Editor's Note: BusinessWeek collected graduate comments in 2000 during its ranking of full-time MBA programs. The next ranking is scheduled for fall, 2002.
I'm one of the few people having a hard time finding a job. I thought it would be a shoo-in, but it isn't, because I am changing careers. My prior career in engineering has very little to do with my future career aspiration to work in sales. The students who have the greatest advantage are those students who return to the same industry that they worked in before business school. Those are the people who get MEGA salaries. People like me are getting small salaries, like $55,000. -- Marketing
Overall, I really enjoyed my two years at the Anderson School! The learning experience was complete and comprehensive -- I feel prepared to take on any business challenge from any field. Surprisingly, I learned as much from my peers as I did from the professors -- Anderson has created a great learning environment. -- Entrepreneurship
I cannot imagine any other program in the country offering a better experience for students interested in entrepreneurship or the entertainment business than the Anderson School. The Price Center for Entrepreneurial Studies offers the students academic and non-academic programs alike that distinguish this institution even among the best business schools in the world. Additionally, being involved in the rapidly growing Los Angeles technology community at the earlier stages of its development offered unparalleled access to community and business leaders AS THEY WERE BUILDING this burgeoning community. Going to Anderson was one of the best decisions of my life. -- Entrepreneurship
When I looked into business school, I looked for two things: a top ranked school and a fun environment. I've talked to students in other programs, and I'm convinced that I found the best possible combination of the two. Coming to Anderson is one of the greatest decisions I've ever made. -- Finance
The Anderson School at UCLA provided an excellent environment for teamwork and creativity, essential skills for start-ups and consulting. -- Consulting
Returning to school was a difficult decision for me. I was 35 at the time I applied, and had recently sold the business which I had founded and run for 13 years. I had a sizeable income, so my opportunity cost was high. Also, I was much older than the average student, and had much more experience. I had been admitted to the executive program already, and I had to weigh that against a full time program. I had decided to return to school to fill in gaps in my business knowledge -- I had learned a lot through hard knocks, but there were tools that I knew I needed (I wasn't sure what they were, but I knew they were out there). I ultimately decided to attend on a full-time basis, and it has been quite an experience; one I am quite happy with. What I have learned has surprised me -- it has been much more than I expected. And much different. And it has led me into a new career path that I am very excited about. -- Finance
Two key strengths of the Anderson School at UCLA are its finance and entrepreneurial programs. As an aspiring entrepreneur, I found the strong entrepreneurial program of UCLA and the progressive, creative nature of Los Angeles to be a great combination to fostering innovation. Also, the addition of dean Willison this year has provided newfound leadership. And, what most people forget is the very attractive return on investment at Anderson -- tuition is significantly lower than that of other private schools. Finally, the quality of life here is excellent -- I only wish I moved here sooner. -- Finance
I chose Anderson over Wharton, Chicago, and Michigan. I am very glad I made that choice! -- Finance
Coming from the East Coast, I originally had no idea what a great MBA program was offered at the Anderson School. Had I been admitted to Harvard, I probably would have gone there. In hindsight, not getting into Harvard was probably the best thing that could have happened to me. Anderson has provided me with an equally great academic experience, a very team-friendly learning environment, significant leadership opportunities, and a lot of great friends (not to mention a serious reduction in my golf handicap.) -- Anonymous
I am pursuing an non-traditional career in the television industry. Although I have had to conduct (and am still engaged in) a self-directed job search, the school offered several educational and networking advantages, such as: Electives in the entertainment-management field; an opportunity to take electives at UCLA's graduate School of Film & Television; a very strong student organization, the Entertainment Management Association; a speaker series arranged by UCLA's Center for Communication Policy which brings in top level entertainment executives such as Frank Biondi and Sandy Grushow on a regular basis; a Los Angeles location which has allowed me to intern part time during the school year and to set up frequent informational meetings with entertainment executives; and finally, an active, accessible network of alumni working in the entertainment industry. -- Anonymous
The academic experience at Anderson was challenging, and overwhelmingly a positive experience. As a "recovering" engineering major, there was a lot to learn, and in retrospect, I feel I learned more that I expected. Certainly, there were areas where I would have liked to have had more opportunity for detailed study, but was unable due to limited class size or lack of class availability. I do feel that the administration listens to student concerns, and works as fast as they can to remedy these situations. Would I do it again? Absolutely. Anderson offered me more opportunities than I expected, and I'd love to go back and try to take advantage of the ones I missed the first time! -- Marketing
I had extremely high, perhaps unrealistic, expectations about business school. I feel that I have learned a ton and gained skills that will serve me well throughout my career. I can't imagine having learned more, but perhaps the learning could have been improved by integrating concepts across disciplines. I felt this was largely left up to the student, which I constantly spent my time doing. I hope the MBAs at my competitors will have not spent the time integrating the concepts across disciplines because I feel this is where the real value of the MBA comes into play. -- Entrepreneurship
I believe that while assessing the quality of teaching and course content is important in evaluating an MBA program, the most valuable long-term takeaways of an MBA education -- judgment, leadership, effective communication, and organizational skills -- are developed experientially through the extracurricular culture of the program. In this regard, I believe that the Anderson School fostered an excellent learning environment. -- Finance
The real estate hiring cycle is very late, and I am in the midst of several interviews now, as I prepare for my final set of final exams. In general, the first year was rough, with an unbelievable amount of work in some of the core classes. The second year is much more balanced. While there were some excellent profs in the core, there were also some real duds! Sometimes the most brilliant academicians are not the best teachers. Anderson definitely has opened doors to me, through contacts I have made, and hopefully my perfect job is behind one of those doors. Continuing my rambling, the students at Anderson are great -- very team oriented in general. Finally, the administration is responsive and has improved the environment for gay students. -- Anonymous
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