The Riordan MBA Fellows Program : How to Stand Out as an Applicant
My name is Sofia Haq and I am excited to share tips that can help you stand out on your application to the UCLA Anderson School of Management The Riordan MBA Fellows Program.
The Riordan MBA Fellows Program was created to give young professionals an insight into the business school setting through courses like finance, real estate, and diversity and inclusion. The program gives professionals the opportunity to learn from some of the top MBA professors in the world, meet Riordan alumni, and get mentors who are current UCLA Anderson students also in your field. It was an incredible program that allowed me to meet so many diverse professionals in the field, find my mentors and long-life friends, and reaffirm my decision to go back to school. Since graduating from the program, dozens of people have reached out to me about the application which is why I wanted to write this as a resource. Feel free to comment at the bottom with any further questions you may have. Good luck!
#1: It’s not where you’ve been, but the impact you’ve made in your role and the company as a whole.
One of the reasons I was interested in the Riordan MBA Fellows Program was because I did not major in business in undergrad. After studying abroad the summer of 2015 at The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), I realized how much I loved learning about business in a classroom setting. From that point on, I knew that when the time came, I would get an MBA. While in London, I fell in love with the fashion scene there: Alexander McQueen, Burberry, and Victoria Beckham were just some of the places I visited. I always had an interest in fashion, but did not realize I could do it as a career until I learned more about the business side of fashion in the UK. I made it my mission to switch careers once I returned to the US. Instead of staying in healthcare, I was going to switch to fashion.
One of the biggest reasons people decide to get an MBA aside from wanting to gain more insight into the business sector is so that they can switch industries or functions. When I made the switch from healthcare to fashion right after graduation, it felt like I was starting all over again.
If you are like me and switched industries or functions early on in your career or maybe you still are struggling with finding your passion, make sure you find the common factor amongst all your experiences that shows what you are truly passionate about. For example, when I worked in healthcare, I received awards for my work in patient satisfaction, working with patients from all over the world like the Middle East and Latin America. Because my father struggled with health issues for years, I made it my mission to make sure that every patient felt like the hospital was their haven. When I saw that patients from these areas felt like outsiders when they would come to the hospital, I made it my job to make them feel welcome. My passion for the consumer experience in healthcare easily translated into fashion. At DVF, some of my biggest clients were not only clients from Latin America and the Middle East, but also royalty from East Asia and government officials from Europe. My role included working with VIP clients from all over the world ensuring that they received the most incredible consumer experience. At DVF, I received Employee of the Month and brought in almost 25% of total sales at our flagship location when that was only one of the many hats I took on. My clients even allowed me to use them as references if need be. See how I was able to tie together both of those experiences?
Your position can only say so much about you. What truly defines you is the impact you’ve had on the company, your coworkers, and clients. Find the connections between your set of experiences and make sure this all translates in your application. Don’t forget to support them quantitatively and through references.
#2: Are you potentially interested in going back to school?
This program is for people who have an interest in potentially furthering their education. Does that mean you should be pursuing an MBA? Nope. How about a CPA? Nope. From my class, someone ended up going to law school because that was her passion, but the program ended up inspiring her to pursue a dual degree. The truth is that you should have an interest in potentially furthering your education in some form. That does not mean that you have to know exactly what you want to do, but this program is a stepping stone for those who may want to pursue another degree. It is very important to express this in your application as in the past two years, the program has changed. Now, the program is not just one class, but it is divided into two cohorts. One cohort is for those who will be applying the year of or year after they are in the program. The second cohort is for those who are still considering a graduate program within the next 2-4 years. Be clear about what your educational goals are as this will determine what cohort you qualify for. Because spaces are limited in these cohorts, make sure to be clear about where you stand in your application.
#3: If you don’t care about diversity and inclusion then this program may not be for you.
While you do not need to be a person of color to apply, you must have a passion for diversity and inclusion. Make sure to address in your application how you will use the tools and insight you gain from this program to ultimately create a better experience for underrepresented communities, especially those in your industry. After learning that there are still gender inequities in business school settings or that Latinas make 54 cents to the dollar compared to their white male counterpart, how will you create a positive shift? When I applied to the program, I discussed the lack of diversity and inclusion in executive spaces within the fashion industry.
Despite working for a company owned by a woman, when I looked at the executives, they were all white men. When I did further research on the industry as a whole, I found out that only 12% of leadership in fashion were made up of women. This shocked me because fashion is supposed to be one of the more forward-thinking industries where women are the majority of consumers and yet women still held so little leadership roles.
This was not only the case in fashion, but also healthcare. I made sure to touch upon both in my application and realized that I was so passionate about holding a leadership position one day because I never saw women let alone women who looked like me. It did not matter to me to just work my way up the corporate ladder. It mattered to me to continue bringing people like me for the ride. That was important to me. Being a part of The Riordan MBA Fellows Program was an opportunity to understand what it took to advocate for more diversity in the workplace and in the classroom. It is so important to discuss the role diversity and inclusion play in your decision to be a part of the program.
#4: Don’t be overwhelmed by your story.
One of the essay prompts on the application asks the applicant to highlight memories of their youth and family background. This portion was especially personal to me because I knew I had a story to tell. There were times when I would type out the circumstances my family was dealing with and would become very emotional because I felt like we would never come out of the difficulties. Yes, it is important to discuss what you’ve faced, but do so in a way that shows just how resilient you have been and will continue to be. In my application, I discussed my family’s experiences with becoming low-income as a result of my father being placed on permanent disability when I was in high school. Suddenly, we relied on one income, my mother’s, to support a family of five. A few years later, my father passed away after only a month of being diagnosed with leukemia. For any person that learns about my journey, they are surprised when they learn about our circumstances. When I talk about them to others, I sometimes forget just how much we went through in the span of a few years; however, what defines us is not what has happened to us, but rather how we react to it.
Although I mentioned my tumultuous journey, as it played a role in shaping who I’ve become, I also made sure to focus on what I was able to gain from my parents, despite my circumstances. I emphasized my parents’ influence on shaping my siblings and my values in the workplace from a young age. When we were young, we would see them in their offices speaking Spanish and Urdu, ensuring that they were promoting diversity on their teams, and building resources to help their employees. From childcare, to closing the gender pay gap, my parents were way ahead of their time in promoting not just diversity, but also equity. This was where I received so much of my inspiration from.
My parents used their unique ethnic backgrounds to ensure that they were also diversifying their clientele and providing them with exceptional customer service my siblings and I still practice to this day. It had so much influence on me and the way I help others, whether in healthcare or fashion. See how it all came full circle? Despite the hardships I faced, the impact it had on the way I approach my work is invaluable.
#5: Know what you want to take away from this program.
Another essay prompt asks about why you are specifically applying to this program. Whether it is taking what you will learn and applying it to your job, striving to be in a business school setting so you can see what it’s like before applying or starting an organization (like me) where you want to promote diversity through the intersectionality of business and community development, it is important to do your research and understand what this particular program will do to help facilitate those goals. Why is Riordan alone necessary for you? In 2018, there were over 600 applicants and a little over 60 were accepted. You are competing with hundreds of people so you cannot leave any room for interpretation. Make sure to find a place to clearly state this in your application. I believe this is one of the largest deciding factors when it comes to being accepted into the program. Make sure to state clear, and well thought out goals.
How will this program make you better personally and professionally? Look at your past, present, and reflect on your future goals. How will being a Riordan MBA Fellow help you build your future?