Chat with Admissions: June 17, 2008

Thanks for joining us today to talk about the Rady School and our MBA program. We're pleased to take your questions.

Which score (GRE/GMAT/TOFFEL) are you accepting for the admission MBA program?

The GMAT is required, unless you have an MD or a PhD in a quantitative, technical, or scientific subject from an accredited US institution. TOEFL or IELTS is required for those whose undergraduate education was not delivered in English. Email MBAadmissions@ucsd.edu individually if you have specific questions about your own situation — there are a number of details to these policies.

What percentage of MBA students go full time?

We currently have Full-Time MBAs and a FlexMBA Weekend program — we are admitting one cohort to each program, so our student body is evenly divided between the two groups. As of this fall, we will add a cohort of our FlexMBA Evening version, so the ratio will shift.

I'm planning to start on spring 2009. When should I have to present my documents?

At present, the Rady MBA program begins in fall only. Our application for Fall 2009 will open in September.

My question is regarding transcripts, do we need to apply from transcripts or UCSD would apply on our behalf for the transcripts?

You will need to request transcripts from undergraduate or graduate institutions you have attended. Those transcripts can usually be mailed directly from your institution to Rady Admissions.

I have completed my MBA program from an Indian Institution in 2008 — tell me how could I take admission in your MBA program.

Typically, UC San Diego does not allow students to enroll here for a degree they have already completed elsewhere. We would need you to demonstrate that our program is substantially different from the MBA program you have already completed.

How much bearing does your undergrad GPA have on admissions? Maybe percentage wise against experience and GMAT score?

We don't have a formula we use in evaluating applications — we look at each individual in terms of the full package of credentials and experiences you bring. Undergraduate work and GMAT are both things that help us evaluate your academic preparation for graduate management study. We are interested in the details of your academic program, not just your average GPA — and the components of the GMAT, not just the overall score. If, for example, your quant GMAT score is on the lower side, we will look for quant courses on your transcript and your grades in those specific courses, in order to consider whether you will be academically successful here.

The online application deadline is 20th June for this fall for the FlexMBA program. I have not taken my GMAT yet, what is the deadline for taking the GMAT?

Please schedule your GMAT by mid-July, at the latest. The Committee will need to have your scores before any decision is made and, if accepted to the program, you will be doing a leadership assessment survey prior to the start of the program. Any later and that really puts you in a crunch to be prepared for the program mid-September.

I have an interest in corporate responsibility and sustainability. Are there companies that routinely recruit students who focus in an area such as this?

I don't know of any companies that are "routinely" recruiting students in these areas at any school: these are areas that are developing in companies, and where they don't entirely know what needs they have or how their corporate structures will change/grow to accommodate increasing interest in these areas. Corp responsibility intersects with many disciplines — and is very obvious in any company's accounting area. Concerns regarding sustainability are particularly obvious in a company's supply chain operations and in the internal real estate/corp energy use areas. You'll want to think about what the portfolio of skills is that you will use in this arena, and look for a program that allows you to build business functional skill as well as knowledge of corporate responsibility and sustainability.

My undergraduate degree is in journalism, and since graduating in 2007, I have worked as a technical writer in the engineering/energy field. Do you find that students with non-technical or non-mathematically-focused majors have a more difficult time in the MBA program, or is it designed so people of varied backgrounds can gain a solid business education?

The MBA program is designed for — and benefits from! — people with varied backgrounds. You will have some skills (in writing, for example) that will be the envy of classmates. You'll contribute those skills to your teams and your class — and take advantage of the skills others bring in areas where you may be weaker. We always do recommend that — if it's been a while since you did math or if math isn't a strong suit, you do some pre-work to get your quantitative brain back in gear.

Is work experience a must for the admission through GMAT?

Work experience is not required for the Full-Time MBA program— each year Rady accepts a small number of highly qualified applicants directly from undergraduate programs. If you are in this category, we will be interested in what team experiences you have had, and what evidence you can provide of your potential for leadership.

I am a practicing MD in California — I did MD from India in 1982, did 7 years of PG training in USA — how can I apply for Flex MBA?

We would be very happy to receive your application to the FlexMBA program. I think you may be asking about receiving a waiver for the GMAT requirement, not just applying in general, so I'll address both "questions". Please fax (858-822-5896) me a copy of your transcript and degree certificate which indicates when the MD was conferred, along with a copy of your resume. I will let you know by email if a waiver has been granted for the GMAT. As for applying to the FlexMBA program, the application is available online through the Rady website http://rady.ucsd.edu/MBA/Admissions/ — everything is done online. If you need assistance beyond the instructions in the application, please contact our Admissions Team at MBAadmissions@ucsd.edu or 858-534-0864 with your questions.

Is your FlexMBA program mainly focused on innovation? What about other aspects of a MBA program, how much focus is given on other key areas?

Yes, the Rady MBA is focused on innovation. The MBA program — Flex or Full-Time — has a strong core curriculum which provides solid training in all the disciplines of business: this foundation is critical to your ability to evaluate potential opportunities, analyze risk, identify the best market opportunities, and execute on those. We also offer a broad elective curriculum that supports this: courses in finance, marketing, project mgmt, managerial decision-making, as well as technology strategy and biotechnology. Successful innovation grows from a broad knowledge of business.

Where is the GMAT and how do I sign up?

Please go to www.mba.com for details on where testing centers are located and when you can schedule the exam.

I know the Rady MBA program is not recognized by US News & World Report, but are there any accolades/rankings the school has been recognized in?

We are not yet old enough to participate in these rankings — each of the newspapers/magazines has specific criteria, but we're not there yet for any of them. If you look at the quality of our faculty (and the schools they have come from) and at the current class profiles and other stats, you'll see that we are already functioning in the top 25.

I have a science Phh.D. from a US graduate school. How could I get waiver on GMAT?

Please fax me a copy of your transcript that indicates when/where the PhD was conferred and the date — as well as a copy of your resume. The fax is 858-822-5896 and I'll get back with you by email quickly regarding a waiver of the GMAT.

Can you tell me in which course I should apply after completing my MBA program?

I don't have any good ideas for you: there is not another program here at Rady that is designed to provide additional education for managers. We do expect to launch a PhD program beginning Fall 2009, but that is intended to prepare scholars/teachers for business education. Other graduate business schools may have specialized master's programs (in finance, for example).

How does your MBA program rank with other national programs?

Again, we are not yet at the point where we can participate in the various press rankings.

I'd like to have a meeting with an advisor at Rady. Which is the office in charge of that or the responsible for?

Please contact our MBA Admissions office at 858-534-0864 or email MBAadmissions@ucsd.edu to schedule a meeting.

If you have course work/degrees from 2 separate colleges do they take the average of the 2 GPA's or consider each one individually?

We will look at everything you provide regarding your education. We do not average GPAs among colleges.

Is there financial aid available for full time employed students?

Our FlexMBA program for working professionals does not have scholarships available. FlexMBA students are eligible for educational loans, and UC San Diego's Financial Aid Office works with our students on this.

I know the Rady MBA program is not listed by US News & World Report, but are there any accolades/rankings the school has been recognized in?

The various other rankings also have requirements we have not yet met (ie, Business Week requires you have been in existence for 7 years; the Financial Times requires 3 years of alumni data, etc). We are just not yet at this point as a relative new business school. UC San Diego is very highly ranked as a university, and we fully expect to be in line with other parts of our university. And as a side note, there are several top universities that choose not to be participate in the rankings.

For admission to fall quarter 2009 what is the latest that I can take the GMAT?.

The Admissions Committee will not do a final review and move forward with an admission decision until all the pieces are in for your application — that includes GMAT scores. If applying to the Full-Time MBA program for fall 2009, you should have your application and scores no later than March. The 2009 application will be available online in September. If you are applying to the FlexMBA program, you should plan to have your scores in no later than the end of May.

The school seems to be focused on science from the website, is that true?

We are focused on innovation: how do you evaluate innovations for their market potential and viability, and how does innovation reach the marketplace. We're interested in the life sciences industry sector and the technology industry sector because these are sectors where constant innovation is particularly important for company success. Also, these are particularly vibrant sectors for the San Diego regional economy., so it makes sense for us to pay attention to our corporate community.

What is the deadline for international students to apply for 2009 fall admission?

We recommend that international students apply earlier in the application process than later — I would say in January or early February. We admit on a rolling basis, so you are able to know quickly if you have been accepted to Rady. The later you wait, the fewer spaces are available and there is, of course, the paperwork necessary to obtain the I-20 for a student visa request.

How many assistantships does Rady offer for full time students?

We have some funding for fellowships for the Full-Time program. We also have a small number of teaching assistant positions. These are dependent on your qualifications in the particular subject — a very few may be available to incoming MBA students; more are available to second-year MBAs, who serve as TAs for many of our first-year core MBA classes. A few students also typically find teaching assistant positions in other departments on campus, based on their prior experience.

What is the TOEFL and GMAT score requirement for an international student?

There is not minimum requirement for the GMAT as we are looking at each component of the application to determine if the fit is right for you and for Rady. The average GMAT for the entering class of 2007 was 675 — I anticipate it will be about the same. There are three versions of the TOEFL, please check this out on our website.

Could you please let me know the average amount of experience that admitted students possess?

Full-Time MBAs have typically had about 4-5 years of prior experience. Our FlexWeekend students have typically averaged about 10 years of experience.

Do you average GPA's for coursework/degrees for different colleges or universities?

The cumulative GPA reported on the application is from the university where your bachelor's was earned. The Admissions Committee does look at every transcript and all coursework to determine if an applicant is academically prepared for the program, but the GPAs are not averaged among schools.

Is it possible to hold a part-time job for extra cash while being involved in the program full time?

It's possible — but we don't encourage it, particularly in the first few quarters. We would want you to be absolutely sure you're on solid academic footing before you take on other obligations. I'd also say that working will mean missing other opportunities: to attend club meetings with corporate visitors, to go on company site tours, to develop deep relationships with classmates, etc. You also might miss opportunities to do project work or short-term/part-time internships that might be more in line with your career goals than the work you'd do just for pay.

My undergraduate major is statistics. Is there any pre-requisite for the MBA program?

We have a prerequisite of one year of college calculus or equivalent with an overall grade of B or better. This is not a requirement for admission consideration — it should be met before beginning the program and our Admissions Team works with each individual to determine how to fulfill the prereq. There are no other prereqs. for our program.

How does Rady compare with SDSU's business school? Which is stronger in HR or entrepreneurialship?

UC San Diego is a top tier research university, and our faculty — and their knowledge and the ways they incorporate this into their teaching — reflect that overall quality. Rady's emphasis on innovation is fundamentally about developing an entrepreneurial mindset in all our MBA students: whether they start companies or go to work for larger existing companies, that mindset is critical to success. We do not have a special focus in HR.

Will copies of my degrees be fine for the time being, till you receive a true copy of my degrees from the other university? This is specific to FlexMBA starting this fall. If yes, where should I send those?

Yes, copies of your transcripts can be used for review until we receive officials from the university. You either fax the transcript to MBA Admissions at 858-822-5896, or email a pdf attachment to MBAadmissions@ucsd.edu; we will put the information in your application file and move forward with review.

Is there any financial aid available for full time international students?

Rady fellowships are merit-based and are open to all Full-Time students. UC San Diego's financial aid office also works with international students in terms of available loans.

Since Rady is not currently ranked I am curious about the internship opportunities Rady students have. I am curious about Industry/Rady relationships.

We've had great success with internships — 100% of students had internships last summer, and we expect that to be true again this summer. The range of companies is quite broad: from Sony and Hewlett-Packard and Medtronic and Motorola to Amylin and Invitrogen, to various smaller companies, including a number of San Diego based venture capital and private equity firms. Rady exists, to a high degree, because the San Diego business community wanted a top-tier business school —and we see this support in many ways.

What are your 2009 start dates for Full Time MBA programs and the application deadlines?

Our MBA programs begin in fall quarter — generally the second week in September for PreTerm/Orientation. The application deadlines will be approximately the same as for this year: first part of November, mid December, first of February and first part of April. We admit on a rolling basis so the "deadlines" are guides as to where we are in the admissions process. We encourage you to submit your application earlier than later, as there will be fewer spaces available in March/April 2009.

Does RADY offer Sales and Marketing and/or International Business as areas of focus for the Full Time MBA program?

We don't have formal concentrations or majors, but you would certainly find both a very strong marketing core course and a number of electives related to sales and marketing — this year that has included market research, business development, marketing strategy, consumer behavior, sales and sales management, and marketing communications. All business is international these days — and you'd see international dimensions addressed across the various business functions in a variety of ways in many courses.

Do you have spring admission for international students?

Rady admission is for fall quarter only, for both the full-time MBA and the FlexMBA program for working professionals.

How much weight do the essays carry in the application?

We don't have a formula for how we consider the various parts of your application package. In reviewing essays, our goal is really to learn about you: what should we know about you in order to fully evaluate your potential to be a great Rady MBA? How will you contribute to the learning environment, interact with your peers? Why is Rady the right place for you to undertake an MBA?

How many credits are required to complete the MBA program?

92 credits are required to complete your MBA at Rady, either for the Full-Time MBA or FlexMBA for working professionals.

What is the average age of a full time MBA student? What is the ratio of men to women, etc?

Our Full-Time students come to us with an average of about 5 years of experience and an average age of about 29. We have a fairly high number who have prior graduate degrees. Women were 40% of Fall 2007 entering class.

Will a transcript of this chat session be saved somewhere?

Yes, transcripts of all our chats are available at http://rady.ucsd.edu/mba/admissions/events. This particular chat should be posted in a couple of days.

Are there any prerequisites for the full time program? Say for those that took minimal math/stats/etc. as an undergrad?

The prerequisite to the Rady MBA program is one year of college calculus, or equivalent, with an average grade of B or better. This is not a requirement for admissions, it is in preparation of starting the program. Our Admissions Team will work with admitted students to assess what would be appropriate for the individual to meet the pre-req. If you haven't had college calculus, now is the time (this summer) to look at what is available so you are not "behind" for next summer.

Is it possible to complete these 92 credits early?

There are a couple of answers to this: The Full-Time MBA program has a formal requirement of 6 quarters of residence. In rare instances, we can petition on a student's behalf to waive the final quarter of residence if all requirements are complete. BUT: the program is rigorous, and we do not see this as a likely scenario. Students may not overload units unless they are in very good academic standing. For the FlexEvening MBA program (30 month program), there may be opportunities to accelerate the time of degree completion.

What is the % of international students in the full time class?

Although each class may vary because we look at each individual applicant, in general the international population in our Full-Time MBA program is about 30-33%.

I know you take everything in consideration with the application process....but what kind of GMAT score do you all look for, on average?

The average in our Full-Time class that started last fall was 675. The 80% range was 610 - 730, so you can see that we are looking a broad range of scores based on the various other attributes that individuals bring to the table. All the GMAT tells us is whether you will be academically okay in the core curriculum. Many other things are important for putting together a great class.

Is there any subsidized housing available on campus?

On-campus graduate student housing is limited — but is available. You would apply for this once admitted to the program. The cost of on-campus housing is about 1/3 of what you might find in the general campus area.

Do I still have time to apply for the Flex MBA 2008 fall program?

Yes — we are accepting applications for the FlexMBA program for this fall. Our final deadline is later this week, but we will continue to review applications after that based on availability of space. Please be in touch with MBA Admissions directly if you have questions about this.

Thanks for joining us today. Please feel free to email the MBA Admissions Team at MBAadmissions@ucsd.edu directly if you have a question we didn't get to — and we look forward to continuing to talk with you.