In 2008, the William F. Sharpe Fellows Program was created by the UCLA Department of Economics and their Board of Visitors to engage UCLA alumni, community members, and employers in supporting the career and professional development needs of UCLA’s business undergraduates. Named in honor of Nobel Laureate and UCLA alumnus William F. Sharpe, the program has been successful in bringing together top employers with UCLA’s brightest students interested in pursuing business careers. Today, the program is run by the UCLA Alumni Association staff in collaboration with the Department of Economics and their Board of Visitors to strengthen the Bruin community in business.
Benefits
Leadership Development
Sharpe Fellows are campus role models; many are rising stars among their respective campus communities and serve on executive roles across various student organizations. As our next generation of business leaders, Sharpe Fellows also spend their Fellowship year refining their leadership skills beginning with the Leadership Foundations portion of orientation.
The program helps equip Sharpe Fellows with the competencies and knowledge to be successful leaders and global citizens. Because of this, candidates for the Sharpe Fellows Program should demonstrate an excitement for and commitment to developing key aspects of leadership including purpose, impact, commitment, responsibility, accountability and civic engagement. For the civic engagement portion of the program, Sharpe Fellows alumni that are current students spend the remainder of their time at UCLA giving back by serving as mentors to Sharpe Fellows and other students interested in business at UCLA.
Career Development
Sharpe Fellows receive assistance securing and preparing for a summer internship through training and by leveraging an exclusive network of connections and partnerships with alumni, industry leaders, and Alumni Affairs staff. Currently, the Fellowship provides support for students pursuing summer internships in investment banking, finance, management consulting, and technology.
Through the Career Development Foundations portion of the orientation, Sharpe Fellows receive training on how to successfully secure an internship and how to secure the full-time offer.
Each Sharpe Fellow has access to receive the following:
- Individualized career coaching and industry introductions to help launch a successful career through virtual office hours
- Resume inclusion in a resume book that is distributed widely to employers
- Opportunities to be selected for the Bruin Champions program whereby the program sends your resume to alumni in top organizations with the understanding that the alum will advocate for you within the organization
UCLA Sharpe Fellows Class of 2026 have reported accepting summer internships at the following top organizations: Bank of America, CBRE, Citi, Ernst and Young, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase & Co., Lazard, McKinsey & Company, Moelis & Company, NBC Universal, Perella Weinberg Partners, PIMCO, PwC, Qualcomm, Uber, UBS, Warner Bros. Discover and Wells Fargo.
Mentorship & Networking
The 2024-2025 UCLA Sharpe Fellows will be one cohort made up four sections based on each vertical (investment banking, finance, consulting, and tech) that all meet in-person in the one required session of the program, Orientation: Leadership and Career Development Foundations on Saturday, September 28 at the James West Alumni Center. All other activity in the program is optional.
Upon being named a Sharpe Fellow, each student is given access to a list of alumni with relevant career experience to select a mentor. The alumni mentors have at least 1 year of full-time professional experience, although most alumni mentors have extensive years of work and knowledge. The alumni mentors serve as resources as Sharpe Fellows navigate summer internship recruitment, and can also provide broader career planning advice.
Sharpe Fellows also have exclusive access to a network of over 600 Sharpe Fellows alumni that are either rising leaders or leaders in the business world, and other alumni invested in the professional success of UCLA students. This Fellowship is especially valuable for those looking to expand and deepen their professional network and are self-motivated to connect with UCLA alumni in advancing their career.
Program Commitment
As a Sharpe Fellow, it is required to actively participate in orientation and while the program partners with you to strengthen your career outcome, each fellow is responsible for their own career. By applying for the Sharpe Fellows Program, you understand and acknowledge that orientation is required and you are responsible for ownership of your career.
| Event | Date | Time |
| Orientation: Leadership and Career Development Foundations | Saturday, September 28, 2024 | Entire Day |
| Optional Networking Opportunities | Fall Quarter Tuesday, October 8, 2024 (Fall Week 2) Bruins in Tech, Media, Entertainment, Sports and gaming: Networking Mixer and Alumni Panel (Bloomberg Excursion) at JWAC Thursday, October 10, 2024 (Fall Week 2) Bruins at Bloomberg Screentime in LA (Hollywood) Monday, October 14, 2024 (Fall Week 5) UCLA Week in New York Wednesday, October 16-Friday, October 18 Treks Thursday, October 17 Bruins in NYC: Networking Mixer and Alumni Panel Thursday, November 21 Bruins in Silicon Beach Networking Mixer and Alumni Panel (targeting tech and entrepreneurship) Winter Quarter Monday, January 13, 2024 (Week 3) UCLA Week in the Bay Area Wednesday, January 15-Friday, January 17 Treks Wednesday, January 15 Bruins in the Bay Area Networking Mixer and Alumni Panel Thursday, January 16 Bruins at JP Morgan Healthcare Conference Monday, January 17, 2025 (Winter Week 5) UCLA Week in Century City Thursday, January 30-Friday, January 31 Treks Wednesday, January 29 Bruins in Century City: Networking Mixer and Alumni Panel (Targeting investment banking, finance and consulting) | Times Vary |
| Optional UCLA Case & Stock Pitch Competition | Friday, April 25, 2025 (Spring Week 4) | Entire Day |
| Sharpe Fellow End-of-Year Reception | Thursday, May 1, 2025 | 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. |
Prospective Fellows
Program Eligibility
- Undergraduate students, enrolled full-time (12+ units) at UCLA
- Expected graduation date of December 2026, March 2027, or June 2027
- Minimum 3.4 GPA
Application Process
The Sharpe Fellows Program annually selects the top UCLA undergraduate students going into business, and are supported by alumni, community members, and employers who are invested in the career and professional development needs of Sharpe Fellows. Prospective candidates must have a demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in business administration. Successful candidates should also have an interest in leadership development and a genuine enthusiasm for civic engagement.
Candidates will be asked to submit a well-crafted resume, answer four (4) short answer prompts, and select which cohort they are pursuing (investment banking, finance, consulting, or tech). Candidates interested in private equity should apply for the investment Banking industry vertical. After a review of all applications, selected students will be invited to participate in virtual interviews with UCLA alumni.
The four essay prompts will be:
- Why X (investment banking, finance, consulting, or tech)?
- What have you done thus far to prepare for a career in X and what is your plan of action to secure an internship going forward?
- What challenges do you believe this Fellowship program will help you overcome in securing an internship?
- How would you describe the role of responsibility, accountability, and commitment in a leader? In what specific ways do you believe those leadership qualities are relevant in this Fellowship program? Please describe how you would exemplify those qualities if given the opportunity to be a Sharpe Fellow.
In order to be considered for the program, you MUST meet all eligibility requirements and complete the entire application.
The 2024-2025 application information is below:
- Applications Open: Monday, June 10, 2024
- Information Session: Wednesday, June 12, 2024 from 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. at the James West Alumni Center and Friday, August 16 from 12pm – 1pm via zoom here
- Application Deadline: Sunday, August 18, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. PST
- Candidates will be notified if they are selected for an interview on Tuesday, August 27
- Interviews (all held virtually)
| Industry Vertical | Date | Time |
| Investment Banking Round 1* | Wednesday, September 4 | Evening |
| Investment Banking Round 2** | Friday, September 6 | Morning |
| Consulting | Friday, September 6 | Afternoon |
| Finance | Friday, September 13 | Morning |
| Technology | Friday, September 13 | Afternoon |
*Candidates will be notified if moving onto next round on Thursday, September 5
**only for selected candidates
Decision Announcements: Investment banking and consulting candidates will be notified if they are selected as a Sharpe Fellow on Tuesday, September 10, 2024. Finance and technology candidates will be notified if they are selected as a Sharpe Fellow on Tuesday, September 17, 2024.
All content listed above, including dates of events, is subject to change.
Contact Us
If you have any questions, want more information about the UCLA Sharpe Fellows Program, or are interested in hiring Sharpe Fellows, please contact Mia Seleshi, Director of Alumni Career Engagement, UCLA Alumni Affairs.
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