A top 20 ranking, over $148,000 in annual salaries at graduation, and booming rankings and demand among top MBA applicants. The MBA program at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin is not just hooking ’em horns (you really need to catch up on your research if you are interested in McCombs but that phrase is not familiar to you yet), but also hooking ’em applicants. In this interview with GyanOne, Rodrigo Malta, Managing Director of MBA Recruiting and Admissions at McCombs, shares his perspectives on admissions, the program, and funding opportunities. This interview can be an incredible mine of priceless information for McCombs MBA applicants, especially international applicants.
Your Guide to McCombs MBA Culture, Life and Careers
Rodrigo Malta, MD, MBA Recruiting and Admissions, Texas McCombs
GyanOne: Tell us about McCombs culture and opportunities for growth outside class
Rodrigo: McCombs has a very vibrant environment outside class. We have a lot of social organizations. For example, I am Brazilian, and I love soccer, and at the school, we have a very active soccer club. We hold a top 30/top 20 competition in Austin in which teams from top schools such as Duke, Columbia, UCLA, and Harvard (among others) come together for a tournament. We also have a focus on giving back to the community, and we have opportunities such as volunteering in a school, or managing accounts in a food bank etc., through which you can use your business skills for social impact. There are tonnes of opportunities to grow in Austin and at McCombs.
GyanOne: What opportunities can tech MBA applicants look forward to at McCombs?
Rodrigo: We have a twin focus on technology in business at McCombs. The first is from the point of view of technology applications in business functions, and the second is through our analytics focus. There is no separate technology concentration that we have, but technology is used across all concentrations, and so the technology focus is quite prevalent through the program.
During our recent curriculum refresh, we looked at classes students that we are taking, and we found that over 85% of students graduate by taking an analytics course.
We are considering making it a requirement across the MBA program. We want our students to be able to use tech in different aspect of business marketing, finance, accounting, and IROM (operations).
GyanOne: Tell us about the Fellows programs, a unique aspect of the McCombs MBA
Rodrigo: The Fellows program start off with a lot of 101 advising to make sure that students have the background in place. There are multiple checkpoints through the two years in which we ensure that the Fellows are making progress. At the end of the development plan, we have a capstone to bring the concepts and cohorts together. We see Fellows programs as a purposeful way to put together development opportunities at McCombs.
GyanOne: Tell us about the Micro-Consulting projects at McCombs
Rodrigo: The MBA+ micro-consulting projects are part of our McCombs MBA+ leadership program. Within this initiative, we look at well-scoped projects with companies (sponsors) of all sizes. They may be startups or well-established companies.
As a McCombs MBA student, you apply to projects like you look for a job, and we recommend that every student applies to 2-3 projects, so they win at least one.
As a student, you will then work on the project for 4-6 weeks, and deliver results either at the company headquarters (in epson) or in remotely. The micro consulting projects at McCombs help students prepare for internship recruitment, and help them get an understanding of a functional area or industry that they may not initially be familiar with.
Below is the detailed interview with more insider details on the Texas McCombs MBA.
Table of contents / topics covered in this interview
0:18 – McCombs culture and opportunities outside class
1:34 – Opportunities for technology and IT professionals at McCombs
3:04 – The Fellows programs at McCombs
3:54 – Micro-consulting projects at McCombs
5:38 – Jobs for international students at McCombs
6:36 – Factors McCombs considers when evaluating MBA applications
8:36 – Does McCombs accept graduate with 3-year degrees?
9:23 – The role of social media profiles in McCombs MBA admissions
10:06 – Early career applicants / minimum work requirements for the McCombs MBA
10:27 – Researching McCombs as a school – for international and Indian students
11:33 – Scholarship options at McCombs for Indian and other international students
Also Read:
Success Stories at Texas McCombs: Ranking, Class Profile and More
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