This MBA Insider info comes from the Texas McCombs MBA Admissions Team.

We know you want to put forth the best application you can when you apply to any Texas McCombs MBA program. And we’ve covered many components of the application in the past, including the resume, letter of recommendation, essays, and test scores (as well as some tips for interviewing if you are selected). But some components of the application that might be viewed as procedural are just as important, and if not addressed properly, they can delay processing, which can in turn delay your decision.

When you apply to a Texas McCombs MBA program, you’re actually applying to two separate entities at the same time. One is the McCombs School of Business; the other is the Graduate School of the University of Texas at Austin (which we’ll call GIAC, for the Graduate and International Admissions Center).

Three key components of the application are required by GIAC before it will be considered complete, and GIAC does not allow McCombs to issue a decision until these three elements are completed.

Application Fee

A $200 fee is required for GIAC to process your application. After you submit the application, about 24 hours later, you are asked to pay the fee, so please do so as soon as you can.

Fee waivers are granted in certain circumstances: 1) Veterans or current U.S. military service members; 2) Teach for America (current or former) participants; 3) Forté MBA Launch participants.

Please allow five to seven days for a fee waiver to be processed, and don’t pay the fee if you qualify for a waiver, as we are unable to refund application fees.

Transcripts

Transcripts are required by both McCombs and GIAC, for slightly different reasons.

At McCombs, we want to ensure that you can manage the rigor of the program, and your transcripts reflect your performance as a student in previous undergraduate and graduate work. You upload copies of your transcripts to your application before you submit it, so we can review them.

GIAC requires transcripts because a US bachelor’s degree or international equivalent is required for admission to any UT graduate program. Your transcripts validate that you meet these credentials.

After you pay the application fee (or have your waiver processed), you can then upload these to the graduate portal or have your school submit them electronically if they are on the SPEEDE network.

  1. Domestic transcripts: All domestic transcripts must have been issued by your institution in the past year. So if you have an older copy of your transcripts in hand, please order a new copy from your school to upload to GIAC. You should also keep this newer copy of your official transcripts to mail to GIAC if you decide to enroll, as these are required to register you for classes.
  2. International transcripts: International students do not need to meet the one-year requirement and can submit mark sheets in lieu of official transcripts. English translations of your transcripts/mark sheets must be included, but you do not need to pay to have them evaluated by an external agency. Should you enroll in one of our programs, GIAC will require you to send official transcripts, so you should begin to source these now as it can take several months for your transcripts to be mailed to you. You can also bring an existing copy of your transcripts to campus to have them certified.

Test Requirements

All Texas McCombs MBA programs, except for the Executive MBA, require applicants to take either the GMAT or GRE without exception. At McCombs, the test is another way for us to evaluate your readiness for the program’s rigor.

Please include your unofficial scores, the ones you receive upon completing the test, in your application. Official scores take three to four weeks to reach us, and they usually catch up to your application during the review process. If you took the test several years ago, you might need to request that your scores be sent to us or ensure that they are already on file with us.

Once you submit, it may take 24 – 48 hours for your application to sync in the system and find your scores.  If they have been sent more than two months ago and don’t appear within the 24-48 hours, please reach out to your program email or admissions officer to update us.

Additional GIAC Requirements for non-US citizens

Permanent Resident Cards – All US permanent residents must upload a copy of the front and back of your permanent resident card (Green Card), after you have paid your application fee or had the waiver processed.

TOEFL/IELTS (international applicants only) – If you are an international applicant and you have earned an undergraduate degree in a country where the only official language is English, you are automatically grandted a waiver of the TOEFL or IELTS (no request needed). Please visit the country list here.

Otherwise, you can request a TOEFL or IELTS waiver within the test score section of the application if you meet one of the conditions below. Within the application, select all that apply.

  • You have lived and worked full-time in the U.S. or in a country where English is the official language for at least two of the past four years.
  • You hold an undergraduate or graduate degree from a college or university located in the U.S. or from a country where English is the official language.
  • You were educated solely in English for your undergraduate and/or prior graduate degree.

If you do not meet any of these conditions, you are required to submit the TOEFL/IELTS exam without exception.

If you have any questions at all about application requirements or the timing of submission, you can contact your program’s admissions officer, or contact the Graduate and International Admissions Center.