Texas McCombs MBA Insider

Insider Information for Prospective Texas McCombs MBA Students

Category: Full-Time MBA (page 11 of 14)

My Texas MBA Women’s Forum Experience

October 21, 2016 / / Comments Off on My Texas MBA Women’s Forum Experience

From Julia Brannan, Texas MBA Class of 2018, on her experience at the 2015 Women’s Forum.

julia-brannanWomen interested in  the Texas Full-Time MBA Program are encouraged to attend our annual Women’s Forum, taking place Nov 18th & 19th! There’s only a few spots left, so apply today!

During the forum you’ll have the opportunity to learn about the Texas Full-Time MBA Program, interact with current students and faculty, understand the value proposition of the Texas MBA, and experience what makes Austin so special!

Here’s a look into my Women’s Forum experience:

As I sat in the audience with 80 other prospective female MBAs interested in learning more about McCombs, I couldn’t even begin to imagine how much this event would impact my decision to join the McCombs community.

Day 1 – Thursday

I join the Texas MBA Women’s Forum GroupMe and current students are messaging us, “Who runs the world? Girls!” I’m feeling excited. Now I know I have an additional bond with some of these women beyond McCombs and a passion for women in business – a love for Beyoncé. I head to the Welcome Reception and meet amazing current students including Amira Fawcett, class of 2017. She came from a sales and trading background and had just been accepted for a product management internship at Amazon. Amira is a prime example of what a woman in business is like at McCombs. She’s down to earth, hilarious, driven as ever, and is passionate about helping her female peers reach their goals.

Day 2 – Friday

I applied during the first application round so I head to my scheduled interview in the morning. My interview is with Eric Franco, class of 2016, who’s heading to a job at an energy company post-graduation. Eric shared stories about taking classes in UT Austin’s other graduate schools, including top programs in law, public policy and engineering (the list goes on!). He loved that McCombs offers a tight-knit community along with access to endless resources throughout UT. Post-interview I grab lunch with girls attending the forum and later we head to happy hour with current students and explore Austin.

Day 3 – Saturday (main part of the Forum!)

We settle in and are greeted by Austin’s beloved breakfast tacos and the Assistant Dean of the Texas Full-Time MBA Program, Tina Mabley. Tina, a McCombs Alum, shares what makes her love this program – the people. She explains how every year the students, faculty, and administration continue to build the program for the better. For instance, Silva Gentchev, class of 2017, had just launched the Social Impact Internship Fund (SIIF). SIIF is a student-run initiative for first-year MBAs geared to help fund their classmates’ social impact internships with organizations that otherwise would not be able to afford MBA salaries (spanning non-profits to the public sector to social enterprises). The rest of the day moves at a quick pace and I’m viciously scribbling down things that inspire me left and right. To share a few:

  • During the Student Life Panel I meet Tenaj Ferguson, Class of 2017, who won the Texas Venture Labs Scholarship worth $10,000 and in-state tuition after pitching her own-startup in the competition. Tenaj is using an incubator in Austin to help grow her business, Lady Epicure Gourmet – a retail and food service natural food brand and manufacturer of commercial food tech equipment. Using McCombs’ strength in strategic marketing, she landed an internship at the Campbell Soup Company to build upon her brand management skills.
  • Ty Henderson, a favorite McCombs professor, leads us through the Classroom Experience, providing a taste of what his Analysis of Markets class would be like. It’s incredibly engaging, partially case-based, and rooted in data analytics.
  • I meet Nikki Bruce, Class of 2015, in the Beyond the MBA – Alumni Panel. Nikki used McCombs’ MBA+ Leadership Program to pursue a micro-consulting project with Boston Consulting Group. This experience validated her desire to pursue consulting and she now works full-time at Deloitte Consulting.
  • Associate Director of Career Management, Ramona Arora, shares during the Career Management discussion how students have access to career counselors and communication coaches who help to advise a student’s career search, assist with resumes, and provide feedback on interview behaviors. Additionally, I learn we’ll have access to the largest alumni network in the country – alums who are more than willing to take our calls (I’ve experienced it firsthand now, they really are)!

Attending the 2015 Women’s Forum was far and away the most rewarding experience I had throughout the MBA application process. Two main things really stand out to me looking back; first, the forum gave me that intangible validation that McCombs was the right fit for me. Austin, and to a larger extent, McCombs, were environments that I knew I wanted to call home. Second, it facilitated an-ongoing conversation that I personally feel strongly about – women’s experience in the workplace and in leadership in general.

Now, in my first semester at McCombs I truly feel that the answer to “Who runs the world?” is #McCombsWomen.

texas women mean business

 

The Road to McCombs and Texas

September 21, 2016 / / Comments Off on The Road to McCombs and Texas

Each fall our dean, admissions team, and career management representatives join alumni in several cities for Texas MBA Roadshows, sharing the many opportunities that come with the Texas MBA and answering any questions you may have about the application process or life at McCombs.

Below, we’ve highlighted students from the four Roadshow stops we have in the United States – Chicago, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and New York City. Check out what they have to say about Austin, McCombs, and the advice they’d like to share with applicants.

connor-orourkeName: Conner O’Rourke, MBA ’17
Pre-MBA Residence: New York City, NY
Undergrad University & Major: University of Michigan, English
Previous Job: Sales Marketing Manager, NBC Universal
MBA Concentration: Marketing

Why did you choose the Texas MBA program? Simple.  I chose McCombs because it’s situated in the best city in the country and the students I met during my class visit were the perfect combination of smart, witty and down-to-earth.

How has the McCombs community helped you to adjust to your new home? The McCombs community has been unbelievable.  So much so that I have decided I can’t leave Austin.  Don’t be surprised if your temporary 2-year home becomes your permanent residence.  It happens to the best of us.

Any advice for other New Yorkers thinking about attending McCombs? Get ready to live outside again and hear phrases like, “you’re welcome” and “my pleasure.”  Between hiking on the Greenbelt, kayaking on Lake Travis and golfing year round, there are endless opportunities to spend your weekend doing something active opposed to searching for that cool bar in BK that everyone says you should go to but can’t help you find.  But there are also dozens of great bars with live music and no cover…

Any advice for folks that are going through the application process? Take your time.  It’s your chance to craft a story based on your favorite subject.  YOU.

What is your favorite Austin or Texas tradition/food/etc. you’ve discovered since attending McCombs? My own Sunday tradition of waking up, grabbing Ms. P’s breakfast tacos and spending the day on the Greenbelt.

Any advice on things to do prior to starting school (after you’re admitted)? Get to Austin a week or two early.  It may be hot, but Austin is a fun town and getting here early will lower your stress level.

Favorite memory of New York: Laying on my back at midnight alongside the Hudson watching the planes fly in and out of all three airports.

Anything else that you would like to share? Last year may just have been the best year of my life.

thumb_img_4302_1024Name: Courtney Good, MBA ’17
Pre-MBA Residence:  Washington, D.C.
Undergrad University & Major: University of Virginia, Economics & Environmental Science
Previous Job: Associate, Charles River Associates
MBA Concentration: Clean Tech

Why did you choose the Texas MBA Program? I chose the Texas MBA Program for two main reasons: the curriculum and the culture. Having worked in the energy industry prior to returning to business school, I knew I wanted to stay in the industry; the Clean Tech concentration at McCombs and UT Austin’s status as a leading energy institution assured me that I would get the industry knowledge and resources I was looking for. Additionally, the collaborative culture at McCombs and McCombs’ involvement with the greater Austin start-up community drew me to the program.

How has the McCombs community helped you to adjust to your new home? Adjusting to life in Austin could not have been easier – you are given 270 new friends when you get to campus, and are located in a city with endless opportunities and recreation. Additionally, going through the core curriculum in the fall semester with your cohort really brings everyone closer and created a great support system as I transitioned to my new home.

Any advice for other Washingtonians thinking about attending McCombs? You will be surprised at how many of your classmates are moving from the D.C. area. Also, you will feel at home because the Texas State Capitol building is right next to the university and modeled after the U.S. Capitol building!

Any advice for folks that are going through the application process? Take time to customize your essays and highlight why you think McCombs is the best fit for you. The admissions team has to read many essays, and a love for McCombs and Austin will definitely stand out.

What is your favorite Austin or Texas tradition/food/etc. you’ve discovered since attending McCombs? Food wise – definitely breakfast tacos. I didn’t realize how attached I was until this summer during my internship in Atlanta, GA when I was not sure what to eat for breakfast on the weekends. Make sure to try Torchy’s or Tacodeli if you come visit Austin!

Any advice on things to do prior to starting school (after they are admitted)? First, during the summer I would recommend updating your resume and creating an initial list of your target companies. The beginning of school is a whirlwind, so the more work you have done on your resume over the summer, the more time you will have for other commitments and activities. Secondly, I recommend taking some time off and traveling or visiting family before you get to Austin. Have some fun, and give your mind a break from work before you dive into the core curriculum!

Favorite memory of Washington, D.C.: I enjoyed going to watch parties in D.C. to support the UVA basketball team.

meredith-saundersName: Meredith Saunders, MBA ’18
Pre-MBA Residence: Chicago, IL
Undergrad: The Ohio State University, Operations & Supply Chain Management
Previous Job: Internal Consultant, CNA Financial
MBA Concentration: Healthcare & Operations/Supply Chain Management

Why did you choose the Texas MBA program? I chose the Texas MBA Program for many reasons, but two of the most important were the variety of experiential learning opportunities and the culture. Having the opportunity to practice the skills I had learned in the classroom prior to applying to a full-time position was extremely important to me; as well as being in an environment where the students are genuinely excited not just about their own successes, but also about those of their peers.

How has the McCombs community helped you to adjust to your new home?  The McCombs community has been great! Before school even started, I attended two of the MAP trips and met so many amazing people. And since then, there have been endless opportunities to go to other events including football tailgates, new restaurants, concerts, and so many other activities to get together with your classmates and explore Austin.

Any advice for other Chicagoans thinking about attending McCombs? Definitely come visit campus! And talk to as many current students as you can. Ultimately, you can read all you want about the culture of each school on their website, or Poet&Quants, but the best thing about McCombs is that once you get here, you can see that everything that is said about the culture being inclusive, and collaborative, and having amazing people, are ALL true. And you will leave here thinking that as heartbreaking as missing two Chicago winters would be; McCombs is where you need to be.

Any advice for folks that are going through the application process?

  1. You will get through it, and it will all be okay. It’s a long process and the GMAT is the worst, and the essays seem endless, but it is absolutely so worth it in the end.
  2. Definitely take culture/fit into consideration as you’re deciding where to go. Just because it looks great on paper, it may not be the best for you; so make sure you visit and see for yourself what each school has to offer and  meet the people that could be your future classmates and friends!

What is your favorite Austin or Texas tradition/food/etc. you’ve discovered since attending McCombs? Definitely the live music. There are bands everywhere, just waiting for you to come listen. It’s incredible. And as far as food goes I’m not going to limit myself to breakfast tacos, but tacos of all kinds here in Austin are delicious, and there is a pizza place called Via 313 that found the perfect balance between deep dish and hand tossed pizza. You need to go, and you won’t regret it.

Any advice on things to do prior to starting school (after they are admitted)? Take time off!! Relax, take a trip, do nothing. Just stop working and give your brain a break.

Favorite memory of Chicago:  St. Patrick’s Day 2012 – one of Chicago’s biggest holidays. March had come and it was still fully winter, knee length puffy parka constantly in tow, and the forecast looked worse than usual. Long story short; it ended up being 80 degrees and one of the sunniest days Chicago has likely ever had before June. I think every single person who lived  in the city came out to celebrate for whatever reason they wanted that day. The river was packed, spirits were extremely high, and the optimism for summer in Chicago was in full swing! It was by far, one of the most amazing, surprising, and fun days I had  in Chicago.

Anything else that you would like to share? Take advantage of everything the city  has to offer before you move, it is SUCH an amazing place!

royal-addisName: Royal Addis, MBA ’17
Pre-MBA Residence: Modesto, CA
Undergrad: University of the Pacific, Engineering Management
Previous Job: Go-To-Market Project Manager, E&J Gallo
MBA Concentration: Strategy & Innovation

Why did you choose the Texas MBA program? For many reasons- but what really stood out to me was the reach of the Texas MBA alumni network and the school’s strong employment connections with Bay Area technology companies.

How has the McCombs community helped you to adjust to your new home?  Without a doubt it has been the encouragement and support received from the 2nd year MBA students and MBA program staff. They continually go out of their way to inspire students and make us feel at home as we transition into “MBA life”.

Any advice for other San Franciscans thinking about attending McCombs?  Don’t let the thought of being in the middle of Texas frighten you! Austin may not have the beach, Dolores park, and wine country right in its backyard…. but we do have Lady Bird Lake, Zilker Park, Hamilton Pool, and Barton Springs just to name a few. Check them out!

Any advice for folks that are going through the application process? Take any opportunity you get to connect with school alumni and learn from their personal experience- it’s never too early to reach out! Alumni can be a fantastic resource during the application process and can help paint a more well-rounded picture of an MBA program.

What is your favorite Austin or Texas tradition/food/etc. you’ve discovered since attending McCombs?  It has to be UT Football tailgates- I’ve never seen anything like it!

Any advice on things to do prior to starting school (after they are admitted)?  Take some time off away from your job if you can.  Core classes will be upon you soon (i.e. “winter is coming…”)  so relax, recharge your batteries, take time to connect with friends and loved ones, and get ready to hit the ground running!

Favorite memory of San Francisco:  Being in the city when the Giants won the 2010, 2012, & 2014 World Series!

Anything else that you would like to share?  I believe that the relatively smaller program size of ~270 students is an overlooked benefit and differentiating factor for McCombs. This results in a tight-knit community where you have ample opportunities to not only get to know almost everyone in your graduating class, but many of the people in the classes above and below you as well

To register for a Roadshow or see all our upcoming events, please visit the Texas MBA events webpage. Hook ’em!

Where In The World Are The Texas MBAs?

August 19, 2016 / / Comments Off on Where In The World Are The Texas MBAs?

As a Texas MBA, you gain access to endless opportunities to travel across the United States and around the world. The Texas MBA Program and the McCombs School of Business strives to expose its students to new cultures and ideas to better prepare them to be effective business leaders who act ethically and responsibility within a global context and think strategically at an international level.

This summer, students from our Full-Time, Evening, Executive, Houston and Dallas/Fort Worth programs traveled across the country to participate in internships, explored foreign countries while gaining new world perspectives, and made some amazing memories along the way.

Check our their adventures and see for yourself #WhyMcCombs, or learn more about the hands-on learning opportunities available at McCombs here.

Texas Evening MBA Global Trips: 
Morocco, Peru/Columbia, Portugal, South Africa, Vietnam/Thailand, Romania/Moldova, Shanghai

TEMBA 2017 Moldova

Class of 2017 Evening MBAs at Orheiul Venchi in Moldova

TEMBA 2017 Johannesburg, South Africa

Class of 2017 Evening MBAs at SuperSport in Johannesburg, South Africa

TEMBA 2017 in Lisbon

Class of 2017 Evening MBAs at Jeronimos Monastery in Lisbon, Portgual

Texas Evening MBAs in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Class of 2017 Evening MBAs in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Evening 2017s in Ko Phi Phi Thailand (Ban Thai)

Class of 2017 Evening MBAs in Ko Phi Phi Don, Thailand

Texas MBA at Dallas/Fort Worth Global Trips:
Morocco, Peru/Columbia, Portugal, South Africa, Vietnam/Thailand, Romania/Moldova, Shanghai

Dallas/Fort Worth MBAs at The Bund in Shanghai, China

Class of 2017 Dallas/Fort Worth MBAs at The Bund in Shanghai, China

Dallas/Fort Worth MBAs in Lisbon, Portugal

Class of 2017 Dallas/Fort Worth MBAs in Lisbon, Portugal

Dallas/Fort Worth MBAs at the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco

Class of 2017 Dallas/Fort Worth MBAs at the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco

Dallas/Fort Worth MBAs in Madrid, Spain

Class of 2017 Dallas/Fort Worth MBAs in Madrid, Spain

Class of 2017 Dallas/Fort Worth MBAs Prasanth Bathae and Kelsey Leigh on the The Great Wall of China

Texas Executive MBA International Seminar:
Beijing, China

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Class of 2016 Executive MBAs in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China

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Class of 2016 Executive MBAs Attending a Business in China Seminar at Beijing University

Class of 2017 Executive MBAs at the Shanghai Hongqiao Rail Station

Class of 2016 Executive MBAs at the Shanghai Hongqiao Rail Station

Class of 2017 Executive MBA Nathaniel Mayfield at The Great Wall of China

Class of 2016 Executive MBA Nathaniel Mayfield at The Great Wall of China

Class of 2017 Executive MBAs at the Forbidden City in Beijing, China

Class of 2016 Executive MBAs at the Forbidden City in Beijing, China

Texas MBA at Houston Global Trips:
Morocco, Peru/Columbia, Portugal, South Africa, Vietnam/Thailand, Romania/Moldova, Shanghai

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Class of 2017 Houston MBAs Making New Friends in Morrocco

Houston MBAs at the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa

Class of 2017 Houston MBAs at the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa

Houston MBAs at Muay Thai Live in Bangkok, Thailand

Class of 2017 Houston MBAs at Muay Thai Live in Bangkok, Thailand

Houston MBAs in front of the Vasco da Gama Bridge in Lisbon, Portugal

Class of 2017 Houston MBAs in front of the Vasco da Gama Bridge in Lisbon, Portugal

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Class of 2017 Houston MBAs at the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco

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Class of 2017 Houston MBAs in Shanghai, China

Texas Full-Time MBA MAPS Trips:
Galapagos Islands, Tanzania & Austin Day Trips

Class of 2018 Texas Full-Time MBAs

Class of 2018 Texas Full-Time MBAs on the McCombs Adventure Program Wine Tasting Day Trip in Fredericksburg, TX

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Class of 2018 Texas Full-Time MBAs on the McCombs Adventure Program River Tubing Day Trip in New Braunfels, TX

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Class of 2018 Texas Full-Time MBAs on the McCombs Adventure Program BB& & Brewery Day Trip in Taylor, TX

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Class of 2018 Texas Full-Time MBAs on the McCombs Adventure Program in Tanzania where they partnered with Building Bridges Worldwide to construct a new complex for a local school

Tanzania School Photo

Class of 2018 Texas Full-Time MBAs on the McCombs Adventure Program in Tanzania where they partnered with Building Bridges Worldwide to construct a new complex for a local school

Texas Full-Time MBA Summer Internships

Texas Full-Time MBAs Apple Interns

Class of 2017 Full-Time MBA Apple Interns

Texas Full-Time MBA Delta Air Lines Interns

Class of 2017 Full-Time MBA Delta Air Lines Interns

Texas Full-Time MBA Taylor O'Brien Interning at EA (Electronic Arts)

Class of 2017 Full-Time MBA Taylor O’Brien Interning at EA (Electronic Arts)

Texas Full-Time MBA Microsoft Interns

Class of 2017 Full-Time MBA Microsoft Interns

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Class of 2017 Full-Time MBAs Nicole Smith, Snehin Arambhan & Andrew Hodge Interning at Salesforce

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Class of 2017 Full-Time MBA Patrick Swelgin Interning at Google

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Class of 2017 Full-Time MBA Karen Madera Interning at IBM

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Class of 2017 Full-Time MBA Deloitte Interns at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium

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Class of 2017 Full-Time MBA Aaron Huffman Interning at Boeing

Class of 2017 Full-Time MBA Dell Interns

Texas Full-Time MBAs Moni Jane and Kevin Chen Interning at the Dr Pepper Snapple Group

Class of 2017 Full-Time MBAs Moni Jane & Kevin Chen Interning at the Dr Pepper Snapple Group

Class of 2017 Full-Time MBA Amazon Interns

The Texas Full-Time MBA Class of 2018

July 21, 2016 / / Comments Off on The Texas Full-Time MBA Class of 2018

The Texas MBA Program is currently ranked #16 in the country by U.S. News & World Report, making McCombs #1 in the thriving state of Texas! The McCombs network is over 495,000 strong and consists of faculty, students, and alumni making a real impact around the world.

The Texas Full-Time MBA Program received more than 2,500 applications this past year and is excited to welcome the Class of 2018 to the Forty Acres this August! Get to know more about our incoming full-time class*:

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Student Profiles:

Colin Hogan

Colin is a native Texas & SMU graduate working in the Bay Area as Associate Brand Manager for Ubisoft Entertainment, the world’s third-largest video game publisher. He was a member of the two-person launch team for South Park: The Stick of Truth and four-person launch team for Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege. While he enjoys working in the gaming universe, Colin hopes to become a brand/product manager in an industry such as consumer packaged goods, retail, or tech, and make his way long-term to a VP of Marketing role. His wife is also joining the Longhorn family and starts the Masters of Education program this fall!

Ashley Hemphill

Ashley is a New Orleans native & LSU graduate who has been working in Shanghai for the past two years living out every little kid’s dream – working for Walt Disney.  She’s a Senior Financial Analyst for Imagineering, and has managed the budget for projects like “Mickey Avenue” and “Gardens of Imagination.” (Shanghai Disney just opened this June!)  She’s excited to come back to the states to enjoy some good Tex-Mex food, watch some college football, and pursue her dream of becoming a high-level executive in corporate strategy for a major global resort company. She is also a Forte Fellow and looks forward to becoming involved in Board Fellows and the China Business Association.

Joey Martin

Joey has been an officer in the Marine Corps since 2006, piloting the KC-130 Hercules transport plane. He’s lived in Afghanistan, California, and has most recently found himself in Newburgh, NY, where he spends his spare time with his wife and daughter, Elle. He’s also an ordained minister, so if you’re in need of a wedding officiant, Joey is your guy!  He hopes to pursue a career post-MBA in the healthcare consulting field, and has a passion for diabetes research and technology improvement.

Nina Hitchins

Nina comes to McCombs from Sydney, Australia byway of Boston, MA. After earning a degree in Resource Economics from the University of Sydney, she began her career as an economist working for the Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics.  Most recently, Nina has served in a Senior Analyst role at NERA Economic Consulting. Her background as an energy policy advisor and energy consultant has given her an appreciation for the role of business in achieving both profitable and conscionable outcomes. Nina is convinced that the path to a clean economy will be paved by business, and she wants to be one of the architects.  Post MBA, Nina will position herself to become a clean energy strategic advisor and eventually an executive of a global renewable energy firm.

Josh Berrington

Josh was born and raised in southern California. He attended California State University – Stanislaus where he was a scholarship student-athlete playing on the men’s baseball team while discovering his love for marketing. He became highly passionate about healthy food CPG marketing and has spent his career as a brand manager for California Natural Products (CalNaturale Svelte) and Solazyme. Last year at Solazyme, he led the launch of the world’s first algae-based cooking oil into retail stores. His passion for food and entrepreneurship led him to create and refine an innovative food startup called Q’ello. During the 2015-16 application cycle, Josh entered this startup idea into the TVL Scholarship and walked away with the top prize.

Learn more about how you can join the next Texas Full-Time MBA class by checking out our admissions process, and see why the Texas MBA is the greatest value for your money on U.S. News & World Report.

Hook ‘Em!

 

*Class profile statistics for the Texas Full-Time MBA Class of 2018 are subject to change. Final numbers are not available until the 12th class day.

Alumni Spotlight: Justin Key, Texas MBA ’16

June 30, 2016 / / Comments Off on Alumni Spotlight: Justin Key, Texas MBA ’16

Despite having just walked the stage two months ago, recent Texas MBA graduate Justin Key is already well on his way to leaving his mark on the tech world. Prior to his time at McCombs, Justin had an idea for an app that would allow friends to compete against each other while watching Netflix by answering trivia questions pertaining to a specific show or movie. As a part of the Class of 2016, Justin was able to make Plot Guru a reality. AAEAAQAAAAAAAAR4AAAAJDRmZGE5Zjc3LWI1YjctNGViYi1hMGZhLTJmOGQ3ZjUwZmRkOAHe and the rest of the Plot Guru team launched the app in November 2015 and have already had tremendous success. In order to continue to develop his entertainment tech skills, Justin recently made the move to Seattle, WA to embark on a new exciting adventure and join the team at Amazon.

We recently caught up with him to see what he’s been up to since graduation and to learn about his reasons  #WhyMcCombs.

Why did you decide to pursue an MBA and why did you choose McCombs?

After six years in consulting I was ready for a change. I had been working on a startup idea on the side for some time, and was looking for a program where I could pursue a top-tier graduate education while also pursuing entrepreneurial endeavors. I found the experiential opportunities at McCombs to be just what I was looking for. After visiting the campus and getting a sense for the student culture I was hooked – no pun intended!

What were you doing before you came to McCombs for your MBA?

I was a strategy consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers for about six years. I spent the latter three years based in their Zurich, Switzerland office, and was based in Washington, D.C. prior to that.

What was the most valuable lesson — inside or outside of the classroom — you learned while completing your MBA?

Two things: The value of hands-on experience and the importance of networking. Both are instrumental in getting a job and succeeding once you’re there.

How has your McCombs MBA experience helped shape your success?

The MBA Program gave me the opportunity to explore new career paths, including entrepreneurship, while I was still in school. The classroom experience was important, but the opportunities that McCombs gave me outside the classroom really helped prepare me for the next stage in my career.

Tell us a little bit about Plot Guru. How did you come up with the idea for it?

Plot Guru is all about making the television-viewing experience more interactive. Our app syncs with the show you’re viewing online and sends you games and trivia in real-time based on what you’re watching on-screen. The idea for Plot Guru started during a weekly gathering of friends to watch one of our favorite shows. Before the episode started we would always compete to see who could guess what would happen next in the show. At some point my wife suggested, “What if we made a game out of this?” The rest is history.

What is your role at Amazon and what will you be working on?

AmazonVideoDirect_200I recently started a new job as a Sr. Product Manager at Amazon. I’m working on a new platform called Amazon Video Direct, which is a self-service program for content creators, such as independent film makers, to make their content available to stream online through Amazon Video. I’m really excited to use my experience in strategy, technology and entertainment to help small film producers get their content in front of millions of viewers on Amazon Video.

What else have you been up to since you graduated from McCombs, outside of work?

I’ve been pretty busy with the move up to Seattle, starting the new job and continuing to work on Plot Guru in my spare time. Besides all that, I always make time for travel. In the past couple months I’ve visited seven states and two countries!

What advice do you have for future Texas MBAs?

Figure out what you’re interested in and get as much hands-on experience in that area as possible! Take on MBA+ projects, fellowships, internships, and independent studies. You’ll never have a better chance to try out new things like you will during your time at McCombs.

The 2016 Forté MBA Women’s Leadership Conference

June 23, 2016 / / Comments Off on The 2016 Forté MBA Women’s Leadership Conference

From Stacey Kammerdiener, Senior MBA Admissions Officer 

Over 400 businesswomen descended upon Austin, Texas this past weekend for the 2016 Forté MBA Women’s Leadership Conference (WLC)! The event is orchestrated annually by the Forté Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on connecting & empowering women in business, and providing access to business opportunities and education. This year, The University of Texas at Austin had the pleasure of hosting these women in our own backyard at the AT&T Executive Hotel and Conference Center on campus.

The WLC reached a new attendance record this June, with 438 MBA students coming from almost 50 universities across the country!

The conference is geared toward incoming first year MBA students and rising second year MBA students, and gives women an opportunity to network with a plethora of top companies such as Whirlpool Corporation, Cognizant, Hines, Amazon, AT&T, Dow, Boston Consulting Group, IBM, and Wells Fargo.  Our MBA ladies took part in conference prep in the months leading up to the WLC so that they could make the most of the opportunities presented. These prep calls coached first year students on resume writing, networking with the company recruiters, and provided advice on how to follow up with leads generated at the conference.

The McCombs School of Business and the Texas MBA Program had the highest number of students in attendance (Hook ‘Em!) with 45 incoming and current MBA students from all our programs. The Class of 2018 newbies had the opportunity to meet one another before orientation in August and our incoming Forté Fellows also had the chance to meet each other at a reception on Thursday evening hosted by Dimensional Fund Advisors.  Additionally, thirteen Texas MBA alumni volunteered for panels & networking with current MBA women.

Texas MBA ’02 alumna and CMO of RetailMeNot, Marissa Tarleton, spoke on the challenges and opportunities of being a woman marketing executive. CEO of Austin-based startup Shipping Easy and Texas MBA ’94 alumna Katie May was featured on a panel about entrepreneurship. McCombs staff were also featured presenters at sessions such as “Leveraging Social Media for Your Career,” and the Texas MBA Graduate Women in Business organization (GWIB) hosted a fun happy hour on Saturday afternoon.

Join Us for Our Next Women’s Event in Austin!

Networking with and learning from so many successful and driven women is nothing short of inspirational. If you are making your plans for fall, our 2016 Women’s Forum registration is now open. Future women MBAs are strongly encouraged to attend this exclusive event to network with current students and alumni, meet McCombs faculty and staff, and attend info sessions about curriculum, career planning, experiential learning, and life in Austin, Texas.  Apply Now!

We look forward to seeing you soon. Hook ‘Em!

McCombs Students Venture to Houston for Healthcare Innovation

May 9, 2016 / / Comments Off on McCombs Students Venture to Houston for Healthcare Innovation

For many people, the first few things they think of when they think of Texas are the energy market and BBQ. However, Texas is also home to some of the finest medical centers and research facilities in the country, and is quickly becoming a hotbed for healthcare innovation. With the forward-looking Dell Medical School opening up this summer, the future of healthcare looks very optimistic.

Group at TMCx

The MBA Healthcare Association at TMCx

SO, in the midst of cramming for corporate finance finals, finishing human capital papers, and PowerPoint decks for strategic marketing presentations, the MBA Healthcare Association decided to take a break and trek down to Houston, TX to check out the Texas Medical Center’s TMCx accelerator and innovation labs, and Johnson & Johnson’s Innovation JLABS facilities.

The TMCx accelerator is a 4-month program that helps healthcare startups by providing offices, co-working space, and professional services to help develop and grow their business model. They even actively foster relationships between the accelerator companies and  providers at the Texas Medical Center! We toured their highly modern co-working, office and education spaces, all solely devoted to healthcare companies. We also met one of their accelerator companies, Braincheck, who is developing a digital cognitive assessment tool. After chatting with them about their time as a healthcare startup and their experience in the TMCx accelerator, they quickly turned us into test subjects for their product!

JLABS

The Johnson & Johnson Innovation JLABS

Moving next-door to JLABS, we were blown away by the size and modernity of the facility. Wandering through, we explored the 35,000+ square foot, state-of-the art laboratory and healthcare technology development equipment. Companies that pass the selective application process can rent out this space at an extremely reasonable rate of $1,000 per month, with JLABS creating an environment that enables these companies to focus 100% of their attention on their product development.

Touring these two facilities was not only educational and enjoyable, but also eye-opening to how healthcare innovation and product development are changing. Clearly, good times are in store for the companies at TMCx and JLABS – we can’t wait to see what’s next!

McCombs Career Management: Texas MBAs are in Demand!

March 23, 2016 / / Comments Off on McCombs Career Management: Texas MBAs are in Demand!

MBA Career Management at McCombs works with the most discerning employers seeking innovative talent to fill their emerging leadership roles. With a student-focused Employer Relations team, we are working to create unique recruiting opportunities at global organizations throughout the year for companies that range from multinational organizations to start-ups, across the technology, finance, consulting and consumer segments. From preparing you for a summer internship to watching you land your ideal post-MBA position, we provide career resources every step of the way.

Dow - Texas MBA Students

 

The Class of 2015 had 90% job placement after graduation! The Financial Times gave McCombs its highest Global Ranking in over a decade for 2015, calling out the strength of Job Placement Success with a rank that jumped 10 spots globally to #18, making McCombs #1 in the state of Texas. Check out our full Career Statistics Report.

Our career advisors are professionally trained to help you assess and refine your post-graduate career goals through one-on-one guidance with additional support from Peer Advisors and specialized coaching resources. We work with you throughout your McCombs experience to create a customized strategy and timeline for your recruiting journey. We work to ensure our coaching services are student-focused and relevant, providing:

  • Resources, coaching and events for students interested in entrepreneurship, startups, corporate social responsibility, and nonprofit sectors.
  • Assessment and one-on-one advising to clarify the interests, motivators, and skills to craft a career plan that combines passion with talent.
  • Recruiting and networking events that leverage our students, our brand, and our geography:
    – Major career fairs on campus in the fall and spring.
    – 1st year career treks from coast to coast (New York, Seattle, and San Francisco) and in our own backyard (Austin, Dallas and Houston).
  • McCombs Entrepreneurship Night is a bi-annual event which highlights successful McCombs entrepreneurs from the Texas MBA Program while giving students a chance to network with Texas MBAs, alumni, local entrepreneurs, and either Austin Startup Week attendees in the fall, or SXSWi attendees in the spring.

    daniel goldberg“With the broad alumni base at both Texas and the MBA program, it’s been incredibly easy to get warm introductions at firms that I previously would have had no access to. Furthermore, I find the skills I learned at school are giving me the credibility needed to jump into more senior management roles as well. Finally, with my summer internship at Adobe, I’m confident McCombs played an intricate role at helping me to achieve my future career goals.”

    –Daniel Goldberg, MBA ’16

Airplanes, Austin, Classes, and People – My Texas MBA Allure

February 22, 2016 / / Comments Off on Airplanes, Austin, Classes, and People – My Texas MBA Allure

I’ve spent most of my life living in the eastern time zone, so moving to Texas was a wild departure from my past. As I chatted with prospective students who spent their whole lives in the Northeast, or maybe even outside of the US, it made me remember the questions and priorities I had when I was seeking out business schools. Did I find what I was looking for in Texas? (Spoiler: The answer to that question is “yes”)

Here are four main things I was looking for:

1. I want to go work for _______.

Inside, I’m still a small kid, fascinated by the prospect of two giant jet engines propelling a 300+ ton wide-body airplane up into the sky. I always wanted to work for the airline industry – yes, that pressurized metal tube, shoes off, delay-prone industry. Knowing this, I set out to find a school that gave me the best chance at fulfilling my ambitions. It was the active and well-connected alumni network, the well thought-out career support system, and Texas’ historic strength in the industry that made the school so attractive to me. In fact, it was one of the alumni that helped convince me that I would have the connection and resources at McCombs to get where I wanted to be.

Importantly, it’s not just the connection to a dream job or function that mattered. The relationship to my career aspirations, the career management staff and system strength, and diverse experiences of my classmates mattered just as much. I asked my self, “can I develop a connection with the career staff who will have my best interest in mind?” “Is the career support system proactive?” Thinking back, I made absolutely the right call.

(For brevity sake, I left out the next seven paragraphs about airlines. I have been known to talk people’s ear off about it…)

2. The Neat Outdoor-sy City Called Austin

First off, I spent most of my life in the frigid tundra of the Midwest. I loved the snow (and snow days!), and thought it had a bad reputation. When I descended on Texas, freezing weather was somewhat a foreign concept.

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Austin’s Freezing February

Seriously though, Austin’s an outstanding outdoors town. It’s actually a neat town in general. I like to spend a lot of time outdoors – playing tennis, ultimate Frisbee, jogging – and in the ten different cities I’ve lived in my life, Austin’s has by far the best trails, courts, and the weather to enjoy it all. If you’re not familiar with the area, definitely check out Barton Springs Pool the next time you’re here. It’s Austin’s natural river open for swimming nearly all year-round

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Hiking the Barton Creek Trail with Classmates

3. A Customizable Curriculum

By now, you’ve probably heard about our class structure – two years, four semesters, mandatory core classes to start. But it’s the brevity of the required core curriculum that was especially attractive. After all, the Full-Time Texas MBA Program is only two years / four semesters long.

When I was looking at the Texas MBA Program, I was concerned that the small class size meant less options for electives. Many case/discussion-based classes need critical mass to tap into the proverbial “wisdom of a crowd”. That said, I discovered a surprising number of interesting electives for a program that currently averages 270 students per year, because there’s so much time to take electives (nearly three-quarters of the program are reserved for electives).

A great example of a course that shows the diversity of our electives is “Corporate Governance” taught by Professor William Cunningham. To analyze a Board of Director’s important duties and responsibilities, the Professor invites several former and current senior executives from various companies to address the class. I’m taking this course this semester; it’s a rare opportunity to take a course where we can learn from today’s business leaders. And so far, it has been quite a treat.

4. The People

It’s a bit of a clichéd concept, but I believe that people can make the greatest difference. I always tell this anecdote about how I started to see UT as the place for me. Last year, I was making my decision on business schools, and visited Austin to check out the city and the university. Incidentally, it was the Austin Marathon weekend. There was something about the volume of energy and excitement around the city that surprised me, even if it housed a very large public university.

When I visited McCombs, it was much the same. The important thing to ask is – do I see myself with these people as my classmates? Would I enjoy their company, and be able to work with them? After talking to the current students, the faculty from the class I was able to shadow in, and even random people in the atrium, I think I saw myself fitting in just fine.

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Texas vs. Cal from the MBA Student Section! (I believe we were winning at this point…?)

McCombs Annual Ski Trip

February 18, 2016 / / Comments Off on McCombs Annual Ski Trip

Some of you out there might be wondering: will attending business school in Texas still allow me to get out to the mountains to ski/board? Well, I’m happy to report, the answer is a resounding YES!

A fun day on the slopes in Breckenridge!

A fun day on the slopes in Breckenridge!

During the first weekend in February, about 150 Texas MBAs, spouses, significant others, and friends descended upon Breckenridge, Colorado for the annual Graduate Business Adventure Team (GBAT) Ski Trip. Every spring semester, the GBAT organizes a trip out of Austin, and up into the mountains, to take in a little fun on the slopes (and on the town!).  The GBAT organizes lodging arrangements, equipment/lift ticket discounts, shuttles, and happy hours. With everything that Texas MBAs have going on around Austin, it definitely makes things easy when all we need to plan on our own is flights!

We all had a great time breathing in the fresh mountain air (or huffing and puffing in the much higher than sea-level altitude, as it were). But beyond the excellent ski conditions, it was a great time to relax with friends and forget about the stresses of schoolwork that we left behind!

Some highlights of the trip included:

  • Sun and blue sky conditions
  • Friday evening happy hour at Mi Casa – such a great turnout that it was standing room only!
  • A couple of us getting summer internship offers while having lunch on the mountain
  • Condos that were just steps away from the lift
  • Bar-hopping on Main Street in Breckenridge
  • The Budweiser International Snow Sculpture Championships (see below)

 

Snow Sculpture Championships

Snow Sculpture Championships

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