UC San Diego Rady

La Jolla, CA · Public · 2-year full-time MBA (STEM-designated; fall start, late August)

Median GMAT Focus: 597.5
Average GPA: 3.47
Class size: 40 (Class of 2027)
Program tuition: $151,706 (≈ 2 × first-year fees, nonresident)

Deadlines

Round 1: Oct. 1, 2026
Round 2: Jan. 15, 2027
Round 3 (Fellowship & International Deadline): April 1, 2027
Round 4 (Domestic Deadline): June 1, 2027

Essays

Required Essay 1 (500 words (PDF))

From your resume, we understand your career path and experience to date. Please share your specific career goals for both your internship and long-term plans after graduation (consider including function, industry, and companies of interest).

Required Essay 2 (500 words (PDF))

How will an MBA from Rady address areas of development and help you achieve these goals?

Optional essay (250 words (PDF))

This is an opportunity to address a GPA below 3.0 from your undergraduate institution, explain an employment gap of 3 months or more and provide any additional information you feel would be helpful for the admissions committee as we make our decisions. Do not use the optional essay to provide additional content to address the required essay.

Video essay (1 minute (uploaded video))

Additionally, you will be required to upload a 1-minute video introducing yourself to the Admissions Committee.

Editor's notes

Round 1 closes Oct. 1, and after that Rady decides on a rolling basis, so seats and scholarship money go as files come in. If you want fellowship money, don't treat April 1 as a real deadline; it's the last day you can still be considered.
Test optional here comes with a checklist: a U.S. four-year degree, a 3.0 GPA, 36 months of work and a B in a quant course. Miss any one and Rady says a score helps, and its FAQ adds that a strong score helps with fellowships and with finance and consulting recruiters. International applicants are told outright to submit one.
The two essays split the job cleanly: Essay 1 is where you're going, Essay 2 is what you're missing and how Rady fills it. Write them as a pair. The video is the only place the committee hears you before the interview, so treat it as part of the interview.
Know the class you're joining. The fall 2025 cohort had 40 students, 57% international and averaging 4.3 years of work. In a class that small your recommenders and interview carry weight, and there's nowhere to hide a thin career story.