Welcome 2026-2027 McCombs Applicants Join McCombs chat | Add to my Schools | MBA Applicants WhatsApp Community Hey everyone! As the new admissions cycle officially gets underway, this thread is the central home for everyone applying to the Texas McCombs MBA program for the 2027 intake. Whether you are prepping for Round 1 in October or planning a strategy for the winter deadlines, this is your community space to share updates, bounce ideas around, and help each other through the application journey. Use this space to: 🤝 Network with fellow applicants and swap profile insights. 📝 Discuss essay strategies —from the creative graduation "look-back" prompt (picturing yourself at the end of your MBA) to highlighting a defining core value, both packed into tight 250-word limits. 💡 Brainstorm how to showcase fit with the uniquely collaborative McCombs culture, experiential opportunities like the MBA+ Leadership program, and the massive energy of the Austin business ecosystem. 📅 Track timelines together—from hitting the submit button to handling the required video assessment and sharing interview invites. Drop a comment below to introduce yourself! Let us know your industry background, what round you're aiming for, or your thoughts on how to stand out in the application. https://gmatclub.com/forum/download/file.php?id=71520 Applications for the Full-Time MBA program are accepted in three rounds, and the program enrolls annually every August. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 PM Central Time on the deadline date for each round. Round 1 Application Due: October 15, 2025 Decision Delivered: December 16, 2025 Round 2 Application Due: January 15, 2026 Decision Delivered: March 26, 2026 Round 3 Application Due: April 1, 2026 Decision Delivered: May 7, 2026 McCombs MBA Essays 2023-24 Essay 1 Imagine yourself at the completion of your MBA journey. Why was pursuing your MBA at Texas McCombs the right decision for your personal and professional growth? Reflect on how you made the most of your time in the program—academically, through hands-on learning opportunities, and within the McCombs community. Highlight how you contributed to the McCombs community and used its resources to grow both professionally and personally. (250 words) Essay 2 Reflect on a core value that defines you. Share a specific example of how it has guided your decisions and actions, and explain how it will shape your contributions and growth as a McCombs MBA student. Highlight how this value has influenced your leadership style and life path, and how it will shape your MBA experience. (250 words) Essay 3 Optional Please explain any gaps in work experience, choice of recommender, and/or academic performance issues that may help the admission committee in reviewing your application. (Limit: 250 words) UT AUSTIN GMAT CLUB SPOTLIGHT KEY TAKEAWAYS 2026 PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS Tepper offers a STEM-designated MBA in three formats: full-time, online hybrid, and accelerated. The full-time program is 21 months with an internship, while the online hybrid allows students to work while studying. The accelerated option is for those with a business undergraduate degree, completing in 12-16 months. CURRICULUM & SPECIALIZATIONS The curriculum emphasizes analytics, business fundamentals, and leadership. Students can choose from 14 concentrations, including AI in Business and Entrepreneurship. The program allows for customization, with students often graduating with multiple concentrations. ADMISSIONS Application requirements include a resume, transcripts, test scores (GMAT, GRE, or Executive Assessment), and a professional recommendation. A written essay and a two-minute video essay about career goals are required. Application fee is waived for attendees of the session, and test waivers are available within the application. CAREER OUTCOMES The Master's Career Center supports students with career counseling and events. Average starting salary for graduates is $154,000, with 83% receiving job offers within three months of graduation. Top employers include Amazon, Deloitte, and McKinsey. COMMUNITY & LOCATION Tepper's smaller class size fosters a close-knit community. Located in Pittsburgh, the city offers a high quality of life with affordable living and numerous cultural and recreational activities. Students benefit from Carnegie Mellon's broader university ecosystem, with access to electives across various disciplines. UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES Tepper integrates AI into its curriculum, offering courses like machine learning for business. The Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship provides resources like seed funding and mentorship. Students can engage in capstone projects with startups and companies, enhancing practical learning experiences. UPDATE FROM DAY 2 SESSION (JUN 11, KAREENA, ASSOC. DIRECTOR) • BECCI program (Business English and Cultural Immersion) eases international students into US academic/cultural life • International financing: private loans via Prodigy Finance and Empower (no US federal loans) • Merit scholarships automatic - no separate application • Common applicant mistakes called out: applying before profile is strongest, neglecting the video essay, under-preparing for interviews • All work experience counts, including internships and contract work; explain career gaps in the optional essay McCombs Class Profile Class of '26 Average GPA 3.46 Average WE 6 Average GMAT 704 Average GRE 321 Average Age 29 McCombs Application Stats Class of '25 Applicants 1889 Accepted 716 Acceptance Rate 38% Enrolled 241 Yield Rate 65% McCombs Class Profile Class of '24 Avg. GPA 3.46 Avg. WE 71 Average GMAT 706 Median GMAT 710 Avg. GMAT Domestic 699 Avg. GMAT International 714 % GRE 30% Avg GRE Quant 162 Avg. GRE Verbal 161 Avg. Total GRE 323 McCombs Employment Data Class of '23 Employed at Graduation 81% Employed 3 Months 91% Average Salary $157,735 Average Bonus $32,915 Salary and Bonus $190,650

Will depend highly on your career goals. For example, investment banks and firms which want their employees to have high comfort with numbers and logic, will lean towards applicants with high GMAT scores

Highly inclined for IB and Corp finance else open to consulting (keeping it fluid and not rigid honestly)

Once again however there is no set formula, and if your other experience is and qualifications can overcompensate your lack of a Stellar GMAT score you can still get your way in If it doesn't require too much of efforts on your part, I would suggest you take a GMAT/ GRE anyway Cannot do you any harm😊

Yeah that’s the idea! Skeptical due to timeframe but thankyou for the the prompt reply! appreciate what you doing for the prospects

My clients who got in with GMAT waivers, had to struggle more for employments later

Yeah tbh this is what even I’ve heard from the internationals

Please forgive the typos. Voice to text is still evolving.. 🙈

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Pls share your profile and how much $$$ did you get

Yes, CFA + five years of finance experience at a major O&G company is a credible basis for a test waiver. You already have substantial evidence of quantitative readiness through the CFA curriculum and professional finance work, so a waiver would not look like you are simply trying to avoid a difficult exam. On recruiting, the concern is real but narrower than it may appear online. McKinsey’s current application process can ask for standardized-test scores you have taken, but it also explicitly allows candidates to indicate that they have not taken them. Bain has some MBA recruiting/fellowship programs that request GMAT/GRE scores, although at least one current Middle East MBA program states that GMAT scores are applicable but not required. So having no GMAT does not automatically block consulting recruiting, but a strong score can become an additional positive signal. For IB, corporate finance, energy finance, strategy, or energy-sector roles, we would be much less worried about skipping the GMAT solely because of recruiting. Employers will care far more about the MBA brand, your CFA, five years of finance experience, technical/transaction exposure, and interview performance. The standardized-score issue becomes more relevant if you are targeting MBB consulting or certain highly structured recruiting programs.