1. Round 3 Strategies: UCLA
Anderson Beckons
http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com/

2. Round 3 Strategies: UCLA
Anderson Beckons
We've been running a lot of Round 3
strategies on this space the last few
weeks. Why? It is timely, obviously.

3. Round 3 Strategies: UCLA
Anderson Beckons
But also, Round three is just so
misunderstood that we find every
conversation leads to new epiphanies
for our clients. In turn, we pass along
the broadest and most helpful of
those pieces of information to the
general public.

4. Today, we're talking about a specific
school that you might want to consider
if you are firing off Round 3 bullets.
Before we get into it, a few notes:

5. Continuation
• Just because we are singling out
UCLA Anderson does not mean it is the
only great option for this time of year.
Many European programs are still very
active in building their classes (IESE, in
particular, has been good to our latestage folks over the last few years) and
there are more than a few domestic
programs that offer more than a cursory
look at March/April candidates.

6. Continuation
• If you want to get our advice on how
to approach Round 3 in general, please
see this previous post.
Okay, UCLA Anderson. First, how do
we know it stands as a better Round 3
option than most? A few reasons:

7. 1. UCLA Anderson's admissions
office has repeatedly said so.
To be specific, it was former Assistant
Dean of Admissions Mae Jennifer
Shores who repeatedly said so. She
has stated that UCLA has a "true
Round 3" many times before ... even
advertising this fact on her Twitter feed.

8. Continuation
Going forward, we believe what Mae
Jennifer said still holds true even
several years after her departure. With
the arrival of Alex Lawrence at the
admissions helm, Anderson's
administration elected with an individual
who is no stranger to the MBA program
- not in the least.

9. Continuation
Not only is Alex an Anderson class of
1999 graduate, but he has also been
working for the program since 2004.
We trust that he knows Anderson's
admissions challenges and long-term
trends better than anyone.

10. 2. It makes logical sense.
Just because the admissions office
says "we're open for business" doesn't
necessarily make it so. Admissions
officers must first and foremost drive
applications, so it is natural to promote
deadlines.

11. Continuation
That said, we're talking about one of the
best and most straight forward
admissions committees in the business
(just take a look at their application
essay), so we're inclined to take
Anderson at their word.

12. Continuation
Of course, we really don't have to
either. Why? The fact that Anderson is
a "downstream" program from Stanford
and Haas means that plenty of really
good applicants are going to get dinged
or waitlisted from those Bay Area giants
and take a second look at the terrific
school six hours south.

13. Continuation
Note: THIS IS NOT A KNOCK ON
UCLA ANDERSON. Amerasia founder
Paul Lanzillotti is a proud UCLA
Anderson grad and he raves about his
experience there. Needless to say, we
hold the school in the highest esteem.

14. Continuation
However, we also know that the NoCal
programs - Stanford especially - can
catch people's attention earlier in the
process; if for no other reason than
people are slaves to the rankings and
those schools are ranked higher in
certain publications of note.

15. 3. UCLA Anderson blooms
larger, later.
What we mean by this is that as
candidates develop their narrative and
MBA desires, they often discover
Anderson as a top choice a bit deeper
into the journey.

16. Continuation
This is true of people looking for certain
cultures (teamwork-focused,
cooperative students, friendly
professors, more relaxed, laid back
vibe), specialties (career tracks &
specializations, real estate,
media/entertainment,
entrepreneurship),

17. Continuation
geographic recruiting advantages
(particularly elite L.A. finance firms, and
a flexible front-loaded curriculum), and,
yes, weather (it's no shock that as
people visit schools and attend campus
interviews, they suddenly realize they
can go to school in either 80-degree
sunshine vs. 20-degree snow).

18. Continuation
Perhaps more than any other business
school, UCLA Anderson is a "late
bloomer." But when it blooms, it often
explodes into full color for an applicant.
Thus, it makes sense for Anderson to
hold out and let those folks make the
discovery on their terms.

19. Continuation
Okay, so we know that UCLA Anderson
is more accessible for Round 3. They
are devoting more resources, they are
holding the application deadline back
as late as possible (April 15 this year),
and they are saving more seats in the
class (and scholarship dollars as well).

20. Continuation
If that wasn't enough, Anderson's
website even lets international
applicants know that they gear up,
stating - "Round 3 admits include
strong candidates from around the
world, and getting a student visa in time
for fall enrollment is easy." No
problemo.
So how do you proceed from here?

21. Continuation
Conceptually, it's simple. You must
marry "Why now instead of two rounds
ago?" with "Why an MBA from UCLA
Anderson?" This means taking the
normal approach you would use
applying to UCLA and folding in the
extra rules that we apply to any Round
3 school:

22. Continuation
• Why an MBA takes you were you
need to go. You + an MBA = Next step.
• Why UCLA Anderson is the right fit.
Understanding the DNA of the program
and showing how that perfectly aligns
with your approach, strengths, and
desires for a business school
experience.

23. Continuation
• Why you will add value to the UCLA
Anderson experience.
• Why you are just now applying to
UCLA Anderson. (The Round 3
wrinkle.)

24. Continuation
Keep in mind that if you are to reapply
to UCLA Anderson at a later date, you
will add a "Reapplicant Essay" answer
to your existing application. So this is
NOT a place to just throw a dart,
figuring you can hit the reset button.

25. Continuation
You have to do it right. Take your time.
Engage a consultant if resources allow.
Do the best job you can, because this
application will stay with you next year.

26. Continuation
All told, this is one of a handful of
places out there that truly wants to see
what Round 3 has to offer. So if you
are someone late to the party, but you
have the chops and the desire to be
enrolled at a great b-school in the Fall
of 2011, give UCLA Anderson a long
look.

27. If you need help with Round 3 - either comprehensively or
just stress testing your essays to make sure they hit the
mark - email us at mba@amerasiaconsulting.com . The
arms race for consulting help usually starts in April for
Round 1 of the next year, but the best value is probably
right now. You can get more distance from the field in
Round 3 than at any other time and the quality of your work
will make a huge difference.

28. For an overview of Amerasia MBA Admissions Consulting services,
please visit
http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com/mba_admissions_consulting_services
To demonstrate our commitment to doing Round 3 right,
we have a very unique policy: work with us on a
comprehensive package for the late round and we will
help you reapply to the same schools free of charge in the
fall, should it come to that. View our "Round 3 Guarantee"
for complete details.