness of yours and how can you work on that at Anderson?
How do you plan to derive value from the resources available at Anderson?
What about LA are you excited about?
Why Anderson instead of other top ranked schools?
Teamwork/Leadership
What is your leadership style? Can you give an example of a project you led?
Tell me about a time you worked in a diverse environment.
Have you worked with a diverse/international team? Describe your experience.
Tell me about a strength of yours and how that helped your team in achieving their goals.
Tell me about a time when you handled conflict in a team and how you resolved it.
Tell me about a time you used your strength to create a positive impact in a team.
How do you keep the team motivated?
Describe a time/situation when you created impact within/outside your team.
Behavioral
Tell me about a time you have managed differences at work.
Give me an example of a time you failed.
Tell me about a time when you were challenged at work.
Describe an experience or project where you had the opportunity to showcase your technical or analytical skills.
Tell me about a time you managed differences at work. How did you feel about this experience?
How have you previously dealt with a difficult colleague at work?
Give me an example of a time when you did not meet a client’s expectations. How did you attempt to rectify the situation?
Closing
What else would you like Anderson to know about you?
What would you have liked me to ask you?
Do you have any questions for me?
Tips to Ace the UCLA Anderson Interview
Here are our top tips for the UCLA Anderson interview:
Having read the interview questions, notice the common threads that interviewers follow: most applicants report having been asked about the school and their contributions to it, their teamwork experiences, and how they have been challenged at work. Make sure to prepare thoroughly for these themes.
UCLA Anderson’s MBA essays focus on 3 areas: your career goals, why MBA, and how you will contribute to UCLA. Don’t stray away from your core narrative. They are also much shorter than other schools. Your UCLA Anderson interview gives you a great opportunity to discuss other meaningful stories and aspects of your profile, so bring your A-game and use the stories that are most impactful. Stick to your core narrative and make sure they are brief and relevant to your goals and motivation for doing an MBA at UCLA.
Connect your stories to Anderson’s 3 pillars: collaboration, creativity, and driving impact. Focus on how you will bring these qualities to the school’s MBA program, student community, and extracurriculars.
Keep your answers brief and concise. 30 minutes go by in a blink! Practice using mock interviews to make sure you don’t ramble on and go off-track.
UCLA Anderson is all about teamwork and diversity. Consider how you can contribute to diversity even if you’re an overrepresented demographic.
USe the SCAR method to construct your stories and anecdotes. This will help you share information while assuring that your stories are logical, concise, and clear.
For more interview advice and practice, including video interview simulations, head to the Interview Guide course on MBAConsultant.com.
Want personalized support for your UCLA Anderson MBA Interview? Book a chat with us today!
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