Calling all Texas - McCombs Fall 2011 applicants

Thanks, all! I'm very happy, as Texas is my "gut feel" first choice.

Here is my app timeline:

10/23: All materials received by McCombs and GIAC
11/12: invited to interview
11/22: On-campus interview
12/06: Admissions notification (phone call, noon PST)

My profile:
Age: 30 yrs old
Sex: Male
Ethnicity: Chinese-American
Work Experience: 8 yrs as a naval officer. nuclear submarines, humanitarian ops, special ops
GPA: 2.82, US Naval Academy
GMAT1: 710 (V42/Q45 AWA 6.0)
GMAT2: 710 (V41/Q47 AWA 6.0)

Here's my assessment of how it all went down:

Strengths:
- Extremely unique and varied work experience with a lot of tangible leadership examples throughout eight years.
- Above-average GMAT score, although within the 80% spread (McCombs seems to have a lower mean and median GMAT score than other similarly-ranked schools).
- Demonstrated interested and enthusiasm for McCombs.

Weaknesses:
- Quite a bit older than the average applicant (I'll be 31 by the time I matriculate)
- Low GPA (below the 80% spread)

There wasn't much I could do about being old, but to compensate for my low GPA, I took a statistics course at Berkeley and got an A, and also enrolled in a microeconomics course to further demonstrate my desire to learn. I also talked about it extensively in my optional essay.

Also, I talked to A LOT of people. including current students, alumni, and faculty during the application process. I also visited for an info session and class visit. I brought up all of these things during my interview, and the interviewer was visibly impressed that I had reached out to so many different people during my research, and that I knew so much about the program. I talked a lot about leadership and team-building as well, and I got the feeling that McCombs really values peer leadership skills and a collaborative mentality. In short, I had a really great interview, and I think that's what ultimately sealed the deal and got me accepted.

Hope this helps! And for all of you out there with low GPAs, don't give up hope! Truth be told, I wasn't even going to apply to school because I figured that no one would accept me with a sub-3.0 GPA.

Brothersharp, you and I have seriously similar profiles. Hopefully that bodes well for me. I think your lower GPA at the Naval Academy is roughly equal to my 3.1 at small liberal arts school. We're both 30, in the military, and I had a 700 GMAT. I also took several college classes to help my application, although a school like Berkley didn't quite fit my schedule.

Again, congrats.

Wow, we do have similar profiles. Best of luck to you, man. I definitely know how nerve-wracking it is to live with a sub-par GPA during the MBA admissions process. It was a military guy who got into Haas with a 2.7 that really made me think "hey, I can do this!". I'm just thankful that top b-schools are willing to take a holistic approach to admissions, rather than simply weeding out people with low numbers.

Hi All,

I'm applying in R2. Does anyone know whether while sending the transcripts by courier to Mccombs, do we need to send a print of the cover form too? If so, the 'electronic application id' that needs to be filled is that generated only once the application is submitted?

I was hoping to send the transcripts by post early, i.e. while i'm completing my application online. Isn't that possible?

Did they give you any info regarding scholarships/endowments? Or is that something you find out later on in the process?

They said that everyone admitted is automatically considered for a scholarship, and that additional info will come later as they make decisions. Seems to be pretty consistent with what happened on last year's thread.

Also, because of the new online system they're using, they said it will take some time for my online status to change to "admitted". I think this new system may explain why the application came out late, and why people may have been having problems.

Posted from my mobile device

Can anyone currently in the program comment on when the beginning of orientation was last year (I know it was in August, but I'm trying to narrow it down some more).

Anyone else heard about other admits/dings besides Brothersharp (congrats by the way, I think I remember you from the Texas MBA Friday event if you did indeed attend back in September).

Also, I know this isn't a Rice board, but has anyone who interviewed at Rice heard anything back yet?

Good luck to all!

Plasticpants, I interviewed with Rice in Mid-November and have not heard anything. I am pretty sure they won't begin releasing admissions decisions until sometime next week.

Rice will release decisions on 12/17.

Anybody a reapplicant ? I applied Oct 17th, still not heard anything ... its painfully quiet...

Orientation started Aug, 2 and ran through Aug, 13. Hope that helps.

Does anyone know approximately how long after the admission decision is the scholarship decision? How hard is it to get a full ride?

Count me in for R1 - interviewed with an alum in Chicago on 11/19. Waiting anxiously for a phone call. Good luck everyone!

Hey everyone - been following the conversation for too long not to join. Count me in for Rd 1. Interviewed on campus 11/22 - and now waiting very, very anxiously. flew down from chicago for class visit and to check out campus - the place is awesome. Hope y'all get a chance to check it out for yourselves. Good luck to everyone applying!

Add me in for Rd. 1 as well. Applied 11/1, Interview Invite 11/15, Interviewed on Campus 12/2. Waiting anxiously.

and submitted...... Fingers crossed!

I am a reapplicant. Interviewed last year but got dinged. Interviewed again this year on 11/22. I was not incredibly pleased with my interview, so I am pretty nervous. Hoping to hear something next week...