Located in one of the United States’ fastest-growing cities, with Amazon planning to add 800 jobs in the area in the near future and numerous other tech giants beefing up their presence in the Texas capital, UT Austin’s McCombs School of Business is increasingly a top choice program for savvy MBA applicants.
However, with a strong focus on entrepreneurship and access to the massive Longhorn network, the competition to join McCombs’ MBA program is increasingly steep.
That’s why we’ve prepared this guide to help you use your McCombs admissions essays to stand out. We’ve rounded up our best tips to ensure you give your UT McCombs application your best shot.
1. Who is McCombs looking for?
(Photo courtesy of @utexasmccombs on Instagram)
“It has been said that McCombs MBAs are relentlessly driven, yet they are the first to jump in and encourage and support each other to excel.” Texas McCombs MBA Insider
This year, McCombs admitted 220 students to its highly-competitive MBA program. With a strong emphasis on diversity, there is no “typical” McCombs student, yet the average student admitted to the Class of 2024 had an average GMAT score of 706 or a GRE of Q160/V159 and 5.7 years of work experience.
In fact, according to Dean Raji Srinivasan, diversity is key to the McCombs experience. In her words, “In a continually complex and changing world, students need global acumen, the skills to operate and collaborate effectively, with a mind-set that transcends geographic and cultural boundaries.
At McCombs, we recognize and value a diverse and inclusive culture by acknowledging the unique and different perspectives of our different community members.
We believe that an inclusive learning environment is key to unlocking students’ potential and prepare them to be strong leaders in transforming business and industry—solving the problems of tomorrow and having a positive impact on society.”
In short, McCombs is looking for candidates who want to make a positive impact on the world through their careers. If this sounds like the community for you, you’ll face the challenging task of convincing the school’s admissions committee that you deserve to be a Longhorn.
2. How should I answer the essay questions?
2.1. Essay 1 Tips
Essay 1: Please write an application cover letter summarizing your aspirations, qualifications, and personal and professional experiences that make you a strong candidate for the Texas Full-Time MBA program. (Limit: 500 words)
Though this prompt initially may look intimidating, it’s essentially just a goals essay! Often overlooked by applicants, goals essays are incredibly important, as they give the admissions committee your most important argument — why do you need an MBA from their school and what are you going to do with it?
For all goals essays, you should first begin with context, as goals without context often lack clarity or impact. You may want to include one mini-story or several small anecdotes to provide this context. As the prompt indicates, this should include both personal and professional stories.
Then, after you set the stage, clearly present your goals to the admissions committee. The section on your goals should include clear short-term and long-term goals, meaning you should list the job title and industry for each. Furthermore, stating the motivation you have for wanting these goals and the impact you envision generating while pursuing them is an excellent way to take your essay from good to great.
If you’re not sure exactly what your goals are, it’s a good idea to think through your arguments and define your goals before you sit down to write!
Finally, end with a section on how McCombs’s MBA program can help you continue to grow to reach your goals. You will first need to research the McCombs experience in-depth and share how you plan to take advantage of the school’s curriculum, how you plan to get involved in the community, and what you believe you can contribute to your class.
Instead, show how you are going to take advantage of McCombs’s offerings to become a more high-potential, driven professional who leaves a meaningful legacy behind. Doing this well means connecting how McCombs can help you grow with specific outcomes tied to your goals.
Need more guidance?
Our MBA Resource Center has dozens of essays that worked to get our clients admitted to help you plan out a winning UT McCombs essay.
Our library also includes guides for all top global MBA programs, detailed essay brainstorms, interview tips and mocks, CV templates, and recommendation letter guides. Click to join!
2.2. Optional Essay Tips
Optional Statement: Please provide any additional information you believe is important or address any areas of concern that you believe will be beneficial to MBA Admissions in considering your application (e.g., gaps in work experience, choice of recommender, academic performance, or extenuating personal circumstances). (250 words)
This is not a place for you to retell your life story or sum up your interest in McCombs or need for an MBA. It is also not a place to copy and paste a strong essay you wrote for another school. Make sure you focus only on weak spots and also discuss what steps you have taken or took to rectify the weaknesses AND/OR on any other topics that strictly need explanation. McCombs is quite clear when stating what types of explanations they feel are appropriate.
Of course, there are circumstances that are not covered in the list given, but it does make it very clear that essays on, for example, why you would like to live in Texas or everyone you know at UT will not work well for this prompt.
Find additional tips and tricks to help you master the optional essay here.
2.3. Video Essay Requirements
All applicants will be required to complete the Video Assessment shortly after submitting their application and paying the fee. Applicants have 7 days to complete the assessment upon receiving access to the video submission platform. There will be 4 question prompts and applicants will have 90 seconds to answer each prompt.
Learn more on our MBA Insider Blog.
UT McCombs has retained the requirement that candidates complete a video essay as part of its application process. Though it can seem daunting at first, the video essay is a great way to share more about your interests, motivations, and personality with the admissions committee.
We recommend checking out our tips on recording an outstanding video essay here and checking out the tips posted by the UT McCombs admissions committee!
3. Make sure you get into McCombs
One of the most common mistakes we see in MBA essays is that candidates fail to tell compelling stories. This is important because if your stories are not compelling, they will not be persuasive. At the same time, they must be backed by strong examples that establish a track record of success and prove to the admissions committees why you belong at their school.
Striking this balance between content and creativity can be tough, however, as succeeding means not only choosing the right stories but ensuring they are told in an optimal manner.
This is why our iterative developmental feedback process here at Ellin Lolis Consulting helps you mold your message through the application of our storytelling expertise until it reflects exactly what makes your profile stand out and show fit with your target program.
Not only can you take advantage of our iterative feedback process through multiple edits – you can also benefit from it after a single review! If your budget is tight, our editors will be happy to help polish your text as much as possible and leave “bonus comments” so you can keep working on it on your own!
No matter how long we work with you, we will always ensure your essays shine. Sign up to work with our team of storytelling experts and get accepted.
4. UT McCombs Deadlines
Here are the deadlines for the 2023-2024 season. You can access the online application here.
Real MBA Essays That Got People In
School-specific sample essays that got our clients accepted
