The McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin requires three brief yet revelatory written essays from its applicants. At their core, the essay questions ask candidates for the “what,” “how,” and “why” underlying their MBA aspirations. For the program’s first essay, you will need to present your professional plan, both in the long term and with respect to McCombs’s role in achieving it. In other words, what are you hoping to accomplish in your career, and what about the McCombs MBA program makes it the right place to prepare you to do so? The second essay tasks you with identifying the skills and attributes you already possess that will enable you to pursue your goals—basically, how will you make your plan a reality? And for the school’s third essay, you must present your motivations for your goals, aka your why. In addition, you will need to respond to a handful of recorded video questions within one week of submitting your application. If you have any potential problem areas in your profile, you can submit an optional essay to address the issue. The Texas McCombs essay components definitely give you ample opportunity to provide meaningful insight into your character and strengths. Our more in-depth analysis of the program’s essay prompt(s) for 2024–2025 follows.
Texas McCombs Essay Analysis, 2024–2025
Essay 1: At Texas McCombs, we do things a little differently. We embrace those who take the initiative and forge new paths. What ambitious goal or change do you aim to achieve with an MBA, and why is Texas McCombs your ideal launch pad? (250 words)
Rather than asking you, as many business schools do, to name the professional role you hope to have after you have earned your MBA and to perhaps specify what industry or function it would be in (or at what company), Texas McCombs asks you what you want to achieve. What big objective are you hoping to someday attain? What problem do you want to solve? Given this broader focus and the inclusion of the word “ambitious” in the prompt, we believe McCombs is inviting you to really dream, to set your sights high and tap into your enthusiasm and potential.
The second half of this prompt requires that you explain the role you envision the McCombs MBA experience playing in the attainment of your goal(s). This is the classic “Why our school?” query included in most personal statements, though McCombs does not give you much space in which to elaborate on the point, so you will need to be direct and concise in communicating this information. (If you have not already done so, we encourage you to download a free copy of the mbaMission Personal Statement Guide, which provides helpful guidance on addressing this topic, along with multiple illustrative examples.)
The assumption is that something you have learned about McCombs makes you feel that the school could provide the experience, knowledge, skills, exposure, and/or other element(s) you feel you need to reach your long-term aspirations. So, what are those things? And if you are not yet sure, you will need to first engage in some significant research into everything the school offers to identify these key resources and offerings and be prepared to discuss them. Demonstrating your authentic interest in the program by presenting concrete examples and drawing clear connections between them, what you need, and who you are is key to crafting a compelling essay response here—you must explain how the identified element(s) will fulfill particular needs for you.
Essay 2: Here, you are what’s next. At this pivotal crossroads where you’re deciding your future path, the Texas McCombs MBA experience will equip you with the tools and mindset to make “what’s next” happen in your career. Please share unique qualities you pos[s]ess that highlight your potential to shake up the status quo in your professional life. (250 words)
A number of top MBA programs ask candidates to share what they feel is unique about themselves, but McCombs takes the question a little further by specifying that the unique characteristics or skills you highlight are ones that should enable you not only to achieve your intended career goal(s) but also to “shake up the status quo.” So, you might have an objectively rare hobby or ability that would fit the “unique” criterion here, but if it is not something that applies in any way to your professional path, it likely would not be the right choice for this essay. McCombs could be looking to distinguish those applicants who might be all talk and no substance (as well as those who are well equipped to effect change but have no idea where to apply themselves) from those who have both a big vision and a foundational skill set that demonstrates their potential. The qualities and capabilities you have and intend to apply constitute the “how” of the long-term vision/plan you presented in Essay 1 (the “why” is the focus of Essay 3). We do not think the school only wants students who aim to be “disruptors,” but the admissions committee definitely does want insight into what your level of risk and/or enthusiasm is and what applicable strengths you bring to the table. With this essay prompt, McCombs is has found an interesting way to tap into applicants’ characters that we have not seen any other top programs use.
Essay 3: The University of Texas at Austin’s motto, “What starts here changes the world,” embodies a spirit of impact and transformation. What fuels your drive to lead change and make your mark in the world? (250 words)
This essay is somewhat similar to Essay 2 in that the underlying vibe is effecting change, but here, the focus is on why you want to do what you have envisioned for yourself professionally. What is your motivation? You might be incredibly talented and capable of all kinds of things, but if you are not inspired to put in the required effort, very little will actually happen. Technically, McCombs could have combined Essays 2 and 3 into a single submission, of course, but separating them queries this way gives the admissions committee more concentrated insight into each issue for each candidate. Most likely, some applicants will be stronger in one area than the other—meaning, they might possess more passion and motivation but exhibit less capability, and vice versa.
This is your opportunity to show McCombs that your career goals have personal meaning and that you are inspired to pursue them for reasons beyond any financial gain you might enjoy as a result. Imagine chasing your aspirations without any potential for monetary reward, recognition, or increase in status. Would you still be motivated to work toward your stated goals? If so, why? What emotions and values would your success tap into? Having such deep-seated inspiration can keep you moving forward when you encounter obstacles and challenges, thereby increasing your chances of ultimately accomplishing what you have set out to do. So give the admissions committee insight into what you find meaningful and what drives you, so they can develop a well-rounded impression of the individual you are and feel confident that you are the kind of applicant worth investing in.
Optional Statement: Please explain any gaps in work experience, choice of recommender, and/or academic performance issues that may help the admission committee in reviewing your application. (Limit: 250 words)
In the past, McCombs has offered applicants some leeway with its optional essay to share anything they felt might be pivotal or particularly compelling about their candidacy, rather than stipulating that they must use it strictly to explain problematic issues. This changed last application season, however, and the admissions committee revised the prompt to very clearly direct candidates to address only certain circumstances. So we caution you against trying to step too far outside the framework the prompt outlines and discussing a topic that does not fall under one of the topic areas mentioned. If you need to, then, this is your chance to proactively answer any questions an admissions officer might have about your professional history, the individuals you selected to write your recommendations, and/or your academic background. Consider downloading a free copy of our mbaMission Optional Essays Guide, in which we offer detailed advice on deciding whether to submit an optional essay and on how best to approach writing such a submission, with multiple examples.
Video Assessment: All applicants will be required to complete the Video Assessment shortly after submitting their application and paying the fee. Applicants have 7 days to complete the assessment upon receiving access to the video submission platform. There will be 4 question prompts and applicants will have 90 seconds to answer each prompt.
Okay, start by taking a deep breath. We know that video essays tend to be intimidating and nerve-racking, but McCombs is simply interested in getting to know you in a more dynamic way than a written essay will allow. The admissions committee is not looking for the next prime-time anchor or expecting an Oscar-worthy performance—it just wants to get a sense of your spoken communication style, personality, and perhaps demeanor. Because the questions you will encounter are not provided in advance, the admissions committee is likely also using the video as a way of gauging how you deal with the unexpected, think on your feet, and convey relevant answers in a time-conscious way. This is, after all, similar to what you will be doing in the McCombs classroom as an MBA student.
In addition, the school states on its MBA Insider blog that it will be looking for evidence of the following characteristics and abilities when it watches applicants’ submissions: motivation, adaptability/resilience, ambition, goals, empathy/inclusivity, verbal communication, well-roundedness, and professionalism/poise. Be sure to take time to review the school’s post to ensure that you understand how it defines each of these capabilities. So again, even though you do not know exactly what you will be asked, you can keep these qualities in mind and strive to construct your responses so that they demonstrate your possession of the school’s desired attributes.
Although the prompt for McCombs’ video component mentions four questions, the associated blog post notes that candidates will actually receive five questions. However, it goes on to clarify that the admissions committee will see each applicant’s response to their first question but will not factor it into their assessment of the individual, so that initial query is meant to give you a chance to familiarize yourself with the process—and ideally, feel more prepared when the “official” questions begin. When the time comes to record your video submission, you will be asked each question individually and given 90 seconds to record your response.
Despite not having the specific questions supplied for you, you can still prepare for these videos in advance. For example, you could find practice questions by Googling “MBA interview questions” and/or downloading a free copy of the mbaMission Interview Guide, which includes a list of 100 questions commonly posed in MBA admissions interviews. Then, you could ask a friend or family member to randomly select from these questions, pose them to you, and then provide feedback on the content and presentation of your responses. And by timing yourself, you will develop a feel for what delivering an oral response within a 90-second timeframe is like (ideally without speaking at lightning speed!). As you practice, strive to minimize your use of filler words and phrases (e.g., “um,” “uh,” “like,” “you know”) so that you are less likely to depend on or default to them when the time comes for your actual video submission. Do not feel that you must fill the entire 90 seconds if you do not have good content with which to do so, but also, take care to not be too brief. This is the admissions committee’s chance to get to know you better as an animated, three-dimensional person, so do not shortchange them on getting to see how you speak and behave. And do not panic. If you make a small mistake or bungle your words, just pause, smile, and get back on track.
Let us reassure you that none of the questions will have a “correct” answer, and you are not going to be judged on how energetic or enthralling you are in delivering your response. You should speak as naturally as possible so that the admissions committee can get a feel for your true character and bearing. If possible—meaning you can do so without forcing the issue—sharing a story from your life that illustrates or supports your answer will make it even more compelling. Otherwise, simply breathe, relax, and give the school insight into the unique individual you are. Respond to each query honestly and as smoothly as you can (despite any nervousness you might be feeling), and be yourself.
To learn more about the essays for other top business schools, visit our MBA Essay Tips and Examples Resources Page.
