If you are a U.S. applicant, you may have noticed that the Texas MPA has two application deadlines:

December 1 – early deadline

March 1 – final deadline

Why are there two deadlines for U.S. applications? How does the MPA admissions process work?

The MPA admissions committee starts reviewing applications in December and then continues to review applications in the order of completion until March.

What does this mean for you?

We will review your application after all of the required materials have been received, as long as you submit the application by the final deadline. Of course, you will benefit by completing your application as soon as possible, as we have more spots in our incoming class and more scholarship funding available early in the admissions cycle.

What if you are not ready to submit all of your materials by December 1?

No worries! If you need additional time to prepare your application materials (to study for the GMAT or GRE, for example), be sure to take your time and submit the strongest application possible. In the meantime, you can start the process by submitting the online application.

*Application tip: you can skip past the test score section on the application if you haven’t taken or scheduled the test yet.

Should you submit your transcript by the December 1 early deadline or wait until your fall grades are posted? 

In most cases, I recommend completing your application by December 1 and including a transcript without fall grades. We will reach out to you if we need your fall grades before making a decision.

That said, I  recommend that you submit your transcript with your fall grades if:

  1. (For non-accounting majors:) You are taking any of the pre-enrollment courses in the fall,
  2. (For accounting majors:) You are enrolled in several upper-level accounting classes in the fall, or
  3. Your upper-level GPA will be improved substantially with your fall grades.

As always, if you have any questions, please contact me!