Texas MPA Admissions Blog

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.