Personal Perspectives

"UCLA Anderson's strength in entrepreneurship attracted us. My husband was an entrepreneur himself and also worked with start-ups before coming to business school and wants to keep focusing on that afterwards as well. A bonus: there are wonderful outdoors things to do here that are easily accessible. The weather is fantastic, especially coming from New England" -- Bethany Henderson (Significant other: Daniel Henderson 2006)

"I knew that I would not have to put my own career on hold in order for Jon to complete his MBA. Los Angeles is a major metropolitan area with many employers." -- Rachelle Mandel (Significant other: Jonathan Cohen, 2006)

"We felt that the world-class faculty and the influential UCLA Anderson reputation would do the most to enhance our careers. Although Gail was offered more than a full scholarship at another prestigious program, choosing to attend UCLA Anderson was an easy decision to make. Also, the city of LA has something for everyone. Whether you're single, married, or have children, there are plenty of things to do for everyone. Our kids were especially elated that Disneyland is only about an hour away." -- David Wu (Significant other: Gail Wu, 2005)

 

Housing
UCLA University Apartments are considered by many to be the best value for the money for a married student (with or without children) or a single student with children.

The university apartments described below offer housing designed especially to meet the needs of families, married students, graduate students, and same sex domestic partnerships. Five separate and unique complexes are located in the Palms/Mar Vista area, approximately five miles from UCLA, and one complex is located in Westwood Village.

• University Village provides premier student community living for married students, same sex domestic partners, and single parents. Amenities include a state-of-the-art childcare center, community centers, computer lab, central courtyards, basic cable, adult lap pool, children's playground, and children's swimming pool. All units are rented unfurnished and contain a full kitchen (including stove, refrigerator, and dishwasher), wall-to-wall carpeting, blinds, air conditioning, and central heating. Buildings have a key-controlled building access system and laundry facilities. Keystone/Mentone Apartments (one and two bedrooms) are a modern four-building, 224-unit complex. The complex does have limited furnished apartments and its amenities include a shuttle bus to campus, a children’s playground, full kitchen, laundry rooms on every floor and underground parking.
• Rose Avenue Apartments has 93 unfurnished units (primarily two-bedroom) and are located across from the University Village complex near campus. Amenities include a children’s playground, full kitchens, laundry rooms on every floor, and parking.
• Venice/Barry Apartments offer a spacious and comfortable living environment. The 139-unit building is comprised of junior one-bedroom, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments. The two-bedroom apartments are generally larger than other university housing complexes. Amenities include underground parking, a swimming pool, small exercise room, laundry rooms on every floor, and full kitchens.
• Barrington Manor's 60 vintage-style apartments provide a spacious and comfortable living environment in a quiet residential neighborhood. All apartments are unfurnished and have blinds and wall heaters. These apartments are older, smaller, and are the least expensive among the university housing options.
• In addition, many students with partners and families live in various neighborhoods around Los Angeles.

Joint Ventures Club
The UCLA Anderson Joint Ventures Club aims to encourage the integration of spouses, partners, fiancées, and significant others into the UCLA Anderson Community. The club organizes social events to allow significant others to become acquainted with one another, find friends with similar interests, and become part of a support network during their time in Los Angeles. Past events include wine tasting, museum trips, BBQs and hikes in the nearby Santa Monica Mountains. For more information, please visit http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/zone/clubs/jointventure/.

UCLA Anderson and Campus-Wide Activities
Significant others are welcome at most UCLA Anderson clubs and events. Many spouses and significant others join social events, Alumni Weekend, special speaker events, and Challenge for Charity volunteer events. Leadership roles also may be available. Besides Joint Ventures, some clubs have leadership roles within their organization created solely for significant others. Please contact the specific clubs of interest for more information.

In addition to UCLA Anderson activities, spouses and dependents of our MBA students can enjoy activities offered by UCLA through UCLA Recreation. Spouses can apply for a recreation card for just $50 per quarter/$110 per year, and dependents for $30 per quarter/$66 per year. The recreation card provides access to all UCLA recreation facilities, including swimming pools. Activities include intramural sports, club sports, outdoor adventures and youth programs. Please visit http://www.recreation.ucla.edu/ for more information.

Volunteering
Other volunteer opportunities in the city of Los Angeles include local libraries, museums, and schools as well as programs working with the elderly, the homeless, and animals. Using LA Works is one of the easiest ways to find volunteer opportunities in Los Angeles. Please visit: http://laworks.com/.

Entertainment
Los Angeles is the entertainment capital of the world. You will find a wide variety of activities to enjoy here. Helpful Websites that highlight events and attractions in Los Angeles include http://www.citysearch.com/ and http://www.latimes.com/. As well as selling tickets to UCLA events, the UCLA Central Ticket Office offers discounts on tickets to attractions such as Disneyland, Universal Studios, and the San Diego Zoo.

Continuing Education
While your significant other is pursuing his or her MBA, consider taking a class or possibly obtaining a degree yourself. Los Angeles is home to a number of institutions offering a wide range of classes. The following are just a few options. To learn more about admission requirements, course offerings, and programs, please contact the specific institution in which you are interested.

University of California, Los Angeles
http://www.ucla.edu/
(310) 825-4321

UCLA Extension
http://unex.ucla.edu/
(310) 825-9971 or (818) 784-7006

University of Southern California
http://usc.edu/
(213) 740-2311

Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles
http://www.lmu.edu/
(310) 338-2700

California State University, Los Angeles
http://www.calstatela.edu/
(323) 343-3000

Mount St. Mary’s College
http://www.msmc.la.edu/
(310) 954-4000

Occidental College
http://www.oxy.edu/
(323) 259-2500

For information on Los Angeles community colleges, please visit http://www.laccd.edu/ or call (213) 891-2188.

Schools for Children
For a list of local schools (public and private), please visit the California Department of Education’s Web site. You also may visit the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Website for information on public schools in the area.

Childcare
UCLA Early Care and Education is a great resource to utilize. The organization offers care for children 2 months to 6 years of age at three centers:

• Fernald Child Care Center, located near the UCLA Anderson complex
• Krieger (Bellagio) Center, located in the northwest corner of the UCLA campus
• University Village Child Care Center & Kindergarten, located in the University Village student housing complex

This service is only available for UCLA full-time students and UCLA paid staff and faculty. The center, through its Child Care Resources Program, also provides information on Westside child care providers and a small number of caregivers who will come to your home. In addition, the program will advise on how to evaluate a particular program or provider and what questions will provide parents with the information they need. Please visit the center’s Website at http://www.childcare.ucla.edu or call (310) 825-5086.