UCLA Anderson MBA Recommendation Questions
The UCLA Anderson MBA application requires two professional recommendations. Reapplicants only need to submit one new recommendation. Recommenders should be able to speak to your work performance, capabilities, and potential for graduate studies and future career success, ideally a direct supervisor. There is an online questionnaire, but recommenders may upload an additional letter if they choose. The UCLA MBA recommendation questions are now available for applicants and their recommenders.
2025-2026 UCLA Anderson MBA Recommendation Questions
Section 1: Recommender Information
We appreciate your thoughtful feedback, which provides the Admissions Committee with a valuable perspective on the applicant’s abilities and achievements. Whenever possible, please support your comments with specific examples from your experience. If you wish to elaborate further, you are welcome to upload an additional letter.
Context of Relationship
- Current Employer
- Previous Employer
- University/Academic
- Extra Curricular/Community
- Other
Relationship to applicant
- Direct Supervisor
- Other Supervisor
- Advisor/Mentor
- Colleague/Peer
- Direct Report
- Indirect Report
- Client/Customer
- Business Partner/Investor
- Vendor
- Professor/Instructor
- Other
How long have you known the applicant?
During which period of time have you had the most frequent contact with the applicant?
If you are affiliated with UCLA Anderson School of Management or UCLA, please select the option that most closely matches.
- Faculty
- UCLA Anderson Graduate
- UCLA Graduate
- Staff
- Not affiliated
- Other
Section 2: Competency Ratings
Recommenders are asked to rate 10 competencies using the following scale:
Competencies:
- Interpersonal Skills
- Professional Maturity
- Resilience
- Self-Confidence
- Communication
- Analytical and Problem Solving
- Motivation and Initiative
- Work Quality
- Teamwork
- Leadership Potential
(Optional) Is there anything about your competency ratings on which you’d like to comment?
Section 3: Comments and Examples
Please answer the following questions and provide specific examples where possible.
- Please provide a brief description of your interaction with the applicant and, if applicable, the applicant’s role in your organization. (Recommended word count: 50 words)
- How does the performance of the applicant compare to that of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? (E.g. what are the applicant’s principal strengths?) (Recommended word count: 300 words)
- Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response. (Recommended word count: 300 words)
- (Optional) Is there anything else we should know?
Based on your professional experience, how do you rate this candidate compared to her/his peer group?
- Unable to assess
- Below average
- Average
- Very good (well above average)
- Excellent (top 10%)
- Outstanding (top 5%)
- The best encountered in my career
Overall, I …
- Do not recommend this applicant
- Recommend this applicant, with reservations
- Recommend this applicant
- Enthusiastically recommend this applicant
MBA Applywire
Hi experts and community,
I am a prospective applicant for the 2027 intake and need a "brutal" evaluation. My biggest concern is my short work experience (I will have under 3 years by matriculation). I need advice on how to maximize my total overall profile in the next 4 months to compete with more seasoned candidates.
My Profile:
- GMAT Focus: 675 (I consider 675 is under my best performance a little).
- Education: GPA 3.51/4 in a major university in Vietnam, Passed CFA Level 2 (90th percentile)
- Work Experience (Under 3 years at matriculation):
+ 15 months - Buy-side Equity Investment: Sector analysis and valuation.
+ Current (approx. 16 months by matriculation) - Corporate Finance: Focus on Capital Raising and M&A Execution (preparing deal documentation and due diligence for subsidiary acquisitions).
- Extracurriculars & Leadership:
+ CFA Society Vietnam (Vietnam Community of Investment Professionals): 4 years volunteer in total, of which 1 year as a Volunteer Lead for community projects.
+ Entrepreneurship: Co-founder of a small language center (managing operations, sales and finance).
Post-MBA Goals: Transition to Investment Banking (IB) or stay in Corporate M&A.
My Questions for the Experts:
+ School Stretch: Given my limited YOE, which Top EU/UK MBA programs (LBS, INSEAD, HEC, Oxford, Cambridge, IESE,...) are my realistic targets?
+ Overall Profile Maximization: What specific areas should I sharpen in the next 120 days to strengthen my profile?
Thank you all in advance for your time and insights!
In addition to my undergraduate degrees in landscape architecture and geography, I also have an MA in geography 3.9 gpa, and a PhD in Architecture. I am currently a VP at my company and a likely candidate for CEO in the near future. I want to continue working while pursuing my MBA to increase my chances of moving into the CEO role. Also, my goal is to start my own ClimateTech firm in the next several years. An MBA will help achieve both of these goals. For each of the selected schools, I would pursue their online MBA program so I can continue working. While I, of course, want to attend a prestigious program, I'm not willing to sacrifice my money or too much of my company's money to spend six figures on an online MBA. That is a part of the driver for the programs I have selected to look at. In the US, it is rare that online programs provide funding; a bit seems to be available at European programs.
- International Male, 26, southeast Asian (non-Chinese/indian)
- BEng, top 15% of the class, the best local uni (but unknown outside of the country)
- (0.5Y) Global LDP program of a F500, left early to join consulting
- (2.5Y) at S&, strategy consulting in the field of fintech/ banking, top tier performance (5% of the cohort in the region, early promotion)
- (1Y) Left S&, started my own fintech for underserved teenagers, got pre-seed funding from a tier 2 Banking VC, closed after a year due to regulations change, small scale with multiple impact rewards (20k+ farmers
Goals: Join a fintech in the US (strategy div), or Financial services consulting (like OW, McK) incase i can't secure a fintech position (internationals), with a long term goal of starting another fintech
- International Male, 26, southeast Asian (non-Chinese/indian)
- BEng, top 15% of the class, the best local uni (but unknown outside of the country)
- (0.5Y) Global LDP program of a F500, left early to join consulting
- (2.5Y) at S&, strategy consulting in the field of fintech/ banking, top tier performance (5% of the cohort in the region, early promotion)
- (1Y) Left S&, started my own fintech for underserved teenagers, got pre-seed funding from a tier 2 Banking VC, closed after a year due to regulations change, small scale with multiple impact rewards (20k+ farmers
Goals: Join a fintech in the US (strategy div), or Financial services consulting (like OW, McK) incase i can't secure a fintech position (internationals), with a long term goal of starting another fintech
Education: B.Tech Information Technology (Tier-2 college)
GPA: 9.16/10 (Converted equivalent: 3.91).
Standardized Testing: 715 GMAT Focus (99th percentile equivalent).
Professional Achievements (Bulge bracket investment Bank)
Role: ML Engineer , ~3 YOE now (will have 5 at the time of matriculation).
High-Impact Innovation: Awarded "Most Innovative Project" for three consecutive years (2024 ,2025 and 2026).
Secured 1st Place in 2025 and 2nd Place in 2024 in the Technology Innovation Program
Revenue Generation: Designed and implemented a scalable recommendation system for wealth management that drove a 45% increase in revenue for the targeted segment.
Operational Efficiency: Engineered an Agentic AI system for automated customer support, significantly reducing overhead and optimizing resource allocation.
System Integrity: Spearheaded a performance audit that resolved critical failure rates in cloud-native microservices, ensuring zero-downtime for high-stakes financial data.
Leadership & Civic Engagement
Youth Parliament: Recognized for leadership in simulated legislative environments; developed high-level skills in policy advocacy, structured debate, and consensus-building. Winner of District level in 2025,2026
Strategic Collaboration: Partnered with senior stakeholders to align technical roadmaps with institutional wealth management goals.
Post-MBA Goal
Short-Term: Transition into Investment Banking (IB), specifically within Technology or FinTech coverage groups, leveraging technical depth to advise on M&A and capital markets activity.
Long-Term: Executive leadership within the global financial services ecosystem.
MBA LiveWire
Round 3, non traditional background
Round 3, non traditional background
WL since R1. Not sure if it’s over, even if I wasn’t rejected.