UT Austin / McCombs MBA News

Get the latest MBA news from UT Austin / McCombs.

Published: April 22, 2025

Real Numbers of MBA Admissions: Finance Industry Placement

In this edition of Real Numbers of MBA Admissions, see the percentages for placement in the finance industry at top business schools. Finance has typically been in the top three of industry choices for full-time MBA graduates, alongside tech and consulting. The finance industry presents myriad options for MBA graduates to pursue dynamic and lucrative careers, and the quantitative rigor of leading MBA programs supports such paths. Business School % in Finance Boston College Carroll School of Management 29% Brigham Young University Marriott School of Business 19% Cambridge Judge Business School 26% Carnegie Mellon Read more

Published: April 16, 2025

M7 Business Schools Continue to Dominate in Venture Capital and Private Equity Fields

Despite a slowdown in finance industry hiring, MBA graduates continue to be drawn to careers in the finance industry due to the large compensation packages, the chance to work on high-profile deals at investment banks, and the opportunity to invest in the next billion-dollar company at a venture capital or private equity firm. As we will see below, the top MBA programs continue to have a strong track record of finance industry job placement and can accelerate finance careers. In particular, M7 business schools continue to dominate in the buy-side job placements for venture capital, private equity, Read more

Published: April 7, 2025

U.S. News 2025 Best Business Schools: Wharton Stands Alone at the Top

April showers bring May flowers and the U.S. News Best Graduate Programs Rankings. That’s right, the 2025 Best Business School list is live. Once again, The Wharton School claims the top spot. Stanford GSB slipped from sharing the #1 spot last year to tying for second with Northwestern Kellogg. Chicago Booth now ranks fourth while MIT Sloan holds fifth place again. Clear Admit Community Manager Alex Brown notes, “Congratulations to Wharton for topping the U.S. News Read more

Published: March 30, 2025

The Week Ahead: MBA Deadlines & Decisions, March 31-April 4, 2025

Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! Decisions & Late Round Deadlines Final decisions for Round 2 continue to roll out, as more MBA programs have Round 3 application deadlines. Monday, March 31, Cambridge / Judge has its Round 4 application deadline. Tuesday, April 1, UPenn / Wharton is scheduled to release its Round 2 decisions. NYU / Stern has its Initial Notification deadline for Round 3. Columbia and Texas / McCombs have their Round 3 application deadlines. Wednesday, April 2, UPenn / Read more

Published: March 25, 2025

Consulting Placement Trends at Leading MBA Programs

Because management consulting remains a highly popular goal for MBA students, we’re taking a closer look at consulting careers placement for Class of 2024 graduates and other recent trends. Jobs at the best strategy consulting firms including McKinsey, Bain and BCG (together known as the MBB) are particularly coveted by business school students because these firms often provide a fast track to senior positions in large corporations. In addition, M7 business schools such as Chicago / Booth and Northwestern / Kellogg have very strong track records of MBB job placement. Consulting Industry Placement for the MBA Class of 2024 All Read more

Published: March 23, 2025

The Week Ahead: MBA Decisions & Round 3 Deadlines, March 24-28, 2025

Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! Admissions Decisions & Round 3 Deadlines Final decisions for Round 2 are now rolling out, as some programs have Round 3 application deadlines. Monday, March 24, IESE is scheduled to have released its Round 2 decisions. Michigan / Ross and London Business School have their Round 3 application deadlines. Wednesday, March 26, Harvard Business School and Northwestern / Kellogg are scheduled to release their Round 2 decisions. Columbia is scheduled to have released its Round 2 Read more

Published: March 8, 2025

MBA Fellowships and Community: Support For Women in Business School

The representation of women in business schools and leadership roles is growing, but gender parity in MBA admissions has been fickle. While some business schools have met the fifty-percent mark–with USC Marshall being the first top-tier program to do so with its Class of 2020–class profiles can fluctuate. In order to address the challenges faced by women entering business school, a number of MBA fellowships and scholarship programs are available. These challenges can include imposter syndrome Read more

Published: March 4, 2025

Real Numbers of MBA Admissions: Average GRE Scores by Top U.S. Business Schools

Average GRE scores by business school can provide applicants with a sense of the rigor of the MBA program, expectations of the adcom and general competitiveness of the applicant pool. While the GMAT used to be the only accepted admissions exam at leading MBA programs, many have opened up to other options, including the GRE. Starting in September 2023, the GRE consists of a 30-minute Analytical Writing section, which includes one essay. An additional Verbal Reasoning section features two sections with 18 minutes allowed for 12 questions and 23 minutes allowed for 15 questions, respectively. Another two Read more

Published: February 27, 2025

Virtual Event Series: MBA Application Overview 2025

Calling all future MBA Applicants! You have the raw materials. So how do you put them together into a compelling MBA application? Join us for our 2025-2026 MBA Admissions Overview Event Series to get answers to just that question! We’re hosting four events – May 6th, May 7th, May 20th, & May 21st all @ 12pm ET – each with representatives from up to five top MBA Programs. The full series includes 20 Top MBA Programs. We’ll start with a 60-minute roundtable panel. MBA admissions professionals will share some insight into their programs and Read more

Published: February 26, 2025

Real Numbers of MBA Admissions: Average GMAT Scores at Top U.S. MBA Programs

See where your GMAT score lands among the top U.S. MBA programs, as we report the average GMAT scores in the chart below. If you have yet to take the GMAT, you can also get a sense of what score you need to target. Business school admissions use the GMAT score as a sign of applicants’ academic abilities and a high score can help you stand out in admissions. Also, average GMAT scores play a role in schools’ rankings. If you completed the GMAT Focus edition, with a score ending in 5, please refer to Coming Read more

Published: February 25, 2025

Texas McCombs MBA Class of 2024 Employment Report

For the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business, the MBA Class of 2024 demonstrates the school’s strengths in the face of economic challenges. The MBA employment report showcases the achievements of this year’s 221 graduates, with 86 percent of those seeking employment receiving a job offer within three months of graduation and 85 percent accepting positions. The reported average base salary for the class is $151,178, and the mean signing bonus is $31,003. Seventy-eight percent of the Read more

Published: February 24, 2025

Real Numbers of MBA Admissions: International Student Statistics

International students statistics can showcase an element of diversity at leading business schools. In the chart below, see the percentage of international students at U.S. business schools. U.S. School % International ASU W.P. Carey School of Business 48% Babson College Olin 85% Boston College Carroll School of Management 24% BYU Marriott School of Business 32%* Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business 39% Columbia Business School 46% Cornell University SC Johnson Graduate School of Management 35% Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business 30% Duke University Fuqua School of Business 41% Emory University Goizueta School of Business 45% Read more

Published: February 22, 2025

An MBA for Business Owners: The Whats and The Whys

Entrepreneurs have made somewhat of a disruptive name for themselves. Their career paths tend to exist outside of the realms of institutions and convention, and many are famous for lacking degrees or formal education. There are, however, some true benefits to business owners to be found in an MBA or in a Masters in Entrepreneurship. In fact, many MBAs hope to become entrepreneurs one day, and some start businesses right after graduating. Why Might Business Owners Consider an MBA or a Specialized Masters in Entrepreneurship? There are a number Read more

Published: February 20, 2025

Clear Admit MBA Fair 2025 – May 14th, Boston

Join leading MBA programs at this exclusive event in Boston to learn more about management education. Connect with admissions officers, chat with MBA alumni, and pick up expert tips on the application process. Space is limited! Date: Wednesday, May 14th Time: 5:00-8:00 PM Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts | MIT Sloan School of Management | Building: E62 Registration Form: If you’re experiencing issues with registration, please click here. Schools: Berkeley / Haas Carnegie Mellon / Tepper Chicago / Booth Columbia Business School Read more

Published: February 17, 2025

The Financial Times 2025 Global MBA Ranking

The Financial Times (FT) Global MBA ranking for 2025 is out–and we take a closer look at where the top 100 programs landed. To start, here is a quick look at the top 10 of The Financial Times 2025 Global MBA rankings (2024 positions are in parentheses): Ranking School 1 The Wharton School (1) 2 Columbia Business School (3 tie) 3 Iese Business School (5) 4 (tie) INSEAD (2) 4 (tie) SDA Bocconi (3 tie) 6 MIT Sloan School of Management (6 tie) 7 London Business School (8) Read more

Published: February 12, 2025

Real Numbers of MBA Admissions: Percentage of U.S. Minorities at Top U.S. Business Schools

The percentage of U.S. minorities at top U.S. business schools can provide a sense of the diversity you will find in your MBA program. Business school students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and self-identify as African American or Black, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian American, Hispanic American or Latinx, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, or those who are multiracial or multiethnic are considered a minority. See the percentage of minorities as reported by top business schools in the chart below. U.S. School % U.S. Minorities ASU W.P. Carey School of Business 41% Boston College Read more

Published: February 12, 2025

Texas McCombs Announces Full-Time MBA Hildebrand Scholars Program

Candidates for the Texas McCombs full-time MBA program have a new invitation to look forward to; the school has announced they will be extending select invitations to apply for their new Hildebrand Scholars program. Beyond awarding full tuition, an emphasis on leadership development is at the core of the scholarship. Scholars complete their MBA in tandem with a personally crafted, assessment-informed, two-year leadership roadmap. In addition to this, executive coaches provide personalized support to Hildebrand scholars, and candidates will have access to myriad opportunities to perfect interpersonal skills and communication Read more

Published: February 10, 2025

Real Numbers of MBA Admissions: Percentage of Women MBA Students

Over the past decade, the percentage of women MBA students has been on the rise across leading business schools. USC Marshall was the first leading business school to achieve gender parity while others have achieved or continue to strive for that benchmark. The Forté Foundation has also consistently reported that women have been gaining or holding their ground on b-school campuses–and, in both 2023 and 2024, reported record highs. Look at the chart below to see the percentage of women MBA students at leading business schools Read more

Published: February 3, 2025

Real Numbers of MBA Admissions: Cost of MBA Programs in the U.S.

In this edition of Real Numbers of MBA Admissions, see the total cost of a full-time MBA per year at U.S. schools. Tuition comprises most of the cost of each program. Other factors, including room and board, program fees, books and supplies, health insurance, transportation and other expenses, have been added to provide the total cost of an MBA in the U.S. by year. Most business schools provide a breakdown of the expenses, which are posted under the financial aid or admissions section of their websites. Schools also typically take the total cost of attendance into account Read more

Published: January 29, 2025

Real Numbers of MBA Admissions: Class Size of Top U.S. MBA Programs

Business schools come in all shapes and sizes and the class size of top MBA programs can be a factor in considering fit. From networking to a tight-knit culture to campus opportunities, class size can reveal much about an MBA program. No matter which program you choose, the top MBA programs strive to ensure relationship building during full-time b-school life. Some larger programs, such as Harvard Business School and CBS, mainly break the student body down into cohorts/sections/clusters of dozens of students. Other U.S. business schools, like Wharton, also have Learning Teams, groups of 5-6 students who Read more

Published: January 12, 2025

The Week Ahead: MBA Deadlines, January 13-17, 2025

Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! Round Two Gets Underway! More Round 2 application deadlines for top MBA programs are scheduled for this week. Tuesday, January 14, MIT / Sloan has its Round 2 application deadline. INSEAD has its Round 3 application deadline. Wednesday, January 15, Texas / McCombs, Florida / Warrington, BYU / Marriott, UCI Merage and Toronto / Rotman have their Round 2 application deadlines. Maryland / Smith has its Round 4 application deadline. Thursday, January 16, NYU / Stern Read more

Published: December 19, 2024

GMAC Common Letter of Recommendation Analysis for MBA Applicants and Recommenders

Applying to business school entails a great deal of work for prospective students – and almost as much effort for the people writing their letters of recommendation. An effective MBA recommendation provides rich information about the candidate’s strengths, key accomplishments, and leadership abilities. It’s also important that a recommendation fully address every question that is asked by the admissions committee. So, when an applicant is targeting six schools that ask different questions across their recommendation forms, this can translate to a great deal of time and effort for already-busy recommenders. To alleviate some of this pressure, Read more

Published: December 15, 2024

The Week Ahead: Round 1 Decisions, December 16-20, 2024

Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! First Round is Finishing! Final decisions for Round 1 candidates continue to be released. Tuesday, December 17, Texas / McCombs is scheduled to release their Round 1 decisions. Friday, December 20, Columbia Business School, Washington / Foster and Indiana / Kelley are scheduled to have release their Round 1 decisions. How “The Wires” Can Help Visit MBA LiveWire for the latest “buzz” about MBA admissions, including interview invitations and decision notifications. There are 5 Ways MBA Read more

Published: December 12, 2024

A Guide to Test Waivers: Should You Request a Waiver for Submitting a GMAT or GRE Score?

It is no secret that standardized tests are not the part of the MBA application process that applicants most cherish. Some applicants simply aren’t good at standardized testing; others feel they do not have the time to invest in studying properly. With competition for applicants continuing to rise among schools, test waivers became a more prevalent option in b-school admissions. Whether you’re hesitant or excited about the GMAT or GRE, what are valid reasons to request a test waiver? Even if you have a valid reason, does it make sense to request a test waiver? In this piece, we take Read more

Published: December 4, 2024

Real Humans of the Texas McCombs MBA Class of 2026

The University of Texas McCombs School of Business MBA Class of 2026 brings together an inspiring and diverse group of individuals who have journeyed from across the globe to Austin, Texas, for a transformative experience. Hailing from industries as varied as marine engineering, tech, the military, and finance, these students share a common goal: to push the boundaries of their potential while immersing themselves in the collaborative and resource-rich environment of McCombs. 255 students matriculated to be part of the new class. A third are women and 29 percent are international students. Twenty-three percent of U.S. citizens Read more

UT Austin / McCombs

CLASS SIZE: 235

Women: 29%

GMAT 80% Range: 615-695

MEDIAN GPA: 3.53

Livewire Decisionwire Interview Reports Essay Topic Analysis MBA Admissions Deadlines View Full Profile

MBA Applywire

April 15, 2026 12:57pm ET

Applying: Berkeley / Haas, Carnegie Mellon / Tepper, Chicago Booth, Columbia Business School, Cornell / Johnson, Emory / Goizueta, Georgetown / McDonough, Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, Northwestern / Kellogg, Penn / Wharton, Stanford GSB, UCLA Anderson, UVA / Darden

Pre-MBA Career: Big4 Deals Consulting

Post MBA Career: Consulting, Finance, Commercial Banking, Diversified, Corporate, Management Consulting

GMAT: 675

GPA: 3.72

Location: Marietta, GA

Post MBA Location: New York City

Notes:

Applying to deferred programs this year, would love to hear thoughts on my application.

675 GMAT Focus, 3.723 at Non Target Undergraduate, Finance Major. Decent extra curricular on-campus, for internship experience started college with internship at a small ABL shop, interned sophomore summer/junior school year at a large publicly traded mortgage company doing Risk, interned after junior year at a Big4 doing Risk Consulting for FSOs. Returning FT to same B4 in Deals practice.

Would love to hear thoughts. Thanks.

April 14, 2026 10:15am ET

Applying: Harvard Business School, INSEAD, Lauder Institute, London Business School, Penn / Wharton, Stanford GSB

Intake Year: 2027

Pre-MBA Career: Orthopedic Surgeon

Post MBA Career: Consulting, Technology, Management Consulting, Healthcare, McKinsey

GRE: 328

GPA: 3.5

Years of Work Experience: 13

Location: UK

Post MBA Location: US, UK, Switzerland, HK, Europe

Notes:

Orthopaedic surgeon with cross-border training/work exposure i.e. UK, HK & Pakistan
• Strong involvement in research, publications, and innovation-related work
• Interested in the intersection of clinical medicine, healthcare systems, digital health, and business
• Long-term goal is to move from being a clinician to a broader leadership role where I can help build, scale, or evaluate healthcare solutions

April 12, 2026 10:23am ET

Applying: London Business School, Oxford / Saïd, SDA Bocconi

Intake Year: 2026

Pre-MBA Career: Civil Engineer with PPP experience and certification

Post MBA Career: Finance

GPA: 4.48

Years of Work Experience: 10

Location: Uganda

Post MBA Location: London, UAE or Europe

Notes:

African female - after 7 years at an international engineering consultancy and 3 in public sector, looking to get into infrastructure finance through an infrastructure focused MBA and internship pipeline. Certified PPP practitioner but not ao much leadership experience. Hoping to join a big 4 infrastructure advisory or infrastructure fund post MBA.

April 6, 2026 12:21pm ET

Applying: Penn / Wharton

Intake Year: 2026

Pre-MBA Career: MBB Consulting

Post MBA Career: Finance, Investment Banking, Private Equity, Brookfield Asset Management

GMAT: 675

GPA: 3.76

Location: South Korea

Post MBA Location: U.S., Seoul, Singapore

Notes:

Only applying to Wharton "Deferred" Program (Due to eligibility)

Demographic: Asian Male, 26

Academic Background: B.S. & M.S. in Nuclear Engineering @ Top school in S.Korea

GPA: B.S.(3.76/4.30), M.S.(3.93/4.30)

GMAT Focus: 675 (Q-96th, DI-95th, V-56th)

Pre-MBA Employer: Recieved FT Offer @ Bain (expected start: July 2026)

Post-MBA Goal:
- Short: Banking
- Long: Infrastructure PE

Internships: Internship @ BCG

Research Experience:
4 conferences and several papers under review about Nuclear Fuel Materials, Nuclear Plant Economics & EPC, Nuclear Reactor Core Design

Extracurricular Activities/Leadership:
- Led a consulting project for a nuclear energy company in S.Korea
- Honor Society, College of Engineering
- VP of the student council @ UG department
- Soccer/Baseball team(non-varsity)

Awards:
- 2 x Minister's Award (1st place in Nationwide competition in Energy Sector)
- 5~10 x Minor Awards mostly in Energy & Nuclear Engineering

Honors:
- U.S. Army Commendation Medal
- Presidential Science Scholarship(Awarded by the President of the Korea, one of 25 recipients nationwide) - Fully funded during UG
- Korea Defense Veteran's Association (KDVA) Scholarship
- Honor Society of the College of Engineering

April 3, 2026 8:48am ET

Applying: Emory / Goizueta, Georgetown / McDonough, IE Business School, Rice / Jones, UCLA Anderson, USC / Marshall, UT Austin / McCombs, UVA / Darden, Vanderbilt / Owen, Yale SOM

Intake Year: 2027

Pre-MBA Career: Technology - Software Developer

Post MBA Career: Kearney, LEK Consulting, McKinsey, Oliver Wyman, PWC Strategy&, Consulting

GPA: 8.3

Years of Work Experience: 2.8

Post MBA Location: United States

Notes:

Hi All,

Location: India YOE:2.8 yrs Industry: Software Role: Senior software developer

I have been working in a software Mnc and recently got fired. I had initially planned to apply for MBA programs for 2027 intake. But given the recent layoff I'm not sure what to do next. I didn't yet take the gmat. And confused if I should do a job hunt now or prepare for gmat, since I wanted to apply for round 1s by sep.

I definitely want to go for a good International MBA for 2027 intake.

What should I do next, follow are the choices I can think of-

1. Prepare for a good gmat score, finish it in next 2-3 months, I also have a small startup idea that I would like to in parallel experiment/try out, not sure how far it will succeed.

2. Prepare for gmat, complete in next 2-3 months then do job hunt(might or might not be able to get a job by the time I apply for round 1s)

Please suggest what is better for my mba applications.

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MBA LiveWire

April 16, 2026 12:22pm ET

Applied to Stanford GSB

Round: Round 3

Received via n/a

Standardized Test: I haven't taken any of the standardized tests yet.

GPA: 3.4

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Post MBA Career: Other Industries

Target Career: Other

Application Location: New York, NY

Juno Member: Not yet

April 16, 2026 11:46am ET

Accepted to SDA Bocconi

Round: Round 4

Received via email on April 14, 2026

Standardized Test: GRE

GRE: 324

Program Type: One Year Program

Application Location: Chile

Juno Member: Not yet

April 15, 2026 6:31pm ET

Interview Invite to UCLA Anderson

Round: Round 3

Received via email April 15, 2026

Standardized Test: GMAT

GPA: 3.74

GMAT: 615

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Post MBA Career: Healthcare, Technology

Application Location: Bay Area, California

Juno Member: Not yet

April 15, 2026 3:46pm ET

Waitlisted at USC / Marshall

Round: Round 2

Received via email April 15, 2026

Standardized Test: GRE

GRE: 318

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Juno Member: Not yet

April 15, 2026 2:56pm ET

Interview Invite to Columbia Business School

Round: Round 2

Received via email April 15, 2026

Standardized Test: GRE

GPA: 3.51

GRE: 313

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Post MBA Career: Technology

Target Career: Consulting

Application Location: Washington DC

Note:

I submitted multiple updates but the main one was an EA score of 163. Also visited for a class visit and had 2 student letters of endorsement as well as 2 letters of recs from former colleagues. I’m so excited!!

Juno Member: Yes

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