Texas MPA Admissions Blog

Q: I mailed in the supplemental application materials. Have you received them?

A: You can check the status of your application materials online, using your UT EID and password. If you have any questions regarding the receipt of your materials, please contact the Graduate and International Admissions Center (GIAC) via phone at (512) 475-7391 or via e-mail.

During peak processing times, it may take up to 7 to 21 days for GIAC to log your documents into the computer system. Please allow an appropriate amount of time to pass before expecting to see these credentials on the status check Web site. Credentials are stamped with the date on which they are received and will be considered “on time” if this date meets our application deadline.

Q: I have submitted all of the required application materials. When will I be notified of a decision?  

A: The answer depends on the type of application that you submitted:

• U.S. applications: The admissions committee will begin making decisions in January, starting with the applications that were completed by the December 1 early preferred deadline. Thereafter, applications are reviewed in the order they are completed until the final March 1 application deadline. Due to program space limitations, it is generally better to complete your file as early in the admissions process as possible.
• International applications: The admissions committee will review all completed international applications after the January 5 application deadline. Applications that are completed after the deadline will be reviewed on a space-available basis.

Q: Once a decision has been made, how will I be notified?

A: After a decision has been made, you will receive an e-mail message prompting you to log into our applicant site to review the decision and obtain further instructions. You also will receive an official notification from the Graduate and International Admissions Center, and you will be able to view the decision on the Application Status Check page.

Q: I have been admitted to another university, but I haven’t received the admissions decision from the Texas MPA program. What should I do?

A: If another university’s response deadline is approaching and you have not received a decision from our program, please notify me as soon as possible. Although the admissions committee cannot guarantee an earlier admission decision, we will do our best to accommodate your request.

Q: Do I need to fill out an application to be considered for MPA scholarships?

A: All admitted U.S. applicants will be considered automatically for a possible out-of-state tuition waiver and/or merit scholarship. A separate application is not required. Scholarship and tuition waiver decisions will be made prior to your MPA response deadline. You will be notified via e-mail if you are granted one of these awards.

I know I may be biased, but many will agree with me that Austin is a fabulous place to live. It offers a moderate cost of living, a high quality of life, and a climate that allows you to enjoy outdoor activities year-round. Earlier this year, Austin was rated as one of the best cities for recession recovery, according to Forbes.com. Austin also topped Forbes’ list as the best big city for jobs, along with five other Texas cities, including Houston, San Antonio, Fort Worth and Dallas. Our city is included at the top of countless other rankings. Here are a few examples from the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce Web site:

• Top city for your career (SalesHQ, 8/25/09)
• Top 10 start-up city (Entrepreneur, 8/09)
• #3 “Best City for High-Paying Jobs” (Forbes, 7/14/09)
• Second most affordable city in “Best Cities for Families” (Forbes, 6/29/09)
• One of “10 Best Places to Live” (U.S. News.com, 6/8/09)

If you haven’t been to Austin or you would like to learn more about the Texas MPA program, I would encourage you to visit when you have an opportunity. I suspect you won’t be disappointed!

Each year, I am contacted by a number of concerned applicants who haven’t completed their applications by the deadline. Typically, two of the most common mistakes could have been avoided with proper planning:

1) GMAT - Your file will be referred to our department for a decision after all application materials, including the official test scores, have been received. Be sure to take your exam well in advance, because it will take 2-3 weeks for our admissions center to receive the official score report once requested. Please refer to my previous blog post for additional tips on the GMAT.

2) Recommendation letters - Your references will receive instructions for submitting the online recommendation approximately 24-48 hours after you have submitted your online application. Submit your application early so that your references have plenty of time to supply their recommendations.

Once our admissions center has received your application for admission, you will receive an assigned UT EID so that you can log into the application status check. This site will allow you to monitor the status of your application materials, resend the Request for Reference e-mail to your recommenders, or add a new recommender.

“Start here, go places” sounds like a fabulous marketing campaign for the Texas MPA program, but it’s actually a very informative Web site that was created by the AICPA. I highly recommend visiting this site, particularly if you have a non-accounting background. It contains a wealth of information about accounting career options, including portfolios of real CPAs. One highlight is the “Building Your Future Me” interactive feature. After answering a series of questions, you will receive suggestions for jobs in the accounting profession that may be a good fit for you, as well as a plan for getting there. 

Check it out and let me know what you think!

I’d like to take a moment to address a few of the questions that I have been asked recently regarding the online application. 

Q: I can’t find the MPA major as an option in the drop-down list. What major should I select?

A: Make sure that you selected the correct institution (The University of Texas at Austin) and correct semester (Fall 2010). If so, “Professional Accounting (MPA)” should be listed as the fourth major under the McCombs School of Business. If it does not appear, I recommend that you delete this application and start a new one, and call the Graduate and International Admissions Center at (512) 475-7391 if you need additional technical support.

Q: The MPA website indicates that we need to submit two recommendation letters, but the online application has space for three. Which is accurate?

A: You are required to submit only two letters. The online application has standard space for up to three, so you can leave one blank for the MPA application. Check out my previous blog post for additional tips regarding recommendation letters.

Q: I can’t find a way to upload my resume to the online application. How should I submit it?

A: The Texas Common Application does not have a feature for uploading documents. As a result, you will need to mail in your resume along with your other mailed items, such as transcripts.

Q: How long should my essay be?

A: Essays that are submitted online must be no longer than 120 eighty-character lines of text (including spaces and blank lines). I recommend that you review my previous blog post for tips on writing your essay.

Do you have additional questions regarding the online application?  Please feel free to post them here.

Thanks to alexanderdrachmann for sharing his photo via flickr and creative commons.

Yes, it’s that time of year again: temperatures are cooling, classes are back in session, and the fall 2010 Texas MPA application is open! Don’t panic…it’s still early, but be sure to plan ahead so that all of your application materials arrive by the deadline:

• International application deadline - January 5
• U.S. application, early preferred deadline - December 1
• U.S. application, final deadline - March 1

I recommend that you review the Texas MPA Web site carefully and visit this admissions blog on a regular basis to stay updated on the application process and informed about our program. Don’t be afraid to post your questions and comments on the blog. If you have a question, most likely several other applicants are wondering the exact same thing!

Check out this Accounting Web article on our top ranking with U.S. News and World Report. Thomas Gilligan, dean of the McCombs School, and Stephen Limberg, faculty director of the Texas MPA, provide insights on our formula for success.

…including MPA admissions. 

To all MPA applicants: Our fall 2009 incoming class is full, and we truly thank everyone who took the time and effort to apply to our program. We wish you all the best as you move forward with the next phase of your lives.

To our incoming students: We look forward to welcoming you to our program! 

• Review our Web site for new admits carefully 
• Check your e-mail frequently this summer
• Keep your addresses current in UT Direct 
• Follow us on Twitter
• Read our student life blogs to learn more about life as an MPA

To prospective fall 2010 applicants:

• Check our Web site in August for any updates on the application process
• Follow us on Twitter
• Read our student life blogs to learn more about life as an MPA
• Stay tuned to the Texas MPA admissions blog … Starting in mid- to late summer, I will continue with tips on applying, updates on the admissions process and highlights of our program…You don’t want to miss it!

The fall 2009 application cycle has proven to be a busy one! The Texas MPA and the majority of other graduate programs across our campus have experienced a significant increase in applications this year. As a result, our Graduate and International Admissions Center has been working day and night to process the large volume of application materials. Here is an update on where we stand with MPA admissions:

• International applications: The admissions committee will review all completed applications thoroughly before making any international admissions decisions. Due to the increased number of applications, this may take some time, but we want to be sure everyone has a full opportunity for consideration. We anticipate that all decisions will be made by the end of March, at the latest.
• U.S. applications: We will continue to make decisions on a rolling admissions basis. Please note that the final application deadline is Sunday, March 1. We will not accept applications after this date, so if you are still interested in applying, be sure to submit the online application by the deadline.  If the supporting documentation arrives after March 1, we will still consider your file, but space availability will become a factor in the decision. We must receive all application materials, including official test scores, before we will review your file for a decision.

We greatly appreciate your patience as we move through the application process. As always, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the status of your application.

The University of Texas at Austin is back in full swing…Spring classes started this week, and our MPA admissions process is moving along at a brisk pace. Here are a few updates and reminders:

• February 1, the final application deadline for international applicants, is quickly approaching. As long as your application materials arrive by the deadline or shortly thereafter, we will review your application in the first round of admissions decisions. Applications that are completed after the first round will be considered on a space-available basis.
• More than five weeks remain for U.S. applicants to submit application materials before the March 1 deadline. Because we use a rolling admissions process for U.S. applications, the sooner you complete your file, the sooner we can provide you with an admissions decision (generally a month after your file is complete).
• Please note that our Graduate and International Admissions Center (GIAC) receives a large quantity of admissions paperwork daily. Please allow an appropriate amount of time to pass (generally 7-21 days after receipt) before expecting to see your credentials on the Application Status Check Web site. Credentials are stamped with the date upon which they are received and will be considered “on time” if the receipt date meets the application deadline.