Chat with MBA Admissions — November 19, 2012

What do you believe sets Rady apart from other schools in the area?

Rady School has a strong entrepreneurial spirit running through its curriculum. You can especially see that reflected in our Lab 2 Market course sequence. While many MBA programs have an entrepreneur-type elective, the skills you acquire in Lab 2 Market are helpful in more ways than just trying to start your own business and writing a business plan. Alumni who go on to work in New Product Development, Business Development, etc. have noted that this sequence and our overall curriculum has helped them differentiate between good ideas and ideas that are best left in the recycling bin. Beyond that, we have very strong support from the business community which has given us an abundance of help regarding mentorships and professional speakers for our students. Those are just a few things that set us apart.

What are you looking for particularly in applicants that do not have a lot of work experience?

If you have any work experience, be sure to highlight that in your application. Our Admissions Committee is particularly looking for experience where you’ve demonstrated leadership and initiative. However, as work experience is not an admissions requirement, we have accepted prospective candidates straight from undergrad. Bear in mind, we are looking for people who will do well in a graduate program. Therefore, those that do not have any work experience will want to perform well on the GMAT and their undergraduate courses. Also, letters of recommendation and essays become very important because they highlight your personality and maturity level. We are looking for people who would make great alumni and contribute to our community while they are here. On a side note, if you’re interested, we'd be happy to connect you with one of our alumni who came to us straight from undergrad. Just send me an email at rchapoco@ucsd.edu.

I'm interested in applying for the MBA program, but I'm also finishing up another master's program at SDSU. Would I have to take the GRE once again or is the GMAT mandatory? I also work full time. Given that the applications are due relatively soon, would I have need to complete the GMAT by the time I submit the application, or would I have more time to complete the GMAT? What should I focus more on in the application process? What bears more weight?

Lots of questions - let's take them one at a time. 1.) Presently, we don't accept the GRE in lieu of the GMAT. So, you would have to register to take the GMAT since we only waive the GMAT in certain circumstances (eg. MD or PhD in a quantitative or scientific based field). 2.) You do not need to have the GMAT completed at the time that you submit your application. There's a space on the application where you can list the date that you plan on taking the test. We will hold off on evaluating your application until we have your scores. Since we have application deadlines that go through April for Full-Time and July for Flex, you have some time to prepare. 3.) We're very holistic regarding how we review the application; so it's all important - your essays, undergrad and grad transcripts, letters of recommendation, and GMAT scores. If you want to see how competitive your application would need to be, check out our class profile: http://www.rady.ucsd.edu/mba/fulltime/profile/

Who would be my best contact by email or phone if I have further questions?

You can contact me (Ralph Chapoco, MBA Admissions Officer) for more information regarding the program or if you have any other question at rchapoco@ucsd.edu. You can also call me (858) 246-0419 or schedule an appointment to meet one on one. Also, if you're interested in the Flex program, you can check out the class profile here:
FlexEvening: http://www.rady.ucsd.edu/mba/flex/eveningprofile/
FlexWeekend: http://www.rady.ucsd.edu/mba/flex/weekendprofile/

Thank you so much for joining us this afternoon. We're happy we could connect with you, and look forward to further conversation with you. Again, any further questions, please feel free to contact us directly at MBAadmissions@ucsd.edu. Have a great day!