UCLA Anderson

Los Angeles, CA · Public · 2-year full-time

Average GMAT Focus: 660 (635–695 (middle 80%))
Average GPA: 3.50
Class size: 287 (Class of 2028)
Median base salary: $160,096 (Class of 2025)
Program tuition: $165,468 (≈ 2 × first-year tuition, nonresident)

Deadlines

Round 1: Oct. 1, 2026
Round 2: Jan. 6, 2027
Round 3: April 7, 2027

Essays

Short Essay 1 (250 words)

Describe your short- and long-term post-MBA goals, including your desired role, industry, and examples of target companies. How will an MBA support your path to achieving your goals, and which UCLA Anderson resources do you expect to rely on most to reach them?

Short Essay 2 (250 words)

How do you hope your UCLA Anderson classmates will describe you by the time you graduate? What qualities and / or values do you want to be known for, and how will you demonstrate them as a student leader and community member?

Short Essay 3 (50 words)

What is the first thing you would tell your classmates about yourself upon arriving at Anderson?

Optional essay (250 words)

Are there any extenuating circumstances or additional context you would like to share with the Admissions committee?

Editor's notes

Round 1 closes Oct. 1, and Anderson's policy cuts both ways: if you're denied, you can't try again in Round 2 or 3 this year. A rushed October file can cost you the whole cycle. If your essays or recommenders aren't ready, Jan. 6 is the better date.
The test is optional, but Anderson says math courses and any quant score get special scrutiny, and that a strong score can help applicants without a quantitative background. Going test-free means writing an MBA-readiness essay built on evidence. If your transcript is thin on quant, a score is the cleaner proof.
Your interviewer, usually a second-year student, sees your resume and nothing else. So Anderson's two-minute resume walk-through is where the interview is set up. Practice it until the story of your career and your goal fits in that time.
Anderson is built for career switchers: 90% of the Class of 2028 is changing careers, and technology was the top industry for 2025 graduates at 28.3%. Your first essay has to show the bridge. The committee knows you're changing direction; it wants to see you've mapped how.