Real Humans of UCLA Anderson’s MBA Class of 2020

At the UCLA Anderson School of Management, the collaborative curriculum gives students the skills to achieve their goals while the Career Management Center provides one-on-one coaching and access to top-level executives and businesses to help students make a smooth, successful transition into the professional world. Of the 3,423 people who applied to be a part of the supportive program, 360 matriculated in the Class of 2020.

Altogether, the new class averaged 719 on the GMAT and the 80 percent range fell between 680 and 750.  Their middle-80 percent undergraduate GPA range landed at 3.2 to 3.8.  A quarter of students had majored in business as undergrads. Economics and engineering were the next most popular majors, each claiming 18 percent. Sixteen percent had pursued humanities while 12 percent had studied math/computer science.

Most of the Class of 2020 arrives with previous professional experience. The average student has five years of prior work experience. A quarter of students arrived on campus from the financial services field.  Coming in a close second at 22 percent, high-tech was also a popular professional choice prior to the MBA.  Fourteen percent came from consulting, 10 percent had worked in public/nonprofit and another 9 percent had career experience in consumer goods.

The international students hail from 40 different countries and make up 33% of the class—a 3% improvement over the previous year. The latest class is comprised of 35% women, a 3% decrease from the Class of 2019. The percentage of minority students held about steady from the previous year at 29%.

UCLA Anderson historically attracts top-notch talent who can think outside-the-box and the five students we’ve profiled are no exceptions. Rather than continuing to introduce them, let’s step aside and give them space to speak for themselves.

Jordan Cantwell, UCLA Anderson MBA Class of 2020

Age: 26
Hometown: Cincinnati
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Purdue University, Mechanical Engineering
Pre-MBA Work Experience (years, industry): 3 years, engineering sales/business development in energy and industrial automation

Why business school? Why now?
I want to refine and supplement my current skillset in business school so that I can make a greater impact through my work. I’ve gained a variety of skills through my work experience, from very technical and quantitative engineering aspects to more qualitative and interpersonal sales techniques. I’m interested to learn how I can apply these skills, and the new ones that I acquire, to help companies set and carry out strategies.

Why Anderson? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
Culture, career services, and location. When I started interacting with students and the faculty, I saw how central the pillar of “Share Success” is to the Anderson culture. I knew that I wanted to find a community that was more collaborative than competitive and the emphasis on collaboration is very apparent at Anderson.

The Parker Career Management Center is consistently rated amongst the top career centers for MBA programs. Since I am looking to change industry and function during business school, having them available to guide me through the process is a huge plus.

Anderson’s location in a major city with a diverse economy was a factor for me as well. Being in Los Angeles gives Anderson students access to large multi-national firms, the start-up scene in Silicon Beach and everything in between. Throw in the amazing weather, food and culture that Southern California has to offer and it’s a been a great place to live and study.

What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2020?
The school year is just kicking off, so hopefully my greatest contributions are still to come. However, I was recently elected as my section’s Director of Alumni and Graduate Relations and I want to continue my involvement in the student government and clubs.

Thus far though, I think my greatest contribution has been as a friend and a connector. I’m pretty comfortable interacting with most everyone and I’ve done my best to get to know my classmates, introduce people that haven’t met yet and generally try to be an enjoyable person to be around.

Fun fact that didn’t get included on your application?
I caught all 151 (including Mew) Pokémon in the original red version. The day after I accomplished the feat, my friend dropped my Gameboy on the playground and completely wiped the game.

Post-MBA career interests?
Management consulting or internal strategy.

Advice to current prospective applicants:
–One thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process? 
Get the GMAT out of the way as early as possible. Once I made the decision that I wanted to pursue an MBA, I started preparing for the GMAT. It was definitely a process, so I’m glad I started early.

–One thing you would change or do differently?
Start writing essays earlier. Writing is not a natural strength of mine, so it takes me some time to get the creative juices flowing.

–Part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
The anxiety. You’re going to stress yourself out about every detail of your application and then stress about it again after you submit it. I was fortunate enough to have friends and family that supported me through the process and reassured me if I was feeling self-conscious. If you can, try not to do that to yourself… You’ve already made it this far and accomplished a lot. Just be your authentic self and you’ll find the program that is the best fit for you.

What is your initial impression of Anderson’s students/culture/community?
As advertised. Anderson promotes itself as a collaborative and inclusive environment, and my experience has been exactly as I expected. Everyone strives to make Anderson the best community that it can be while making a positive impact in the world.

One thing you have learned about Anderson that has surprised you?
I was aware that first year MBA students start before the rest of the academic programs. But, it has been a pleasant surprise to have the campus almost entirely to ourselves for the first six weeks. It helped to make this big transition back into academics as peaceful as possible.

Thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
Time management. Balancing academics, clubs/activities, recruiting, and social life should pose an interesting challenge.

Thing you are most excited about in your first year?
Getting to know as many people in my section and class as possible and learning about their experiences. Also, our school-wide trip to Whistler this winter!

Gabrielle Clark, UCLA Anderson MBA Class of 2020

Age: 26
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Emory University, Business (Accounting)
Pre-MBA Work Experience (years, industry): Three total. Two years of audit in financial services and one year in finance in media.

Why business school? Why now?
I decided to go to business school because I wanted to switch industry and function. When I tried to make this switch myself, I found it extremely difficult to do so and ultimately I was unsuccessful. I knew that business school would provide me with the industry knowledge that I didn’t have and great career services so I could land my dream job.

Why Anderson? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
I choose UCLA primarily because of their Center for Management of Enterprise in Media, Entertainment and Sports (MEMEs). I knew these were the industries I wanted to focus on and UCLA has a really robust curriculum related to sports and entertainment and in my opinion the best in the U.S.

Another reason I really liked UCLA was because of how collaborative Anderson is. There isn’t excessive extrinsic pressure to perform well academically, but rather students are intrinsically motivated and everyone in the community is so supportive.

Outside of academics, I chose UCLA because of LA! I’m from Chicago, went to school in Atlanta, lived in New York City for 4 years, and all of my family is geographically between Chicago and New Jersey. I really wanted to step out of my comfort zone and move some place where I didn’t know many people and some place completely new.

It was scary to make that commitment but I figured I was only signing up for two years and then I could reassess. Lastly, I chose UCLA because it is different from Emory. I didn’t want to repeat my undergraduate experience. I wanted to go to a place with more school pride, Division I sports, and a big school. 

What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2020?
What will different me most and be most valuable to the Class of 2020 is my willingness to step out of my comfort zone. There are a lot of opportunities for growth in business school through connecting with classmates as well as administrators and through utilizing various resources.

To get the most out of my next two years, I have already started meeting with my peers and networking among the UCLA Anderson community. It still feels awkward for me to put myself out there, but I’ve only had positive responses since starting at Anderson.

As I continue to do this, I will gain business insight and technical skills that I can share with my classmates and enrich the experiences and conversations the class has in the next two years.

Fun fact that didn’t get included on your application?
A fun fact that I couldn’t have included on my application was that Alex Lawrence, the Assistant Dean of Admissions at UCLA Anderson, called me to tell me I was admitted into the MBA program on my “birthday”. I put birthday in quotations because my birthday is February 29^th, so in 2017 I celebrated on February 28^th.

Post-MBA career interests?
Post-MBA, I want to be a strategy consultant and work on projects within entertainment, media, and sports.

Advice to current prospective applicants:
–One thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
One of the most helpful exercises I did during the application process was go through course catalogs. Because I knew I wanted to study sports and entertainment, I let the courses offered at various business schools help tailor my school list.

I would recommend that all prospective students think about the industry knowledge or technical skills they most want to gain and see how well schools can help them develop in those areas.

–One thing you would change or do differently?
One thing that I would do differently is to do more campus visits. There are so many opportunities to learn about a school through shadowing a student, on and off-campus informational sessions, and prospective student weekends.

It is difficult to get a sense of the culture at a school through online searches. If I had more time before applications were due, I would have invested more time towards visiting business programs around the country.

–Part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
The part of the application process that I would have skipped if I could was taking the GMAT. Thankfully, I scored well the first time I took the GMAT and did not have to take the test more than once, but the time commitment required for studying was challenging.

For two months, after work most days, I studied for five hours and ten-plus hours on the weekend. What helped me get through those long days of studying was my self-discipline and desire to go to business school starting in 2018.

I also had a very supportive community of friends and family who encouraged me and kept me accountable throughout the application process. My friends and family were very understanding when I would have to cancel or delay plans to study, write essays, etc. They helped me stay positive through the application grind.

What is your initial impression of Anderson’s students/culture/community?
I’m very impressed by the Anderson community. I have really intelligent classmates, with extremely impressive backgrounds, all of whom I get along. I honestly feel honored to work and learn with the students at Anderson and to be a part of the best section (Section C). Similarly, my professors have been engaging and easy to learn from.

One thing you have learned about Anderson that has surprised you?
One thing that was a pleasant surprise to me was how student driven Anderson is. As a student you are encouraged and even expected to take on leadership roles to further your MBA experience.

For example, at Anderson we have “fireside chats” which are intimate discussions among students about topics we feel are relevant. The first fireside chat organized by myself and some of my phenomenal classmates was on gender equity and the culture that exists between genders at Anderson and beyond. This was a really enlightening discussion and happened because students knew the importance of having this talk at the beginning of our MBA program.

Thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
I am most anxious about balancing my time! Our career services programming has already begun and there’s a lot to do. Paired with academics and my social life, I am nervous about finding a balance that allows me to optimize all three.

Thing you are most excited about in your first year?
I am most excited to build relationships with my classmates! So far, I’m getting along with my classmates really well and I’m looking forward to spending more time with them in social settings but also academic settings because there is a lot I can learn from them.

Lucas Nichols, UCLA Anderson MBA Class of 2020

Age: 30
Hometown: Kansas City, MO
Undergraduate Institution and Major: George Washington University, Economics
Pre-MBA Work Experience (years, industry): 9; healthcare, education

Why business school? Why now?
I’ve always wanted the hard skills the MBA provides, and I wrestled with whether I needed the actual degree. After seeking counsel from several sources, I concluded that the networking and recruiting opportunities at business school would outweigh the opportunity cost of the alternatives I was considering.

In terms of timing, I had a moment at the last company I worked for when I realized I didn’t want the future before me. I liked my boss, but I didn’t want his job. And I didn’t want his boss’s job. So even if my career trajectory proceeded perfectly, I didn’t want to be where I would end up in the next 10 years. This was a wake-up call! I had taken this job instead of pursuing an MBA, so I went back to the pros and cons list to reevaluate. Several people encouraged me about the tremendous value of an MBA, and their insights, as well as career paths, confirmed that now was the time for me to pursue an MBA.

Why Anderson? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
I applied to Anderson because of their core value “Share Success.” Teamwork and collaboration are extremely important to me, and I wanted to be a part of a culture that shared these values. During the application process, my interactions with current Anderson students demonstrated this value was truly embraced on campus, and my experience thus far has confirmed this to be true.

What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2020?
One of the most pervasive yet least discussed elements of business school is fear. What if I get rejected for that internship? What if I try something new and completely fail? What if I don’t have what it takes? I believe most students experience some element of fear, but instinctively feel like they need to have it all together to impress professors, recruiters and classmates.

Because of a few personal life-changing experiences, I have learned how to step through fear to overcome anxiety and doubts that can be paralyzing. My hope is to help build a culture at Anderson where students know that it’s okay to experience fear and that we can be vulnerable with each other. More importantly, however, I want us to know that fear can be overcome. By building a high-trust environment and supportive community, we can take on challenges we might eschew otherwise, knowing we have each other’s backs, ready to celebrate successes together or to pick each other up when we fall.

Fun fact that didn’t get included on your application?
I played drums and my brother played organ behind 4-time Grammy-Award winning gospel singer Karen Clark Sheard for a couple Christmas concerts several years ago. It was definitely one of my favorite musical experiences! She has such a powerful voice, and my brother is just incredibly talented. It was a joy playing with them.

Post-MBA career interests?
I plan to work in consulting, preferably in the healthcare space. I believe healthcare will undergo dramatic transformations in the next 10-20 years: new delivery and care coordination models, transparency of pricing, restructuring of insurance products, significant advances in neurocognitive therapies and more. I want to be a part of bringing these advancements to fruition.

Advice to current prospective applicants:
–One thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
Get a high GMAT score. Show schools you can bring value to them by helping them raise their average accepted GMAT score. Employers will like it, too (I imagine).

–One thing you would change or do differently?
Prep more for how to guide in-person interviews. I had a great conversation with one interviewer, but we ran out of time before I could delve into a key aspect of my value as a candidate. With more preparation, I would have known early in the interview that I needed to lead the conversation, and I could have steered the discussion to ensure I had time to fully develop this key element.

–Part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
I would have skipped the essays. I believe I’m better at communicating my heart and who I am face-to-face than through the written word. Sign me up for interviews or public speaking instead! Writing is more difficult for me.

Thankfully, I had some friends who reminded me that writing multiple drafts is just part of the process; I don’t have to nail it on my first try. Also, Wittgenstein comforted me. Language is just a series of games, right? So it should be fun, of course!

What is your initial impression of Anderson’s students/culture/community?
The collaborative culture at Anderson has truly impressed me. This is exactly why I applied to Anderson—so perhaps I should not be so surprised—but I am just incredibly grateful to be in a culture that really values working together and helping each other succeed.

Though we’re graded on a curve, students have not hesitated to share insightful comments, study resources they have developed, strategies for approaching problems and more. People genuinely care that their classmates understand the content and can apply it when writing papers or exams. This concern for collective success really encourages me.

One thing you have learned about Anderson that has surprised you?
I have been most surprised by the breadth of post-MBA career interests of Anderson students. This breadth is an indicator of the diversity of the class, and the plurality of perspectives adds so much value to the MBA experience. I’m excited to review the summer internship and career reports from our class to see how many industries and functions we covered with our relatively small class.

Thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
There are so many exciting opportunities and events through Anderson and the UCLA community, and I know I need to avoid overextending myself, which I have tended to do in previous academic environments. Several second-year students advised me time management is the most important skill to develop during first year, and I’ve been learning the importance of saying “No” to opportunities over the last couple years. Now I really need to put these skills into practice.

Thing you are most excited about in your first year?
There are so many exciting opportunities and events through Anderson and the UCLA community! (It’s a cause of anxiety and excitement.) Due to its alumni network and location, Anderson brings in some fantastic speakers and hosts engaging events. At this school in this city, there are always 45 amazing things you could be doing at any given time. Come check out the scene!

Anupama Gumber, UCLA Anderson MBA Class of 2020

Age: 26
Hometown: Jalalabad West in India
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Panjab University and Electronics and Communication Engineering
Pre-MBA Work Experience (years, industry): 4 years, Consulting

Why business school? Why now?
Having received the foundational training in consulting from BCG and ZS Associates, I was at a point in my career where I felt poised to make the next leap. Advancement in a role of strategy consultant was a natural choice.

For that, I realized that I needed to acquire new set of business skills that would complement my technical, analytical, and cognitive skills. I wanted to broaden my horizon by learning new things and gaining global exposure. All this could only have been possible at a business school.

Why Anderson? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
For me, getting a global business school experience was of utmost importance. Anderson has a very diverse class with backgrounds ranging from ballet dancers to PhD holders. Before making a call, I talked to the current students and got a sense of the school’s culture and assessed if I would fit in.

While talking to Anderson students, I could feel that it was a natural fit for me – people genuinely cared for each other and believed in sharing success. The cherry on the cake was the #1 ranked career services of Parker (meaning excellent placements) with a side of amazing location (SoCal), culture, and extremely smart yet humble students.

What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2020?
I believe everyone here brings something unique to the table. I have always been a team player who takes ownership of whatever task I am assigned within the team. I’m bringing to Anderson my never-give-up attitude and my optimistic outlook, which has been essential for the success of my teams and organizations.

Fun fact that didn’t get included on your application?
I absolutely love Karaoke and am up for it any time.

Post-MBA career interests?
I want to get into management consulting, but since coming to Anderson I have realized that there are plenty of other interesting options. I’m currently exploring those paths.

Advice to current prospective applicants:
–One thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
Speak to current students – mainly second year students – and find the fit. Find out about clubs and activities and see how and where you would like to contribute.

–One thing you would change or do differently?
Prepare better for my interview and emphasize on things that really matter to me. For example, I care deeply about breaking the glass ceiling and encouraging more women to take up leadership roles, I would have highlighted that in my interview.

–Part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
I felt that every part was important. During different phases of the application process, I introspected and envisioned my short-term and long-term goals. All of it was totally worth it because it provided clarity in selecting the school and finding out what I wanted to do.

What is your initial impression of Anderson’s students/culture/community?
Anderson is an amazing community which will always have your back. I came as a stranger but already know that I’ll leave with life-long friendships. Everyone in the faculty, admissions team, and Parker center is very accessible and very supportive. Sometimes you don’t even ask for help but the community anticipates the need and is there for you.

One thing you have learned about Anderson that has surprised you?
I was surprised by the number of opportunities that Anderson offers. Anderson is great at so many different career paths – technology, consulting, media, entertainment, sports, real estate, entrepreneurship. Seeing all the different opportunities, I’ve realized that I can mix/match and not just pick one.

Thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
I feel that time is passing by quickly. It was just a few weeks ago that I came to LA, started summer quarter and here I am at the start of fall quarter. I want to soak in every moment of this transformative experience without giving in to my fear of missing out.

Thing you are most excited about in your first year?
I grew up reading Harry Potter books and am excited to experience the wizarding world of Harry Potter at Universal Studios. I am also looking forward to exploring LA’s cultural landmarks like LACMA, Getty Museum, Hollywood Bowl, Griffith Observatory.

Ava Kavoossi, UCLA Anderson MBA Class of 2020

Age: 29 (eek I’m old!)
Hometown: Corona del Mar, CA
Undergraduate Institution and Major: University of Southern California, major in Business Administration, minor in Music Industry