The MBA Student Voice

Leadership Opportunities at UCLA Anderson

The UCLA Anderson community is made up of a truly diverse group of students and faculty. But if there's one thing we all have in common, it's that we're here to lead. Leadership is central to almost every course offered on campus, and it's something we've all reflected on in our application essays and interviews. However, leadership isn't just talked about, it's put into action through countless opportunities with student-led clubs and school events.

2014 ASA President, Brian Schoelkopf

What's great is that these opportunities aren't limited to upperclassmen. For example, take my first-year classmate, Brian Schoelkopf. Recently, he was elected President of the Anderson Student Association (ASA). From this spring, he and 12 other first-year students will serve on the ASA Cabinet and become the voice of Anderson's entire student body - before reaching their second year on campus! These types of opportunities extend to professional clubs like High Tech Business Association and Management Consulting Association, identity clubs like African American Students in Management and Out@Anderson, and interest clubs like Wine Club and Anderson Eats.

Although the new ASA Cabinet was elected earlier this month, the majority of leadership opportunities begin from the first days on campus. Student-led clubs all elect first-year students to serve as Directors of important functional areas like Finance, Marketing and - most importantly! - Social. These roles allow you to make an immediate impact on campus, connect with your second-year classmates, and are a great way to try out new areas of interest. They're also tried-and-true fodder for summer internship interviews.

With 100s of opportunities to get involved and LEAD as a first-year student, anyone with an interest and a can-do spirit can gain leadership experience and help establish Anderson's next generation of business leaders.

 

Daniel Genter, MBA '15 - Follow UCLA Anderson on Twitter.

Guest Speakers at UCLA Anderson

If you've read up on UCLA Anderson, you've probably found mention of it's fantastic Network. Just how far does it reach? For a better idea of its breadth, just take a look at the outstanding leadership who's spoken on campus in the Fall Quarter.

From left: Larry Fink (MBA '76), Chairman and and CEO of BlackRock Inc.; Robert A. Iger, Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company; Sandra Day O'Conner, Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice

Every day at Anderson you can find world-renonwned social, political and business leaders engaging the MBA community in thought-provoking, cutting-edge conversations. These alumni and friends of Anderson present big ideas that stretch the gambit of the business world and embody our "Think In the Next" credo. Below are three more exceptional individuals who've recently held engagements on campus and show just how deep and diverse is the Anderson community.

 

Rupert Scofield, President and CEO of FINCA International:  Rupert Scofield is an entrepreneur, humanitarian and agricultural economist who has led FINCA International to become a leader in microfinance that provides a socially-responsible investment partnership for marginalized communities in Africa, Latin America, Eurasia, the Middle East and South Asia. Mr. Scofield visited UCLA Anderson through the Center for Global Management Lecture Series and spoke to students and faculty about the evolution of FINCA International and the tangible, life-changing effects of increasing the flow of capital towards social good.

 

Sajjad Jaffer, Managing Partner of Two Six Capital: Much like Billy Beane changed the rules of success in Major League Baseball through "Moneyball" statistics, Sajjad Jaffer is using high-level analytics to make big changes in private equity. Mr. Jaffer came to campus in partnership with the Price Center for Entrepreneurial Studies to share how predictive unit economics and customer lifetime value are being used to more effectively invest in small and medium enterprises.

 

Theodore Garcia, Senior Vice President of FilmTrack: Ted Garcia knows a lot about digital content. He has 20+ years of experience within media and entertainment and currently helms a leading firm in content and rights management. In collaboration with the Anderson Entertainment Management Association, Mr. Garcia gave us a close look at the current state of digital distribution - from digital content creation to monetization across exhibition channels.

 

Who do you want to see speak at UCLA Anderson? Leave a comment and let us know!

 

Daniel Genter, MBA '15 - Follow UCLA Anderson on Twitter.

MBA Orientation 2015: Thinking in the Next

This week Anderson's Class of 2015 got down to business and began its first MBA course, Leadership Foundations. At the moment, we're only a few days into the class but we're already laying the groundwork for our next two years at b-school and beyond. As its name implies, the course builds on leadership frameworks and uses them to reinforce the Anderson credo, "Think in the Next."

Hey, Summer Bloggers! What has this week taught you about leadership and what it means to "Think in the Next"?

 

Alena Kostenkova: This week's experiences were not easy for me, but who said that they would be? I think I didn't realize how much teamwork means until the Odyssey day of Anderson's Leadership Foundation course. When I was climbing the pole (see below) and fighting with my fear to step up to the top, my team was cheering me on, giving advice and support. Buzz was the one to realize that I am in trouble and he took the initiative of guiding me step by step: he told me where to put my legs, how to help me overcome my fear and finally stand up on this very high pole. Buzz demonstrated the true leadership of giving a hand to a teammate who was struggling: he was calm, patient and very supportive. All of these characteristics will be very helpful in the workplace in the real world.

Another exercise was on teamwork and communication. It was fantastic! You have to go on a 30- to 35-foot high rope with a partner who is going on a second rope parallel to your own. As you can see, you need to be leaning against each other to make it work. Only good teamwork and trust could help you reach the goal!

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Alena and her partner conquering the ropes course. Great job, guys!

 

I am very glad I took this wonderful course. I know that not everything was perfect, but the takeaways and lessons learned are important for future business leaders. Of course, I need to think about this over and over to make some conclusions, but for now, I can say that this expereience helped me become more open to people and more trusting. I will for sure bring all of these takeaways to the workplace as a leader.

Anderson's Class of 2015: The First Day

Together At Last: The Class of 2015 Summer Bloggers

 
Today was a big day. It was the first day on campus for incoming students and the day the Class of 2015 was officially welcomed into the Anderson family. As faculty enthusiastically introduced the program and second-year students started to show us the ropes, all of us who are new to campus got to meet our classmates face-to-face and experience first-hand all of the excitement of the Anderson MBA.

For the next two weeks, your favorite Summer Bloggers will be here to share their unique experiences at Orientation and their first impressions as the newest additions to the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Summer Bloggers, how would you describe your first day at Anderson?

How I Spent My Pre-MBA Summer

You may have noticed that August was a little quieter than usual on The MBA Student Voice. With Orientation right around the corner, there's no doubt that Anderson's Class of 2015 has been busy preparing for the start of school. What does it take to be Anderson ready? Here's a look at how I prepared to become a Bruin.

 

 1. I quit my job!

I loved working at Liberty in North Korea.

Bittersweet as it was, this was the moment when I felt my MBA journey begin. I had been looking forward to going back to school for quite a while and the prospect of starting something new in a big city and at a school I was proud to attend was truly exciting.

 

Two More Ways To Save Big On MBA Tech

If you've thought about persuing an MBA, then you've probably asked yourself, "Is it worth it?" I asked the same question (A: Yes!) and now find myself asking it about all sorts of things related to back-to-school. Along with campus housing, MBA tech is a great place to find value with pain-free ways to save.

 

Laptops

My $1422 MacBook Air

Whether you're looking for a simple user interface, all-day battery life or just the coolest looking notebook around, the MacBook Air is a great choice. But for UCLA Anderson purposes*, the MacBook Air presents a significant problem: it doesn't run Windows out of the box and installing Windows can add hundreds of dollars to the cost of your PC.

Yet, with a little price shopping and internet savvy, you can have your MacBook and eat it, too. I bought my new MacBook Air direct from Apple and all of its software and accessories online. Here's the cost breakdown:

Look at that! A brand new, Anderson-ready MacBook Air with a RAM upgrade, Windows 8 Pro, Office Home and Business and a sharp looking case, all for just $1422. For those of you keeping track, that's $323 less than the list prices and $578 less than Anderson's suggested computer allowance of $2000.

*Anderson uses Microsoft Office features and educational software that work best with Windows.

 

The Results Are In!

Class may not start until September 23, but don't tell that to the team at Anderson's Parker Career Management Center. With their strategic selection of pre-orientation deliverables (and due dates!), they've had the incoming Class of 2015 hard at work well before any of us have set foot on campus.

Among the deliverables is the CareerLeader Self-Assessment Tool. CareerLeader is a research and data-supported "approach to business career self-assessment built on the premise that one's interests, motivators and skills will drive their future career success and satisfaction."

Campus House Hunting on a Budget

An MBA is an expensive investment. And if you take a look at Anderson’s estimated student budget, you’ll see that it’s not just tuition that’ll have you reaching for your wallet. The good news is that UCLA offers plenty of ways to limit spending without sacrificing everything that’s great about the school and life in LA.

Let’s take another look at that estimated student budget.

 

 

If the “Room/Board” figure seems like an overestimate, then you're on to something. With a little help from UCLA, incoming students can live well below it and find great rates on places to stay in and around campus.

 

Take a look at three of my favorite options.

Meeting My Future Classmates

I was nervous when I first shared my plans to pursue an MBA with my parents and colleagues. Traditional wisdom had me believe a wide chasm existed between the MBA and nonprofit worlds.  I was worried that those closest to me wouldn’t understand my decision.

 

The reaction I expected:     “You’re going to do what?!”

The reaction I got:              “That’s great! How can we help?”

 

Their support was a relief, but I was sure the UCLA Anderson community would be a tougher sell. --- I was so wrong.

 

 

A few weeks back I met up with some other Class of 2015 admits. We shared food and drinks, told stories and talked about campus life. We joked around, made plans for orientation and learned a few secrets to winning in Hong Kong casinos.

What didn’t we talk about? My business inexperience. My “weird” nonprofit background. All the reasons I don’t fit in at Anderson.

I left the meetup downright impressed with my future classmates. Of course, they were all smart and successful. But they were also simply one of the nicest groups of people I had met in long time. They were warm and open-minded. Friendly and genuine. And they made me – and my nonprofit background – feel right at home at UCLA Anderson.

 

Daniel Genter, MBA '15 - Follow UCLA Anderson on Twitter.

5 Reasons I Chose UCLA Anderson

Everyone knows about Anderson’s strong academics and beautiful location. These are at the heart of the school’s appeal. But what else about Anderson sets it apart from other top programs? Beyond the rankings and LA backdrop, Anderson has a lot to offer. Here are a few more reasons that I’m becoming a Bruin.

 

Embrace of Social Impact

These days every top business school promises social impact opportunities. Yet, some are more committed to it than others. During the admissions process, I met schools that knew little about their own social impact offerings and took part in admissions interviews where my non-profit goals were met with resistance.

This was simply not the case at Anderson.  During my campus visit, I was paired with a current student who talked in detail about C4C and Anderson Net Impact. And although my admissions interviewer was not academically involved in social impact, she spoke highly of the Riordan Programs and gave me the chance to make a case for my social impact goals.

Tracks & Specializations

My non-business background left me a little lost when I first began looking at MBA curriculums. Anderson resolved this by organizing its breadth of courses into Tracks and Specializations. These academic paths helped show me which courses were essential to my focus and all the possibilities to customize my MBA at Anderson. They also showed me that Anderson has put serious thought into its curriculum and will be a clear way to signal my (newly acquired) business expertise to potential employers.

First Impression

First impressions are important and Anderson made a great one during my campus visit. Although I visited other schools with strong reputations, beautiful campuses and close-knit communities, none had the complete package that I found at Anderson. The student body was diverse and took a genuine interest in me as a prospective student. Campus was stunning and Gold Hall had a vibrant, open atmosphere. Everyone I met was positive and down to earth. By the time I left LA, Anderson had jumped to the top of my b-school list.

International Network

When I began researching business schools, one of the first things I heard about Anderson was its incredible LA network. This is definitely true. But as I dug deeper, I also found that Anderson and UCLA have great international networks – especially in Asia. With long-term goals that may take me permanently abroad, it’s great to know that I’ll have a professional network waiting for me no matter where I land.

Forward Momentum

Over the past few years, Anderson has redesigned its curriculum, rolled out new branding and fought to gain self-supporting status. Application numbers are also up at a time when most schools are experiencing declines. All of these changes convinced me that Anderson is working hard to continue moving its program in the right direction. As (future) MBA students, we’ve all done some self evaluating and are returning to school to prepare ourselves for a better future. I’ll be proud to attend a school that has done the same!

 

Daniel Genter, MBA '15 - Follow UCLA Anderson on Twitter.