The University of Texas at Austin - McCombs School of Business

The Full-Time MBA Program at the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin gives students a solid foundation in business fundamentals (including "strong quantitative coursework if you're interested") while also offering the opportunity for specialization via experiential learning and the more than twenty areas of concentration, including Energy Finance, CleanTech, and Marketing Analytics and Consulting. This is an "immersive program, which requires a lot of work to put in, but greatly and quickly rewards you back." The universally beloved administration is "always around and willing to make our experiences better." It is "extremely well run" and "always a step ahead of requirements"; for instance, "class bidding has a turnaround of less than four hours, making scheduling incredibly easy."

Professors at McCombs are "very impressive to witness" and "contribute substantially to the expectation of excellence within the school." Most of the faculty have industry-related experience and "really care about the students being as prepared as possible for their future careers." Students really get the sense that they are "learning from industry leaders because "they are exceptionally knowledgeable and have the business contacts to share." The UT Austin MBA admits mainly "self-starting students" and "it's clear that the student-run environment works." Students are given a lot of authority to make decisions and "lots of freedom to add to the program," which is apparent in its versatility and relevance. "Everyone is there to help you succeed, and genuinely wants to see you do well-this is true of professors, administration, and especially fellow classmates," says a student.

"Texans love Texas," and the alumni network that McCombs delivers is unbeatable, particularly given that Austin is a "hub for technology and startups." The program offers "a lot of opportunities to grow outside of just a business context," and students can "leverage executive coaching sessions to work on values exploration and learning more about yourself." This is the "most supportive and inclusive group of individuals," and "tutoring each other, sharing business contacts, and preparing each other for interviews is the norm." Students have access to the resources of the broader UT system (such as partnerships with other schools), and the career services department makes sure that students take advantage of them. Hewlett Packard, Dell, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Bank of America, and Deloitte Consulting are a handful of the many companies that recruit McCombs MBA graduates.

The McCombs MBA program has "a full social calendar that can either be something you can engage in or choose the events that matter most to you"; outside of the program, "Austin is a playground." With its "hiking, breakfast tacos, live music, laid back bars, endless green spaces and local lakes, life is abundant here 365 days a year." This group of "smart, friendly, genuine, driven individuals" is diverse culturally and professionally and "deeply cares" about the legacy they leave. Many people are "leaders in two to three organizations and leave the organizations better than when we found them." Thanks to the openness and structure of the program, students "get to know everyone in your class well (and you get sufficient opportunity to meet people from the class above you and below you)." McCombs students "do not take themselves too seriously"; though school work is important, students also make time to let loose, "whether it be at Thursday Think 'N Drink happy hours, floating the various local rivers, or planning informal group trips abroad."