Admissions Director Q&A: Rob Weiler of the Anderson School of Management at UCLA

Rob Weiler currently serves as the interim director of MBA admissions and financial aid for the Anderson School of Management at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). He replaces Mae Jennifer Shores, who in 2009 became admissions director at the Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California at Irvine.

Weiler, a 1991 graduate of the Anderson MBA program, returned to campus in 2007 to serve as an executive-in-residence in the Parker Career Management Center (CMC). He brought with him more than 15 years of experience in various finance functions, including sales and trading with Goldman Sachs and private banking at Union Bank of Switzerland. He also led a team in the Private Client Services Group at Trust Company of the West.

At Anderson, in addition to his admissions role, Weiler also serves as assistant dean of the Parker CMC, in charge of career initiatives. In the interview that follows, Weiler sings the praises of Anderson’s Los Angeles location, outlines in detail the admissions process and provides valuable advice to prospective applicants on how to approach the essay questions. Enjoy!

Clear Admit: What is the one area of your program that you wish applicants knew more about?

Rob Weiler: Our strategic location in one of the most vibrant cities in the world is a key strength that applicants may undervalue. Southern California’s diverse economy features almost every major industry in organizations of all sizes, providing students countless opportunities to engage with a variety of companies at many points throughout the MBA program.

Industry experts often come into the classroom as guest speakers or lecturers to share their real-world knowledge and advice with students, and many are connected to our professional clubs, which open up valuable networking and mentorship opportunities. Our collaborative culture is directly tied into the multitude of extracurricular and community service activities offered on- and off-campus as well.

Finally, Los Angeles is a wonderfully eclectic city with varied neighborhoods to explore, and our mild climate with easy access to outdoor activities from the mountains to the beach offers a great backdrop to complete your MBA studies.

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 (e.g. how many “reads” does it get, how long is each “read,” who reads it, does the committee convene to discuss it as a group, etc.).

RW: Once an application is complete, it is sent electronically to an admissions committee member for a thorough review. Last year we moved to paperless file evaluation via an iPad app called Matchbox, which has helped streamline our operations, not to mention save countless trees.

Our review is holistic and based on the strength of the entire application, as we look for evidence of academic and managerial potential. Depending on the applicant, a file can take 45 minutes or more to evaluate; on average most applications take about half an hour for the initial evaluation. Each file is read by at least two readers to consider all factors fairly, and no formulaic weighting is applied since different candidates have different strengths and timelines in academics, focus, leadership, etc.

Applicants whom we wish to interview are contacted via email to set up an admissions interview on campus, off campus or via Skype. All interviews, regardless of where they are conducted, are credited equally since interviewers are trained on the same evaluation metrics.

Post-interview, the application will receive at least one more evaluation, at which time a formal admission recommendation of admit, deny or waitlist will be made. The admissions committee convenes on a weekly basis during application season to ensure proper calibration on all our metrics and to discuss any trends or questions that come up throughout the week.

CA: How does your team approach the essay portion of the application specifically? What are you looking for as you read the essays? Are there common mistakes that applicants should try to avoid? One key thing they should keep in mind as they sit down to write them?

RW: Essays are one of the most important vehicles to add your distinct voice and personality to the MBA application. Being genuine and introspective with focused short-term and long-term post-MBA career plans is important. In addition, we want to admit future students who will carry on our culture of collaboration, active participation both inside and outside the classroom and humble confidence.

Accordingly the essays are a great place to make a compelling case for fit with our school by highlighting specific aspects of our program that mesh with your own personal and professional goals. Solid written communication skills are essential in business school, so pay attention not just to content, but also to style and clarity of thought in your essays.

Some advice when it comes to writing your application essays:

- Answer the question directly. Every school has its own set of essay questions, and the most compelling answers are customized thoroughly. A very vague and generic response does not add value or make one stand out in a highly competitive pool, so make sure your answers are well-researched, thoughtful and concise, tailored to the school and program to which you are applying.

- Follow instructions. Every part of the application is a data point, including judgment calls made as part of the admissions process. Blatantly disregarding word counts, font sizes or other instructions can make a negative impression on the admissions committee, so it is important to respect the guidelines set forth in the application instructions as best as you can.

- Proofread. We see typos, grammatical errors, even putting the wrong school’s name in an admissions essay more often than people think. Taking time to proofread carefully and catch any of these mistakes before hitting the submit button is worth the time investment.

- Make it compelling. The best essays come from those who figure out a clear vision for a future that excites them, and they share this excitement with the admissions committee. Doing thorough homework on yourself and on the school is a prerequisite; you must show you understand how to use the MBA as a springboard to your dreams and how our school in particular can add the leverage that you need.

Related articles

• UCLA Anderson Moves Closer to Self-Supporting Funding Model (clearadmit.com)

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