Admissions Web Site Outage: December 27-29

Posted by  on Thursday, October 28th 2010     

The Graduate and International Admissions Center released the following update regarding the submission of application materials in late December:

All web sites for The University of Texas at Austin will be unavailable from December 27 to December 29 for maintenance. Applicants will be UNABLE TO APPLY OR SUBMIT MATERIALS during this outage. No documents can be uploaded, including personal statements, letters of recommendation, and other types of documents, during this time. We strongly encourage all applicants for graduate programs to APPLY EARLY and ask for letters of recommendation to be submitted PRIOR TO December 27. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you or your recommenders.

This is particularly critical for international applicants who need to submit all application materials by January 5, 2011. Please be sure to contact me via email if you encounter any difficulties with the submission of your application materials.

category: Admissions Process, Application Tips

FAQs: Recommendation Letters

Posted by  on Monday, October 18th 2010     

 

Q: The online application asks for three “academic references.” Do all of my references need to be professors?

A: You can select references who know you well in either an academic or professional context. References should speak to your personal qualities (e.g., leadership skills, motivation, team building abilities, dedication, maturity, analytical skills, communication skills, etc.), career potential, and potential to succeed in the classroom.

Q: Can my references submit a paper copy or must they submit their recommendations electronically?

A: Although the online format is preferred, your reference can return the recommendation form along with the recommendation letter to you in a sealed envelope with his/her signature across the seal, and you can include the letter in a mailed packet to the Graduate and International Admissions Center. Please note that paper copies require longer processing times, so it is highly recommended that your references submit an online recommendation whenever possible.

Q: How many recommendation letters must be submitted?

A: The online application allows applicants to list up to three references. This is a standard feature for the ApplyTexas application, but our program only requires two recommendation letters. As a result, you may leave one reference blank on the application. Please note that you are welcome to submit more than two recommendation letters, if you prefer, as the admissions committee will consider all that are submitted.

Q: I just submitted my online application, but my references haven’t received an email notification with the instructions for submitting the recommendation electronically. What should I do?

A: Your references will receive an email notification after you have submitted your online application and the application is loaded to The University of Texas at Austin’s admissions system. Once the application is received, you will receive an acknowledgement via e-mail from GIAC, and at that time your references will receive an e-mail notification with instructions for submitting the online recommendation.

Occasionally, references may not receive the e-mail notification if the message is filtered as junk mail. If this occurs, you will be able to log into the application status check website with your assigned UT EID and resend the Request for Reference e-mail.

category: Application Tips

English Proficiency for International Applicants

Posted by  on Monday, October 11th 2010     

Strong English skills are a key to success in our program, not only in the classroom but also with employment recruiting. As a result, it is important for international applicants to demonstrate their fluency in English via the TOEFL or IELTS. As you may know, our program prefers the following minimum scores:

  • An overall score of at least 105 on the Internet-based TOEFL exam and
  • A score of at least 24 on the individual TOEFL sections

-OR-

  • Band scores of at least 7.5 on the IELTS.

The MPA admissions committee would consider your application if your scores are below our preferred minimum. However, I would highly recommend that you strengthen your application by retaking the exam and increasing your scores, particularly if your scores are well below our preferred minimum.

It is important to note that all international applicants must submit TOEFL or IELTS scores unless they are from an English-only speaking country. GIAC’s website lists the countries which qualify for the TOEFL/IELTS waiver. Applicants who earned an undergraduate or graduate degree in an English-only speaking country do NOT qualify for a waiver. However, the MPA admissions committee may allow you to submit a copy of your expired Internet-based TOEFL or IELTS score report if the scores meet our minimum requirement. To submit a request, please e-mail the following information to me: your TOEFL or IELTS scores (overall and individual sections), the university where you studied your degree, your degree earned, your graduation date, and the total length of time spent in the U.S.

category: Application Tips, International Applicants

Navigating the New MPA Web Site

Posted by  on Friday, October 1st 2010     

In late summer, the MPA program launched a new Web site design! This new design was created for easier navigation so that you can readily find the information you need. I have highlighted web pages that may be the most useful to you during the admissions process and for discovering the features of our program.

Admissions Web Pages

The right-hand menu under MPA Admissions will link you to our student profile, detailed information on the application process (including an application materials checklist and information for international applicants), program costs and financial aid/scholarship opportunities, and answers to frequently-asked questions.

Other MPA Web Pages

Be sure to review the web pages under the MPA Experience menu and the tabs under the MPA Program Facts (program rankings, placement statistics, CPA exam pass rates, etc.) to learn more about the strengths of the Texas MPA program.

The Curriculum menu will provide you with information on our pre-enrollment requirements, track information, and a summary of degree requirements.

Finally, if you are interested in study abroad, internships, career services, and the CPA exam, be sure to check out these web pages, as well!

If you have any feedback on our new site or are unable to find what you need, please let me know!

category: Admissions Process, Application Tips, MPA Program Info

The Fall 2011 MPA Application is Open!

Posted by  on Wednesday, September 22nd 2010     

Are you planning to apply to the Texas MPA program for fall 2011? It’s not too early to start! Fall 2011 application deadlines are as follows:

  • U.S. applicants (early deadline): December 1, 2010
  • International applicants: January 5, 2011
  • U.S. applicants (final deadline): March 1, 2011

The admissions committee uses a rolling admissions process for U.S. applications in which we review files in the order of completion starting with those completed by December 1. As a result, I recommend that U.S. applicants submit their application materials as early as possible in the admissions cycle. However, if you need additional time to prepare your application (to study for the GMAT, for example), it is to your advantage to take your time and present the strongest application possible rather than rushing to meet the early deadline.

The admissions committee does not use a rolling admissions process for international applications. Instead, we review all international applications after the January 5 application deadline.

Questions? Please feel free to post general application questions to this blog, or if you have a question specific to your situation, send me an e-mail at: keri.ledezma@mccombs.utexas.edu.

We look forward to receiving your applications!

category: Admissions Process
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