We welcome back Dr. Naz Erenguc, Director of Admissions for the University of Florida (UF) Warrington College of Business, in this installment of our Admissions Director Q&A.
Combining her passion for equity with business, academic, and global health expertise, Dr. Naz Erenguc is one of the most versatile voices in graduate education today. In her role as a professor of global health or as director of admissions for UF’s top-ranked MBA program, “Dr. Naz” helps makes sure everyone has a seat at the table. During her tenure at UF, she has worked as an undergraduate academic advisor for both the College of Health and Human Performance and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. For almost 15 years, she has led the admissions and recruiting efforts of Warrington College of Business in the MBA program.
Dr. Naz is not only focused on the health of her MBA program, but the entire globe as well. In addition to her role as an administrator, she has also taught several undergraduate and graduate courses, including Personal & Family Health, Trends and Issues in International Health, Health Disparities in the U.S. and Abroad, and First-Year Florida. Although much of her early research focused on disease prevention with the use of holistic medicine through complementary and alternative medicine, her current teaching focus is on global health. Lastly, when she’s not recruiting for the MBA program or teaching a course, Dr. Naz serves on the Executive Board for the Association for Academic Women and is the Institutional Representative for the American Council of Education Leadership Network of Florida.
Keep reading for her insights into campus life and culture in Gainesville, Florida, what to expect from the MBA application process, and her best practices for preparing to write your best essay.
Clear Admit: What is the one aspect of your program that you wish applicants knew more about?
Naz Erenguc: The UF MBA program is small by design. We only bring in up to 60 full-time MBA students every year to ensure a personalized experience – including one-on-one career coaching, professional development, an ecosystem of support with academic advisors, and a strong network of peers who become teammates and fellow Gators. You get to join a current MBA student population of over 900, all of which are on the same educational and transformative journey.
CA: Walk us through the life of an application in your office from an operational standpoint. What happens between the time an applicant clicks “submit” and the time the committee offers a final decision?
NE: My team and I pride ourselves on having a speedy review process. We understand that applicants have countless options, so I use a concierge-style approach to working with applicants. Once an application is submitted, the team assembles a file and updates the applicant on the status of their materials. Throughout the application process, the Admissions Committee will ask the candidate if they have any questions before progressing to the next phase. Then, we review files on a rolling basis and notify candidates within 2 weeks if they are moving forward with the interview phase. The interview will be conducted between both Admissions and Business Career Services to assess the candidates’ academic and professional readiness to commit to the Warrington MBA student experience. After the completion of the interview, the admissions committee releases decisions within 2-3 weeks. We urge applicants to reach out at any time throughout the process since we operate under complete transparency. A differentiated aspect of holistic admissions also means that we offer real-time feedback to increase competitiveness for the current or future terms.
CA: How does your team approach the essay portion of the application specifically? What are you looking for as you read an essay? Are there common mistakes that applicants should try to avoid? What is one key thing they should keep in mind as they sit down to write?
NE: In today’s world it is easy to use AI to curate an admissions essay. Furthermore, there is a misconception about what the Admissions Committee is looking for in these responses. I’m here to tell you that what my team and I value most is authenticity, introspection, and self-awareness. There are no right or wrong answers to an essay; these are the first glimpses we get to learn more about a candidate. We don’t need cookie-cutter responses or quotes; rather, we want to hear the candidate’s voice and understand why they are attracted to joining the MBA community here at the Warrington College of Business.
CA: Could you tell us about the Florida Warrington admissions interview process? Approximately how many applicants do you interview? Who conducts the interview and what is the nature of the interview? Will your admissions interviews be in-person or virtual for the 2025-2026 admissions season?
NE: Interviews are conducted via Zoom, they are one hour, and split between the admissions team and the career coach for our Full-Time MBA students. An applicant spends the first portion of the meeting with either myself or a member of my team where we talk about why they are interested in the University of Florida, their professional and personal goals and ask questions that provide light on how well a candidate works on groups/teams. We also ask other situational questions on topics such as leadership, conflict resolution and stress management. The second portion of the interview covers topics related to career objectives; what types of companies and roles the candidate is interested in. We also ask questions that provide light on the coachability and grit the student possesses.
CA: Is there anything in particular international students should keep in mind during the Florida Warrington admissions process?
NE: I strongly urge international applicants to connect with my team as early as possible. I have a team built to assist candidates as they make the choice of which program they would be best suited for, the timeline in which they should apply based on their desired enrollment term, and what documentation and test scores they need to be considered competitive candidates. Additionally, applying by Round 1 (October 15th) allows for the greatest chances to process applications and scholarship awards in a timely manner.
CA: What is your favorite spot on campus?
NE: This is a super tough question to answer. I’m going to say I have three. The first being Emerson Courtyard, where Warrington faculty, staff, and students come together and enjoy our beautiful ivy-clad buildings, red brick, and plenty of tables to enjoy the outdoors. Following Emerson Courtyard, I would say The Swamp, which, if you don’t know is the name of the UF football stadium. This is where you can cheer your school’s football team with over 90,000 fellow Gators fans and truly feel the energy and excitement around campus. My final spot is a little quieter, it is Lake Alice. Located on the periphery of campus you get the feeling that you are truly in the swamp. You can walk down a boardwalk to get a stunning view of the lake. At dusk, you can stand around the lake and watch as half a million bats emerge from the bat houses. Lastly, what makes this place so unique is that you can see our school mascot, an alligator, sunbathing on the banks of the lake (don’t worry you can stand far away from them).
CA: Is there anything else you’d like to highlight about your MBA program or Florida Warrington admissions process?
NE: As we tell each applicant, ‘We are here for your success.’ We want to get to know each applicant as best as possible. My team and I are here to navigate the admissions process and foster accessibility through regular phone calls, Zoom chats, weekly virtual information sessions, coffee chats, and open houses. Our office’s student-centric focus starts the moment an applicant browses our website and continues beyond commencement when they join the Gator Nation alumni community that is well over half a million and growing.
