Texas McCombs Adds A Fourth Deadline And Updates App Requirements

Texas McCombs has added a fourth application round to its Full-Time MBA admissions cycle and has announced several significant changes to application components.

The changes are intended to “reduce bias, foster inclusivity, and improve accessibility in the admissions process,” according to program officials at University of Texas Austin.

Key changes to the McCombs MBA application include:

A fourth deadline of May 9, 2024,
A cover letter replaces the former required essay
The video assessment is reduced to a total of five questions
More standardized tests are accepted, with waivers are allowed
An optional peer interview is introduced

Complete details on the changes are available here. From my experience as a Fortuna Admissions coach who has helped candidates apply to McCombs successfully, I offer some insights on how to respond and prepare for these new application components.

First, Getting Your Application In

By adding a fourth application round, McCombs has taken a bit of the pressure off candidates by giving them a bit more time to perfect and submit their applications. Deadlines for August 2024 admission are:

Round 1: October 10, 2023
Round 2: January 5, 2024
Round 3: March 26, 2024*
Round 4: May 9, 2024

International applicants must apply by the Round 3 deadline.

McCombs is also expanding accepted standardized test options to include the GMAT Focus (once it is available in the fall), the GMAT, GRE, and Executive Assessment. Merit-based test waivers are available but require you to submit an expired test score.

Instead of an essay, applicants must submit a cover letter “summarizing your aspirations, qualifications, and personal and professional experiences that make you a strong candidate for the Texas Full-Time MBA program.” This is intended to learn who you are as an applicant, so it’s essential to address the classic questions: “Why an MBA?” and “Why a McCombs’ MBA?”

How to Handle the Video

After you submit your application and pay your fee, you will receive a link to complete the video assessment online. All candidates will respond to a total of five questions, and you’ll have seven days from receiving the invitation to complete the videos.

First comes a fun, get-to-know-you question that the admissions committee will not score. Then you will record a response to four questions, with a 90-second time limit for each question. You can practice as many times as they wish before completing the final video assessment. You’ll have up to 30 seconds to think, then up to three minutes to respond to each question.

McCombs advises you to prepare for these videos much like you would for an interview. Be prepared to answer behavioral-based questions steeped in competencies that McCombs views as central to success in business school and beyond. These top three are:

Adaptability/Resilience
Empathy/Inclusivity
Ambition

They are also looking for evidence of motivation, career goals, well-roundedness, verbal communications skills, poise and professionalism.

With behavioral style questions, you can expect prompts on very specific examples of what you did – along with why, what was going through your mind at the time, the impact on others, and the outcome. With only 90 seconds to work with, it’s essential to make your answers clear and concise. An example behavioral question is: “Tell me about a time you faced a challenge at work and how you influenced the outcome.”

It’s also smart to anticipate questions rooted in the characteristics McCombs cares about. Some possible questions that might map to the McCombs stated values include:

Human-Centered: Tell us about a time when you helped to promote diversity and inclusion.
Future Focused: Tell us about a time you’ve used technology to be more effective.
Innovator Connected: Tell us about a time you gained buy-in from others on a new idea.
Collaboratively Minded: Tell us about a time when you dealt with someone who was difficult. How did you handle that situation?

Finally, as you prepare, think about how to convey what’s not obvious in your resume, credentials, or LinkedIn profile. What will help make your application sticky and memorable, adding to your overall narrative? Reflect on the stories you want to tell and offer dimensions that might be missing from elsewhere in your application.

Want More Advice?

For a deeper dive into how to ace every component of the McCombs application, please see my Fortuna blog on the topic here. Also, check out:

MBA Video Essay Tips, by Fortuna’s Caroline Diarte Edwards.

And for more expert guidance, sign up for our top-rated free consultation to learn Fortuna’s MBA insiders can boost your chances of admission to top MBA programs.

Sharon Joyce is a director at MBA admissions coaching firm Fortuna Admissions and former Berkeley Haas Associate Director of Admissions. Fortuna Director Peter Johnson is former Assistant Dean for the full-time MBA Program & Admissions at Berkeley Haas.