According to Business Week Online’s interview with John Roeder, director of admissions at the Owen School of Management, applications are up for the fourth year in a row. This past year, applications were up 10%.

Indicate your Interest

As a common phenomenon, more students are applying for first round admissions. Due to the number and quality of these applicants, many of them receive admission, making 2nd and 3rd round admissions more competitive. Thus, there are benefits to applying early:

- Less competition due to fewer spots being filled at that point
- According to the school, it is easier, relatively speaking, to get merit-based scholarships. Most of the “best” scholarships are only given to candidates in the 1st round and possibly second round

The Process

The interviews are only offered to select candidates – the ones who have more work experience. This interview not only gives Owen and its admissions team to get to know you, your goals and your story, but gives you a chance to visit Owen and decide if you like the campus culture. The interview tips are quite the same as others we have heard before:

- Be prepared and have detailed questions
- Again, have questions! The admissions team wants to see how much research you have done on the program – don’t ask a question you could have easily figured out on your own before hand.

Speaking of work experience, the “average number of years” figure is quite similar to UCLA Anderson: 4.8 years. However Owen is more concerned with the quality of the time spent in the work force. They want a “strong” work background.

- How have you impacted your organization?
- What progress have you made?

Additionally, you should indicate that you are able to work in a team and that you have been involved in some kind of community outside of work experience. Through your interview, application and essays, let them know that you really plan to “dig in” at Owen and get involved.

Target Markets

Owen has large demographic spread, with most (77%) of its students coming from outside the southeastern United States. Owen also boasts representation from 20 different other countries mostly from Latin America, Asia and Europe. The school credits this variety to its successful employment rate at top organizations like Google and Nike. However Owen is reaching out to two very unique groups:

- The Military. All four branches of the armed forces are represented at Owen. The school feels that students who are exiting about the military have unique leadership qualities to offer the Owen and the business community.
- Students interested in working in health care and human resources

Owen is looking to increase global representation in its student body, as well as adopting new programs that cater to women who are interested in Business education.

UCLA

Interviews and Applications

UCLA’s Anderson School of Management received 30% more applicants in round one of 2007 than in 2006. This means, for one, that the school is changing its interview process for efficiency purposes and two, it is that much harder to get in. Now interviews are by invitation only. In other words, you may not get the chance to show the admissions team at Anderson who you are in your own words, so your application must be stellar.

If you do get the interview, be sure to be prepared. Know your resume inside and out and be able to speak to it without a second thought.

Lydia Heyman, director of MBA admissions at Anderson also has a few tips for one of the more mysterious application questions: the inevitable “is there anything else you would like to say” question.

- Out of the job? Explain why.
- Get a poor grade in undergrad? Explain why.

You have the opportunity to shed some additional light on something that without your story may not seem so positive. At this point in the application it seems best to elaborate as much as you can.

Scores and Experience

The admissions team also knows how hard the application process can be to get into a top business school. The phrase Tough Competition comes up at Manhattan Review quite often for a reason. The demand for an MBA from a top tier school is high and making your application stand out is no job for the faint of heart.

At UCLA last year there were 3,200 applications for 360 spots. Surely, most of those applicants had high test-scores and great grades in undergrad. It is a best practice to make your essay shine. Unfortunately, this is much harder than requesting a transcript. Here are some more tips:

- Give an example of past leadership experience, or something that says you have leadership potential for a management position
- Show them that you can do well on the job market. How can you contribute to the business world?
- Will you be able to give back to the school later in life?

If this sounds troublesome, you should know that UCLA students on average have just under 5 years of work experience. There is a trend, according to Heyman, of business schools taking students right out of undergrad: so called “early career admits.” In fact, some schools may devote a higher percentage of their admissions to that group. Heyman says this is not necessarily the case with Anderson, but it is still something to be aware of. The question remains: how do you get a glowing recommendation from someone in the business world, when you have not yet been in the business world?

The GMAT, as usual, seems to either be your ticket to stardom or the bearer of bad news. Last year, Anderson required in the range of 580 to 780 on the GMAT to be considered. This year, you need a 680 minimum. The reasoning behind this score is that UCLA considers itself to be a quantitative program. The school wants your knowledge of algebra and calculus (though not a part of GMAT) to be at a high level on day one.

Anderson accepted 117 non-US students out of 359 total admissions. If you are not based out of an English speaking country, UCLA requires proficiency in English and a TOEFL score submission. Besides that, says Heyman, there are no other requirements.

Still want to go to UCLA Anderson? Remember:

- Take time to develop an outstanding application, because you may not have the opportunity to interview
- If you get an interview, prepare thoroughly and know your resume well
- Have enough experience to get a recommendation from an employer, but if you anticipate the “early career admit” trend to intensify, don’t wait too long to apply.
- Aim for at least a 680 on the GMAT. Make sure you are prepared to demonstrate a high level of quantitative knowledge.

UCLA is looking to expand its representation globally, so whoever you are and wherever you come from, don’t hesitate to apply – just make sure you have the credentials.