The Texas MBA community is made up of future business leaders from all around the globe, and the unique background and perspective that each student brings to the program adds greatly to the MBA experience at McCombs.
Below, meet some of our current first-year students as they share why they chose McCombs, offer tips on applying to business school, talk about adjusting to Austin, and more.
Name: Anshu
Home Country: India
Undergrad: University of Delhi
Other Grad: Warwick University
Previous Job: Marketing Manager, Prosoya
MBA Concentration: Marketing and Consulting
Why did you choose the Texas MBA program?
McCombs has a unique, collaborative culture which offers an enriching MBA experience. Everyone at the school is genuinely interested in pushing you to do your best and assisting you with anything you may need to achieve your goals.
How has the McCombs community helped you adjust?
McCombs started helping me with the transition long before I arrived in Austin. I received detailed information about living options, getting around the city, the culture, food, daily expenses, student visas, and much more. Once I arrived in Austin, the admissions team organized an orientation which highlighted available resources. Moreover, the cohort system and the study groups in the first semester made it very easy to make some great friends.
Any advice for other Indian applicants thinking about attending McCombs?
Bring your A-game and a warm smile. You will be among some of the brightest students across the USA and other countries. These classmates will be your best allies and will help you grow throughout the program.
Name: Felipe
Home Country: Mexico
Undergrad: Tecnológico de Monterrey
Previous Job: Brand Marketing Finance Manger, British American Tobacco
MBA Concentration: Finance
How has the McCombs community helped you adjust?
Since the first time I visited campus I noticed how the program sets itself apart with its friendly and collaborative community. Everyone is willing to help out, so moving to Austin and going back to a student life has been incredible!
Any advice for other Mexican applicants thinking about attending McCombs?
Visit the campus and get to know the program up close. Take a class visit and talk to students and faculty. Honestly, the people that come to McCombs are extraordinary. There are also many job opportunities with the companies that recruit at McCombs. Every single day there is at least one company on-site to recruit students.
Name: Verick
Home Country: United States
Undergrad: The University of Texas at Austin
Previous Job: Consulting, BancVue
MBA Concentration: Management and Entrepreneurship
Why did you choose the Texas MBA program?
I’ve known for some time now that there’s something special about Austin. That said, when I began researching schools where I might pursue my MBA I was a little hesitant to return to my undergraduate alma mater. With the knowledge that business school is largely about building a network I was concerned that coming back to McCombs would squander the opportunity to diversify my network and broaden the reach of my personal brand. As an entrepreneur I know that having smart and successful friends and mentors will be paramount as I pull in co-founders, investors, and advisors. What I found at McCombs was a community that is excited to support students from nontraditional backgrounds and those with nontraditional goals and aspirations.
Any advice for other Consortium and MLT folks thinking about attending McCombs?
Coming to McCombs as a member of The Consortium and/or Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) you will be joining a close-knit family. McCombs is the type of environment where anyone is willing to help you in any way, but Consortium and MLT members go above and beyond for one another here. If you’re on the fence about applying to McCombs feel free to reach out to any of us here now and we’d be glad to chat.
Name: Rex
Home Country: China
Undergrad: East China Normal University
Previous Job: Project Lead, Marvell Technology
MBA Concentration: High Tech Product Marketing and Information Management
How has the McCombs community helped you adjust?
Moving to a new country as far away as the US can be scary, but it gets so much easier at McCombs. When I first came to Austin, I temporarily stayed with a McCombs alum who I literally never met before. When second year students came back from their internships, I received a lot of voluntary help from them to help me settle in. Last month, one of my classmates invited me to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with his family in Fort Worth where I had the most wonderful holiday experience ever. You can genuinely feel that all the faculty, fellow students, and alumni here really care about how you are doing.
Anything else that you’d like to share?
Getting an MBA is not just about your studies, it’s also about exploration. Austin is an awesome city with so much fun going on, such as SXSW, ACL, and Formula 1, just to name a few. But one thing you definitely don’t want to miss are the Longhorn football games. I know some of you may be unfamiliar with football as it’s not common in China, but no worries, you’ll have more than 200 classmates more than willing to explain every rule to you or even teach you how to play if you’re in. Be sure to buy the season football tickets and get your horns up. You’ll have the most exciting two years in Austin, Texas. Enjoy!
Name: Martha
Home Country: United States
Undergrad: University of Notre Dame
Previous Job: Marketing Associate, Aurora Investment Management LLC
MBA Concentration: Marketing/Brand Management
Why did you choose the Texas MBA program?
When visiting campus for Preview Weekend, I immediately connected with my potential classmates and realized that I wanted to join this network. My interactions with classmates left me impressed with the quality of student this school attracts. The prospective students I was meeting were the peers I wanted during these formative two years, and meeting them made my decision to attend McCombs easy.
How has the McCombs community helped you adjust?
The McCombs community has been essential to my adjustment into Texas-life. My peers were eager to explore Austin from the very beginning, and through the Facebook group, we wasted little time in getting together to enjoy the city. On my first day in town, I met 15 of my classmates at Franklin Barbecue and later paddle boarded on Lady Bird Lake to work off the fantastic lunch. All of us share our discoveries and invite everyone to join in the fun.
Name: Shimon
Home Country: Japan
Undergrad: Tokyo Metropolitan University
Previous Job: Auditor, Board of Audit of Japan
MBA Concentration: Accounting and Management
Why did you choose the Texas MBA program?
Because of the strong entrepreneurial community and the abundance of opportunities and hands-on projects.
How has the McCombs community helped you adjust?
From the start, McCombs emphasized the importance of diversity and I feel fully supported and welcomed as an international student – not just in my studies, but in all aspects of my life in Austin.
Any advice on things to do prior to starting school?
Try to continue improving your listening and speaking skills, so that you can participate fully in discussions with native English speakers.
Name: Jennifer
Home Country: United States
Undergrad: The University of Texas at Austin
Previous Job: Supply Chain Management, Halliburton
MBA Concentration: Marketing Consulting
Why did you choose the Texas MBA program?
McCombs was the top choice for me because of the collaborative nature of the program, the broad range of faculty experience, and the strong alumni network. In addition, Austin is a great place to live, full of energy and festivities.
Any advice for folks that are going through the application process?
I would definitely recommend those interested in McCombs to chat with current students during the application process to see if this is the right fit for them. It can be difficult to differentiate among top business schools based on statistics and what’s on paper. Visiting campus and interacting with students is a great way to get a feel for the school culture and see what makes McCombs different from other schools.
Name: Gopinath
Home Country: India
Undergrad: National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra
Previous Job: Network Consultant, Cisco Systems
MBA Concentration: Strategy and Marketing
How has the McCombs community helped you adjust?
The McCombs community is always cooperative and collaborative. McCombs assists you in providing every resource that is required for you to adjust. They organized multiple sessions for international students to understand US culture and its differences with others. Even sessions like the etiquette dinner were organized to better equip ourselves with business etiquette while attending social events.
Anything else that you would like to share?
We have a fabulous faculty who not just teach you business lessons, but also teach you life lessons. I have made a lot of good friends after coming to McCombs. As a group we not only work on assignments, but also share every moment of our time. In fact, I celebrated my FIRST thanksgiving with my classmate’s family. At McCombs we become part of an extended family.
Don’t forget, January 21 is the end of Round 2 and the final deadline for international applicants to apply to the Texas Full-Time MBA program.
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