UPDATE: This article was originally posted on October 21, 2019. It has been updated with 2024/25 information and tips below.
Located in sunny southern California, the UCLA Anderson of Management stands out not only for its flexible curriculum and wide array of specializations but also for its relentless drive to prepare its students to think outside the box and harness the power of innovation in creating the future of business.
However, with more and more students wanting to pursue careers in technology and take advantage of the school’s location in the Silicon Beach, as well as an increasing number of students who attend UCLA for its real estate expertise, getting admitted to Anderson is more challenging than ever.
That’s why we’ve prepared this guide to help you use your UCLA admissions interview to stand out. We’ve rounded up not only our best tips but have also included sample interview questions to ensure you give your Anderson application your best shot.
How the UCLA Anderson Interview Works
As one of the most elite business schools in the world, landing an interview with UCLA Anderson is no easy task.
Thus, if you have passed to the interview phase of the UCLA application process, congratulations! This is already an exceptional achievement.
UCLA interviews are generally conducted by the admissions committee on-campus or online.
During the interview, the admissions committee member is actively trying to gauge how solid your motivations for wanting to pursue an MBA are, how interested you seem in the UCLA program, and if you fit well with the program’s core values. Interviewers often ask many standard MBA interview questions, as well as questions designed to gauge your self-awareness and entrepreneurial mindset. You can also expect numerous follow-up questions.
Our clients who have interviewed with UCLA in the past say that the interviewer was very friendly and prepared questions specifically tailored to their profile. As such, some clients received questions that were far more personal in nature, while others focused strictly on their academic and professional achievements.
Who will interview you?
You will interview with a member of UCLA’s admissions committee or a second-year student.
Will the interviewer have read your application?
No. The UCLA interview is blind, meaning the interviewer will only have access to your CV.
How long will the UCLA interview last?
30-60 minutes.
Who is UCLA Anderson looking for?
Source: @uclaanderson on Instagram
“When you collaborate to win, you share success. This ethic is at the very core of our character.” UCLA Anderson Admissions
Every year, Anderson’s admissions team sorts through thousands of applications to find the perfect admits for its class of around 300 students. With a strong emphasis on innovation and collaboration, there is no “standard” student at Anderson, yet the average student admitted to the Class of 2026 had 5.7 years of work experience and a 714 GMAT score.
Nonetheless, Anderson looks beyond the numbers. Famous for its three pillars (share success, think fearlessly, and drive change), Anderson looks for applicants who will deliver value in the community as well as the classroom.
Source: UCLA Anderson’s website
Furthermore, Anderson states that it looks for candidates who demonstrate academic horsepower (through strong GPAs and test scores), a track record of contributing to the community, employability, and focus.
Trends in recent UCLA Anderson interviews
Recent feedback from candidates interviewing at UCLA Anderson highlights several notable trends that you should consider when preparing for your interview:
Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion: Candidates are increasingly asked about their experience working with diverse teams and their thoughts on inclusivity. This aligns with Anderson’s mission of fostering an inclusive community.
Focus on Adaptability and Resilience: There is a growing emphasis on how candidates have navigated recent challenges, particularly in dynamic work environments or during periods of change.
Interest in Los Angeles and Local Impact: Many interviewers are now exploring why candidates are specifically interested in UCLA Anderson beyond the academic curriculum, focusing on how they plan to engage with the Los Angeles community and contribute locally.
How can you prepare for your UCLA Anderson interview?
Though no interview is 100% predictable, UCLA interviews do tend to center around a fairly standard list of MBA interview questions, with a few personalized questions added as well. As such, we have prepared some model questions below that previous candidates have received in their past UCLA interviews.
What questions are asked in the UCLA Anderson interview?
The questions below are drawn from our clients’ interview reports, as well as from sites like clearadmit.com. Though these are not all the potential questions you could possibly receive during your UCLA interview, preparing for these (and any follow-up questions you think you might be asked) should give you a very solid foundation for your interview.
STARTING UP QUESTIONS
- Tell me about yourself. / Walk me through your resume. (Expect follow-up questions like: What do you like about your current job?)
- What do you like to do outside of work?
- What are your short-term and long-term career goals?
- What is your backup plan if your career goals don’t work out?
- Why do you want an MBA?
- Why now?
- Why UCLA?
- What would you contribute to Anderson?
- What other schools did you apply to?
- If you got into all your schools, why would you pick UCLA over schools that are higher ranked?
LEADERSHIP & TEAMWORK
- Describe a difficult team situation you have had to deal with in the past.
- What would you do when a team member wasn’t pulling his own weight?
- Discuss a team failure you were part of.
- What kind of leader are you? Can you give me an example?
- What is your best quality when working in a team? Your worst?
- Tell me about a time when you worked with a diverse group of people.
MISCELLANEOUS BEHAVIORAL
- Can you describe a difficult/challenging interaction you had at work?
- Which personal and professional accomplishment are you proudest of?
- Tell me about a time when you received constructive feedback. How did you act upon it?
- Describe a situation where you had to make an ethical decision.
- When was a time you used your strengths to make an impact?
- What will be a challenge for you at Anderson?
- Tell me about a time you failed and what you learned from it.
- What is the biggest risk you’ve ever taken?
- How would your colleagues describe you?
- Are there specific industries or sectors in Los Angeles that you find particularly exciting, and how do you plan to engage with them?
- How does living and studying in Los Angeles contribute to your overall vision and goals?
CLOSING
- Is there anything you wish I had asked you? / Anything else you’d like to share?
- Questions for me?
We have found that answering real interview questions on the spot is a much better means of preparation than reading lists of interview questions for most candidates.
We highly suggest you take a look at mock interview questions and sample interview responses before your interview.
Our MBA Resource Center has dozens of real interview mocks from Anderson, as well as detailed guides to help you prepare for questions ranging from “Why our MBA program?” to “Tell us about a time you failed.”
The Ellin Lolis Consulting MBA Resource Center is your one-stop shop to interview success. Click to join!
If you’re still not quite confident with your interview skills, our interview experts can help you craft your answers or prepare you for the UCLA Anderson interview through mock interviews tailored to your profile.
What to do if you get a question you weren’t prepared for
Despite your most diligent preparation, you will almost always receive a question you had not prepared.
First, stay calm and take a deep breath. You have already made it this far in the process, and one question will not trip you up!
Second, make sure you directly answer the question the interviewer asked you. For example, if the interviewer asks you about a time you had to deal with a difficult manager, make sure to tell a story about a difficult manager and how you handled the situation.
If you’re having trouble thinking of an answer or an example to support your answer, however, take a drink of water to give yourself a few more minutes to think. If you really can’t think of an example from your personal or professional experience, you can use a hypothetical answer about how you would act in a certain situation.
Finally, assume that the interviewer is testing how you think on your feet and respond to questions you didn’t prepare in advance. Though your answer might not be as polished as if you’d had weeks to rehearse it, smile and confidently give your answer to show you can respond to any question they throw at you.
Effectively tell your story during your UCLA Anderson interview
One of the most common mistakes we see in MBA interviews is that candidates fail to tell compelling, well-constructed stories about their profiles while also nailing the basics.
Striking this balance between sharing STAR-format examples that show off your background while also presenting strong answers to questions like “Why do you want an MBA?” is a challenging task that requires significant thought and preparation.
Because of this, it’s no surprise that, on average, 50% of interviewed applicants walk away without an offer.
This is why our interview preparation process here at Ellin Lolis Consulting is known as the best in the industry. We offer customized 1:1 support that ensures you’re able to turn your application’s strengths into compelling answers that show fit and sell your profile in any type of interview.
That’s why 98.9% of our clients secure admissions to at least one of their target schools.
Not only can you take advantage of our development process through multiple sessions – you can also benefit from a single session! If your budget is tight, our interview experts can focus your session on a single aspect of the preparation process, from workshopping your answers to providing mock interviews.
Our tailored approach was critical to helping our client, Alexandre, secure a spot at his dream school.
“I had an amazing experience working with Ellin.
From day one, I could see that this was the right choice for me. I come from a not-so-common background so having someone with big MBA prep experience was really important to me. The work we did was tailored to my top choice schools and Ellin was always hands-on with my preparation. The level of detailed feedback I got on my interview preparation was the key point that helped me differentiate myself from the rest.
Getting accepted to UCLA Anderson School of Management with a $40k scholarship is a turning point in my career, and I am very happy to acknowledge Ellin’s huge part of that success.”
Forget simulation platforms or long lists of tips – our 1:1 preparation focuses on playing to your strengths and overcoming your weaknesses to turn you into an interview expert. Hire our interview services here. Our interview packages sell out quickly, so make sure you sign up today!
Real MBA Essays That Got People In
School-specific sample essays that got our clients accepted
