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Quick Answer:
The UCLA MBA essays include three required short essays — a “Why MBA” essay, a career goals essay, and a “Why Anderson and community” essay — plus an optional essay.
Combined, these UCLA MBA essay questions ask:
- why you are pursuing an MBA now
- what your short-term and long-term career goals are
- how an MBA from Anderson fits your personal and professional goals
- how you demonstrate fit with UCLA Anderson’s core values
- how you’ll contribute to the Anderson community
Overall, UCLA MBA essays that have worked well discuss specific and achievable career goals, concise leadership and impact stories, concrete references to Anderson, and alignment with UCLA Anderson core values.
Read on to learn how to handle UCLA MBA essay questions for the 2026 application.
Here are the topics we’ll cover:
- Overview of the UCLA Anderson Essays for 2026
- UCLA MBA Essay 1: “Why the MBA?” — Prompt, Strategy, and Examples
- UCLA MBA Essay 2: Career Goals — Prompt, Strategy, and Examples
- UCLA MBA Essay 3: “Why Anderson” and Community — Prompt, Strategy, and Examples
- Optional and Reapplicant Essays in the UCLA MBA Application
- Common Mistakes in the UCLA MBA Essays (and How to Avoid Them)
- How to Show Real Fit with the UCLA Anderson MBA Program
- UCLA MBA Essay Examples and How to Use Them (Without Copying)
- Final Checklist Before You Submit Your UCLA MBA Essays
- Ready to Tackle the UCLA MBA Essays? Next Steps for Applicants
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- How heavily do UCLA MBA essays weigh compared with GMAT/GRE, GPA, and work experience?
- Can I reuse the same core stories from other schools in my UCLA MBA essays if I customize the school-specific parts?
- How should international applicants address location, visas, and long-term plans in the UCLA MBA essays without using too much word count?
- If I’m also considering UCLA Anderson formats (FEMBA, EMBA), should I mention that in my full-time MBA essays or keep them separate?
- What’s Next?
Overview of the UCLA Anderson Essays for 2026
For reference, here are the official UCLA admission essays for the 2026 application season:
Short essays:
- Why is the MBA the right degree for you to pursue both personally and professionally? (150 words maximum)
- Describe your post-MBA short-term and long-term career goals. (150 words maximum)
- What makes UCLA Anderson a top choice for you, and how will you engage with and contribute to the community? (250 words maximum)
Optional essay:
Are there any extenuating circumstances in your profile about which the Admissions Committee should be aware? (250 words maximum)
All applicants — first-time applicants and reapplicants — must answer the short essay prompts. Additionally, reapplicants are strongly encouraged to submit an optional essay response.
TTP PRO TIP:
If you’re a reapplicant, it’s strongly advised that you submit the optional essay.
UCLA MBA Essay 1: “Why the MBA?” — Prompt, Strategy, and Examples
Remember, the prompt for Essay 1 is: “Why is the MBA the right degree for you to pursue both personally and professionally?”
At its core, Essay 1 is about the timing and suitability of your MBA degree. So, discuss specific details about your goals.
Essentially, your response should address:
- the inflection point you’re at now
- the skills and experiences an MBA will help to fill
- why this degree is the best personal and professional next step
Together, your answers will make a strong case for how the timing and nature of the MBA make sense for you now.
TTP PRO TIP:
Include specific details about your career goals in Essay 1.
How to Explain “Why MBA” in 150 Words
To start, here’s a simple but effective way to approach Essay 1:
- Provide brief context (1–2 sentences) — To do this, discuss your professional career and how you’ve arrived at this inflection point.
- Gaps in your professional skills and experiences (3–4 sentences) — This means identifying the gaps in your skills (technical and soft skills) and which industry or functional area exposure you need.
- Personal motivations (2–3 sentences) — Share your personal trajectory and goals for growth.
Keep in mind, this is just 1 of many ways to approach the “Why MBA” essay. So, use these ideas as a starting point.
TTP PRO TIP:
A strong Essay 1 connects your past experience, current skill gaps, and future goals into a clear reason why an MBA is the logical next step.
UCLA MBA Essay 2: Career Goals — Prompt, Strategy, and Examples
Remember, the prompt for Essay 2 is: “Describe your post-MBA short-term and long-term career goals.”
In this essay, you’ll articulate a career roadmap. Specifically, you’ll provide information about your target role, function, industry, organizations, and geography.
How to Structure Short-Term and Long-Term Goals for Anderson
Given the limit of just 150 words, you must be clear and concise. So, consider this basic framework:
- Short-term goal (3-4 sentences) — Specify your target role, function, and industry. For example, “Post-MBA, I aim to become a [role] at a [type of firm] in [industry], ideally in (location).”
Additionally, identify a couple of target companies where you intend to pursue this role.
- Long-term goal (3-4 sentences) — Describe your longer-term vision. Ideally, this is an extension of your short-term goals. For example, you might envision expanding the scope of your role, progressing to a leadership position, and/or tackling larger problems.
Importantly, your goal should be ambitious but plausible.
- Bridge the gap between short- and long-term goals (1-2 sentences) — In particular, show how your short-term goal will help you realize your long-term vision. Specifically, your short-term and long-term goals should have some connection.
Keep in mind that this is a simple outline for you to consider when developing your Anderson MBA essay. Of course, there are many ways to approach this, and your sentences may vary from the guidance above.
TTP PRO TIP:
Your response to Essay 2 should clearly show how your short-term goals connect to your long-term goals.
UCLA MBA Essay 3: “Why Anderson” and Community — Prompt, Strategy, and Examples
Remember, the prompt for Essay 3 is “What makes UCLA Anderson a top choice for you, and how will you engage with and contribute to the community?”
So, in this essay, you’ll address “Why Anderson?” and your alignment with Anderson’s offerings and values.
Specifically, Anderson defines its culture through the following shared values:
- Share Success
- Think Fearlessly
- Drive Change
In addition, the program emphasizes a collaborative, yet career-focused approach.
How to Show Anderson’s Three Core Values in Your Community Essay
To start, consider this outline on how to write the UCLA MBA essay:
- Discuss “Why Anderson” (about a third of the essay). To do this, mention 3–5 specific resources that help support your UCLA career outcomes. Specifically, consider academics (e.g., courses and specializations), career resources (career treks, alumni networks in your industry), and community (relevant clubs, case competitions).
Remember, you should connect each resource to your skill development and/or career goals.
- Describe how you’ll engage and contribute to the community. Specifically, frame your contributions in alignment with Anderson’s core values: Share Success, Think Fearlessly, and Drive Change.
With that in mind, choose 2–3 concrete examples that showcase how you’ll make a unique impact in the community.
- Restate your interest and commitment (final sentences). This means confirming your interest in Anderson and connecting your contributions to your career goals and long-term impact.
If Anderson is your top choice, close the loop by stating your commitment to attend.
Hopefully, this outline will help you get started with Essay 3. Of course, there are many ways to structure your response, so don’t limit yourself to this guide.
TTP PRO TIP:
Be sure your response aligns with Anderson’s shared values: Share Success, Think Fearlessly, and Drive Change.
Optional and Reapplicant Essays in the UCLA MBA Application
As a reminder, the optional essay asks: “Are there any extenuating circumstances in your profile about which the Admissions Committee should be aware?”
With that in mind, use this optional UCLA MBA essay only if your circumstances include:
- academic issues
- gaps in your employment
- personal or family circumstances that affected your academic or professional performance
When drafting the optional essay, we recommend that you keep it short, factual, and focused on important context (rather than excuses). Additionally, share what you learned, as applicable, and how those lessons will help you in the future.
Do not use the optional essay to discuss random achievements or as an opportunity to copy and paste an essay from a different MBA application.
TTP PRO TIP:
Use the optional essay to explain issues that might need more context — but stay away from excuses.
Reapplicants
If you’re reapplying to UCLA Anderson, you must answer the same 3 short essays as other applicants. Additionally, you must highlight what’s changed since your last application.
Specifically, these updates may include new professional responsibilities, promotions, improved test scores, additional coursework, and community activities.
In short, your reapplicant message should convey how you’re a stronger candidate this year.
Common Mistakes in the UCLA MBA Essays (and How to Avoid Them)
Here are some of the most common mistakes we see across UCLA Anderson MBA application essays:
- Answering “Why MBA” and discussing your career goals in the same essay — Instead, talk about why you need an MBA in Essay 1 and discuss your specific career goals in Essay 2.
- Sharing broad career goals without a role, function, or industry — For example, avoid the temptation to discuss “consulting” or “tech” as a goal. Instead, specify a target role, function, industry, companies, and geography in Essay 2.
- Providing a laundry list about “Why Anderson” — Specifically, listing 10 clubs will not answer the question for Essay 3. Instead, share a diverse mix of resources and connect them to your specific objectives.
- Ignoring Anderson’s core values — Ideally, you’ll connect your interests and contributions to Anderson’s core values. So, use specific examples that exemplify these values in Essay 3.
- Using the optional essay to list achievements or extra information — Instead, follow our guidance in this article on what to include in your optional essay.
TTP PRO TIP:
One reason Anderson essays tend to fall short is not being specific enough about career goals.
How to Show Real Fit with the UCLA Anderson MBA Program
To show fit with UCLA Anderson in your UCLA MBA essays:
- Align your goals with Anderson’s offerings. For example, half of Anderson graduates from the class of 2024 went into consulting or tech. So, if your career goals involve either industry, learn about the Anderson offerings that will help you achieve your career goals.
- Demonstrate your fit with the culture. For instance, emphasize collaboration, peer support, and your past experience “sharing success.”
- Share why LA is the best place to pursue your MBA. Specifically, name location-specific resources that align with your goals and aspirations, such as “Silicon Beach” startups, entertainment/media companies, etc.
- Reference specific resources at UCLA Anderson. For example, discuss resources within the Parker Career Management Center, Anderson Career Teams, specific student clubs and organizations, capstone projects, and more.
In addition, if you’re still comparing programs, it might help to review a general guide on deciding which MBA program is right for you to confirm that your interests align with Anderson’s offerings.
TTP PRO TIP:
Showing fit at UCLA Anderson means connecting your goals, values, and location preferences specifically to Anderson.
UCLA MBA Essay Examples and How to Use Them (Without Copying)
In moderation, reviewing UCLA MBA essay examples could be useful. However, be careful not to mirror past examples completely.
- First of all, use past examples to understand structure and tone, not to copy the same topics, language, or phrasing.
- Next, take note how strong UCLA MBA essays that worked communicate impact, share clear and achievable career goals, and connect with Anderson’s offerings and values.
- Finally, evaluate how specific candidate examples tie in Anderson’s specific resources and values, rather than using generic phrasing that could apply to any program.
For broader context on your UCLA MBA application, check out our guide on how to get into a top MBA program.
TTP PRO TIP:
You can take a look at how successful UCLA MBA essays communicate fit and career goals, but the content should be all your own.
Final Checklist Before You Submit Your UCLA MBA Essays
Before you submit your UCLA MBA application, review this checklist:
Essay content:
- Essay 1 — Confirm that your response explains why an MBA is right for you now — personally and professionally.
- Essay 2 — Check that you’ve included specific, realistic short-term and long-term goals that are aligned with what Anderson has to offer.
- Essay 3 — Make sure that you’ve articulated “Why Anderson,” along with specific resources and how you’ll give back to the community.
- Anderson’s values — Double-check to confirm that you’ve woven in Anderson’s values (Share Success, Think Fearlessly, Drive Change) in a natural way.
Logistics:
- Confirm that your essays are within the word limits.
- Review your writing to ensure that it is concise and clear and doesn’t include jargon.
- Optional: Confirm that your response to the optional essay addresses only essential questions.
- Reapplicant: Make sure that your responses clearly highlight what’s new since your last application.
Ready to Tackle the UCLA MBA Essays? Next Steps for Applicants
To put these UCLA MBA essay tips into practice, follow this application plan:
- Align with the MBA application calendar. For example, use this timeline to meet UCLA Anderson and other MBA application deadlines.
- Ensure that your risk is diversified. If you absolutely intend to enroll in a program next fall, make sure that you apply to a range of MBA programs. Along with that, check MBA acceptance rates and MBA application deadlines to build a comprehensive and realistic portfolio of programs.
- Build core stories that you’ll articulate in your applications. Keep in mind that you can reuse key stories across MBA applications, so long as you tailor the UCLA essay prompts (especially “Why Anderson”) to Anderson’s MBA application.
- Prep early for MBA interviews. Specifically, know that Anderson’s MBA interviews often mirror the essay themes (i.e., Why MBA, career goals, Why Anderson, leadership, community, etc.). So, turn your essays into interview stories and reference our guide on how to prepare for an MBA interview.
- Get professional help with your Anderson application. For example, if UCLA Anderson is a reach or one of your top choices, MBA admissions consulting could help you gain an edge and improve your UCLA MBA essays.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How heavily do UCLA MBA essays weigh compared with GMAT/GRE, GPA, and work experience?
It’s important to remember that UCLA Anderson’s MBA admissions committee uses a holistic review. Therefore, academic performance, work experience, leadership, essays, and recommendations are all important.
Additionally, the MBA program is now test-optional. So, you can apply without a GMAT, GRE, or EA score if you demonstrate your readiness for the program. Keep in mind, if you choose to apply without a test score, your UCLA MBA essays are even more important to your application.
Can I reuse the same core stories from other schools in my UCLA MBA essays if I customize the school-specific parts?
Yes — you can certainly re-use core leadership and impact stories from other MBA applications.
However, make sure that you:
- adapt them to the specific UCLA MBA essay questions
- reframe them to fit Anderson’s short word count limits
- customize them to the “Why Anderson” prompts
Copying essays without refining the details will not help your application stand out.
How should international applicants address location, visas, and long-term plans in the UCLA MBA essays without using too much word count?
If you’re an international applicant, you do not need to spend a lot of time addressing these plans. Instead:
- Be specific in Essay 2 about your short-term goals and target geography.
- Use a sentence in your long-term goal to share where you intend to build your long-term career (i.e., in the U.S. or in your home country).
- Discuss any serious constraints or circumstances in the optional essay — as necessary.
Remember, you can work on your visa strategy post-admission. For the UCLA Anderson MBA application, focus on sharing your career goals and fit for the program.
If I’m also considering UCLA Anderson formats (FEMBA, EMBA), should I mention that in my full-time MBA essays or keep them separate?
In short, keep them separate. Specifically, UCLA Anderson only allows you to apply to 1 MBA program per year. Additionally, each format has its own application and review process.
So, if the full-time program is your first choice, keep your main focus on articulating your fit for the full-time program. Specifically, discuss why you need the immersive format of the full-time program to achieve your career goals.
If you’re seriously interested in the FEMBA or EMBA program as alternatives, treat them as separate options, attend info sessions and events for those programs, join their mailing lists, and/or pivot your strategy to one of these alternatives.
What’s Next?
We can help with your UCLA MBA application! If you’d like support with the Anderson application and with other top MBA applications, book a free consultation with an experienced admissions consultant today.
