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Live Admissions Q&A: Alex Lawrence of UCLA Anderson · Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast

• 0:08
  Speaker A: Welcome to the clear Admit MBA admissions podcast. I'm Graham Richmond, and you are about to hear a mini episode of the show that is part of a series of Admissions director interviews I conducted at the annual GMAT conference, which took place in New Orleans this year. The GMAC conference brings together admissions directors and other admissions professionals from leading business schools across the globe. So, obviously, it's a great opportunity for folks like me to kind of get. Get their attention and talk with admissions directors and get all the latest on anything going on with the application process. So I sat down with admissions directors from a number of schools, and I asked them questions about how their team looks at artificial intelligence and its use in the application process. We talked about video in the application process. A lot of schools using kind of video interviews, online things these days, and also just general trends in the applicant pool and some other just admissions tips that they wanted to offer our audience. These are short, they're ten minutes long. And I just had a lot of fun connecting with these admissions directors, many of whom are friends I've known for 20 years now working in this industry. So please sit back and enjoy. And I will say, pardon the background noise. I mean, these are kind of man on the street type interviews. I was grabbing admissions directors right and left and taking them to the lobby of the hotel to kind of have a quick conversation. So you'll hear, you know, things rattling around in the background, whatever, but just enjoy. And, yeah, a lot of great advice. So these are must listen if you're applying to any of these schools.
• 1:39
  Speaker B: I'm here at the GMAT conference with Alex Lawrence from UCLA Anderson. Alex, what's your title?
• 1:45
  Speaker C: Hi, Graham. Good to see you again. My title is assistant dean and director of MBA admissions and financial aid for the full time MBA program.
• 1:52
  Speaker B: Okay. And as we just discussed, you've been at UCLA Anderson for a while. 20 years.
• 1:57
  Speaker C: You said 20 years. Started April 2004, transitioned out of industry, working in management consulting for five years.
• 2:04
  Speaker B: Okay, got it. So, a couple of questions for you about trends and just application process. What's Anderson's stance on artificial intelligence? Candidates are writing essays. Are they allowed to use tools like chat, GPT? Do you guys have an official kind of point of view on this?
• 2:20
  Speaker C: Yeah, definitely. So our stance is that, yes, candidates can use things like chat, GPT, or any other sort of AI. We understand that's part of sort of maybe their research aspect, putting their application together. But the reality is, is that we still want to learn about you, the applicant itself, and we really don't believe any AI generated piece of equipment or any other source is going to help really tell the authentic you. And don't forget other parts of the application that we definitely leverage, including in person interviews, letters of recommendations. So sometimes maybe those chat GPT sources don't necessarily line up in it by itself versus, again, using your authentic voice when you put all that sort of research together.
• 3:07
  Speaker D: Okay.
• 3:08
  Speaker B: Yeah, that makes a ton of sense. Talked to you about. We were just chatting before. We kind of press record here about testing, and it sounds like you guys allow for waivers, but just walk me through that process and which tests do you take? And because you were telling me about, you've kind of evolved on that and so. Yeah, walk me through that.
• 3:25
  Speaker C: Absolutely. So for this past cycle, we increased the number of different ways you can apply with standardized tests or not. So on the standardized test side, we also added the executive assessment.
• 3:37
  Speaker D: Okay.
• 3:38
  Speaker C: In addition to what we've already accepted, the grenada gmat focused old gmat. But then, speaking directly to your point about the test optional piece, so candidates can submit their application without a test score.
• 3:53
  Speaker D: Okay.
• 3:54
  Speaker C: They have the opportunity to basically advocate why they are applying without a test score. It's a text field box. You can share whatever you want.
• 4:04
  Speaker D: Okay.
• 4:05
  Speaker C: Again, keeping in mind, like I said before, we, part of the requirements included a transcript. So we're gonna see that already resume and things like that would say this past year where we've seen applicants do very well in some cases that they talk to things about, maybe their profile background, maybe they have a professional license, maybe there's things about their degree, like maybe they're a quant heavy degree, like engineering. Whatever candidates can put in whatever they want, and they are evaluated like everybody else's.
• 4:36
  Speaker B: So I'm going to put you a little bit on the spot. Did anyone get into the incoming class? It's going to start in the fall. Who didn't take a test?
• 4:43
  Speaker C: Absolutely. I'm not gonna tell you the percentages.
• 4:45
  Speaker B: No, no, that's fine.
• 4:46
  Speaker C: But I will tell you it is. Double digit percentages.
• 4:49
  Speaker D: Oh, wow. Okay.
• 4:50
  Speaker B: So this is like. That's good to hear, because I feel like, you know, you wouldn't want to have a policy and then you're not actually taking anyone. Right. So that's okay. Thanks for clearing that up. The last question I had for you is about just trends in the applicant pool, particularly around career goals. Like, again, you've been at Anderson for, like, 20 years, and so you've probably seen different things come and go. So anything that you're observing, I mean, you've got your class probably more or less settled for the fall. I mean, as we're getting close. So anything you're witnessing in terms of what people are talking about?
• 5:18
  Speaker C: Yeah, definitely. So I would say this trend probably started a little bit before COVID but it's really strong now is the whole idea of candidates wanting to apply to things in the social impact space. And I think even probably over the last couple years probably has become more formalized in sort of how it's defined where candidates want to work at a company organization that resonates with their own values or things that are making a positive impact in society today. So for us, seeing that whole social impact piece, I think candidates are now starting to see MBA graduates going to companies that again are aligning with their vision and their purpose. And so the fact that we do have a center impact on Anderson that helps candidates get internships, helps them with that sort of career journey as well as the academic and professional development to kind of get in that space, whether immediately after graduation or even years after they graduate again, we're going to see that trend, I think, even in the near future.
• 6:16
  Speaker B: Yeah, I think you're right. I mean, I feel like even like, you know, corporate social responsibility, all these things have really like started to take a front seat and so you can go work for a really traditional company that many mbas have gone to work for, but they all are starting to have this opportunity for you to maybe focus on that aspect. So. Yeah, and I have to say now you're talking about the center on campus for impact, but I'm just reminding me of, you know, we had a chance to get together back in February this year. I came to campus and man, like if you haven't been to Anderson, if you're listening, listening to the show, like go to the campus, like what a beautiful, I mean, yeah, just a great setting and not too far from the beach, I guess. Right? You're never too far from the beach in LA.
• 6:56
  Speaker C: Right.
• 6:57
  Speaker B: But yeah, what an amazing, I just was really struck by the campus and the environment and obviously Anderson's buildings and everything, but yeah, really cool.
• 7:05
  Speaker C: Yeah. You know, if anything, only thing I'll say on that is that I think you read about it and they see it on the website. But until you actually are there and you see again, big beautiful campus, you just talked about the beach, you know, can ski, you know, ski and surfing the same day as we say, you know, depending on the time of the year. But just a lot of as somebody who appreciates being in a big metro city and having options. I think we're a great campus and destination for that.
• 7:29
  Speaker B: And actually, now that you're saying that, the one thing that I had seen the pictures, right. I mean, I've been working in this industry for a long time and somehow had never been to campus. And the thing that shook me the most was that, you know, you think of schools that are in massive urban centers, like LA is one of the biggest cities in the United States. Right. You've got schools in New York, La, Chicago. You rarely think of them as having like a real campus the way Anderson and UCLA does. You know, it's like a green campus. You could be, you know, I went to a liberal arts college out in the burbs of Philadelphia that had a massive campus, but this is like that. But you're in the middle of a city so very. Yeah. I think it's such a unique opportunity to have that kind of space but still be in an urban setting, so.
• 8:08
  Speaker C: Exactly. And you can see how long we didn't even talk about the weather.
• 8:11
  Speaker B: No, that's true. We haven't talked about the weather. Yeah.
• 8:13
  Speaker C: Which is, you know, phenomenal. But like you said, big campus on the west side of LA. Big in the middle, sort of a big sprawling city. Just once you come again, you'll be like, oh, my gosh, now I can see why.
• 8:24
  Speaker B: Yeah, totally. So I know there's other things you'd be doing right now at the GMAT conference. So thank you so much for making a few minutes to chat. Always good to catch up and. Yeah, just great to have you on the show, too.
• 8:33
  Speaker C: Hey, again, I appreciate it. Any time doing things for you and then the rest of the clientele that you work with, but I appreciate the opportunity.
• 8:39
  Speaker B: All right, thanks again.