Chat with MBA Admissions — July 26, 2011

Thanks for joining us to talk about the Rady School and our MBA Program. We look forward to your questions.

For the merit-based fellowship funding, at what point is it considered for applicants in terms of GMAT scores and G.P.A.?

We don't have specific cut-offs, and we do review every applicant for potential fellowships funding. In general, we would expect those considered for merit fellowships to have GMAT and GPA scores above our averages and/or to have a prior advanced degree - eg, if you have a PhD in a science or technical area, you are specifically eligible for our PostDoc fellowships.

Are first year student's eligible for teaching assistant positions?

In general, we don't think it's a good idea to take on a TA position at the very beginning of your program. We want to be sure that you are being academically successful and are creating strong working relationships with your classmates before you take on other commitments. Some first-year students find TAships in the winter and spring quarters, but it is much more likely for second-year students to take these positions.

Would you say out-of-state applicants will have a harder time gaining admission to the program?

We welcome out of state applicants--they are given the same consideration as in-state residents, and the same evaluation criteria apply to both, equally.

I'm planning to take the business management certificate program at UCSD Extension. I would like to know if the credits obtained can be transferred into your MBA program.

No, classes taken in a non-degree certificate program cannot be transferred to the MBA program. Transfer of credits or waiver of core course requirements will only be considered by faculty if you have completed equivalent graduate-level coursework at a comparable institution or, in the case of the core Accounting class, if you have a CPA.

Is housing arranged by students themselves in the surrounding area or will Rady provide that?

Yes, housing is arranged by students themselves. There is some on-campus graduate student housing for which Rady students can apply. UCSD has a housing posting service you can use, and there is active exchange of information among new and continuing students about housing options.

How involved is the San Diego VC community with the school? I’m interested in transitioning into a corporate development role and would like to get some real world insight into how deals get made.

We have an exceptionally involved business community. You'll see them as class speakers, as speakers in the Professional Seminar series, as Executive Mentors, as advisors/coaches for the Lab to Market project sequence, as Industry Advisors giving career guidance through our career center, at student professional club events....and more.

Is there any kind of study abroad/exchange program?

Rady participates in the University of California Education Abroad Program, which maintains active relationships with a very wide range of institutions. In addition, here at Rady we have several types of short study trips. The International Business Club each year organizes a spring break trip to a location of interest to students (Brazil this past March), with a combination of business visits, cultural activities, and tourism. In addition, each year a Rady faculty member organizes an academically focused trip related to his/her specific area of knowledge. This past year, that trip was to China to look at the Chinese Financial Markets. These faculty-led trips have academic credit.

Does the school participate in any business plan competitions?

Absolutely! Our students competed in a variety of prestigious business plan competitions this past year, and won several awards in the process.

If you are in the Flex program, can you take classes/electives with the full time class?

In general, each class cohort has first access to electives taught in their own format - eg FlexEvening students have first access to evening classes. When additional seats are available in any elective, we do open these to students from other cohorts. This both enables us to give you maximum choice in your elective curriculum and enables you to build relationships with other students.

To what extent do the "advisors/coaches" in the Lab to Market collaborate with the students? Is it a daily kind of thing? Is there a strong relationship with these coaches after the sequence is complete?

Lab to Market provides a few scheduled times when advisors/coaches come in and, essentially, "take appointments" from teams seeking advice. The group of advisors span many areas of expertise and you may want to connect with different people in different issues: an angel funder...a lawyer...an entrepreneur who's been successful in a domain like your idea...etc. Advisors are also available informally throughout the process. There are certainly some relationships that continue after the sequence, but that's not a specific program component.

Do you offer lifetime learning for alumni like other UC schools?

Alumni may audit classes. This is on a space-available basis once current students have enrolled.

How does the Careers department help Rady students? Is there a kind of placement program?

Our Careers team has an abundance of resources available to assist students in their professional development. Examples include individual counseling covering evaluating opportunities, company research, preparing for interviews, etc. Many workshops and panels are offered throughout the year, containing prominent industry representatives and members of our Alumni base.

I’m looking at the FlexMBA, but will also like a little campus life. Which program would you say gives you a more balanced experience?

The best way to look at this might be to come to visit both Evening and Weekend classes and talk with current students. FlexWeekend students are together for more intensive periods and say they value the ability to spend class weekends entirely focused on school. They have a speaker series and shared meals as ways to help them develop a community - and we know there's some socializing as well. FlexEvening students are together more often but less intensively. Shared meals, a speaker series on their timetable and periodic residentials help them to develop community. In both cases, we see participation in some student club activities, in alumni and student social activities, as well as things like intramural sports teams.

I'd also mention that our Executive Mentor program is open to all students, as are our career services. The careers group schedules as many of its company presentations and career panels so they are accessible for Flex students.

Is that the Vistage partnership?

We have two mentor programs. The Rady Executive Mentor program matches a small group - 2-3 students - with a seasoned executive for a year. Matches are made based on student preferences. The Vistage on Campus program is a more intensive peer mentoring program involving a group of 12-15.

Can you switch between the flex evening and flex weekend programs?

We always look at program transfers on a case-by-case basis. In general, we always want to work individually with students to ensure they are able to complete the program. We have had individuals start in Evening and then get a great new job in the Bay Area and finish in the Weekend cohort, for example.

Thanks for all the great questions. We look forward to continuing to talk with you as you consider Rady. We do encourage you to visit a class, to let us connect you with current students, to gather information that will enable you to make a good decision about your MBA.