Texas McCombs Application Essay Tips, 2025–2026
This year, Texas McCombs has rolled out a brand new set of essay prompts. According to McCombs, the revised questions “are purposefully designed to elicit thoughtful and introspective responses that reveal your motivations, values, and aspirations.” The McCombs application is your chance to show the adcom how you will align with the school’s values-driven, human-centered community that deeply cares about leadership, learning, and connection.
With just 250 words per essay, you don’t have a lot of space, so you will need to be succinct. As you outline your McCombs essays, ensure that you include ways that you demonstrate the school’s values: human centered, future focused, innovator connected, and collaboratively minded. McCombs has also maintained its video assessment and offers an optional virtual interview, which we will also discuss in this article.
So without further ado, let’s talk through how you can ace this year’s McCombs essays!
Essay #1: Imagine yourself at the completion of your MBA journey. Why was pursuing your MBA at Texas McCombs the right decision for your personal and professional growth? Reflect on how you made the most of your time in the program—academically, through hands-on learning opportunities, and within the McCombs community.
Highlight how you contributed to the McCombs community and used its resources to grow both professionally and personally.
What a fun question! This is your chance to write a vision statement from the perspective of your future self, having lived your McCombs experience to the fullest. Start by closing your eyes and imagining a version of yourself who truly took advantage of what McCombs uniquely offers. Did you help build a start-up through Texas Venture Labs? Lead a student organization that matched your background or values? Deepen your understanding of energy, social impact, or tech innovation in Austin’s fast-moving ecosystem? Be vivid and specific. Use this prompt to show that you’ve done your research on the McCombs MBA program and can already see how it will help you transform both personally and professionally.
Don’t forget to talk about what you gave back to the community. McCombs isn’t looking for passive consumers of its MBA experience; the adcom is looking for true community builders. Did you help organize Diversity Weekend or mentor first-year students? Did you bring an underrepresented perspective into classroom discussions or serve on the McCombs Ambassador Committee? Keep your tone authentic, and avoid falling into the trap of simply listing dry and generic MBA goals.
Essay #2: Reflect on a core value that defines you. Share a specific example of how it has guided your decisions and actions, and explain how it will shape your contributions and growth as a McCombs MBA student.
Highlight how this value has influenced your leadership style and life path, and how it will shape your MBA experience.
Here’s where you get the chance to go deep into your story. This essay invites you to share your inner compass. Choose a value that feels personal, something that has consistently influenced your decisions and actions, even under pressure. Then anchor it with a concrete story. For example, if your value is courage, maybe it showed up when you left a secure job to take care of a family member or launch something untested. If it’s equity, perhaps you’ve advocated for underrepresented voices in hiring or led efforts to change the culture of your workplace. The story you choose should reflect not just what happened but also how you were shaped by it.
Then, extend that value into your leadership style and your vision for how you’ll engage at McCombs. For instance, if you lead with empathy, maybe you’ll be the one who brings individuals together during a McCombs+ project or creates psychological safety in your peer cohort. If you’re someone who values grit, you might pursue a demanding dual-degree, find opportunities in recruiting setbacks, and model resilience for others. This prompt is as much about self-awareness as it is about leadership potential. Show the adcom how your value will ripple outward and leave McCombs better than you found it.
Optional Statement: Please explain any gaps in work experience, choice of recommender, and/or academic performance issues that may help the admissions committee in reviewing your application. (Limit: 250 words)
You should not use the optional statement to merely share another story you think is interesting but that will not actually add to the adcom’s knowledge or understanding of you in any meaningful way. So, provide this optional information only if there is an element of your candidacy that would benefit from further clarification. One example would be if your recommender is not your direct supervisor. Or maybe you have a disciplinary issue in your past that could be mitigated by some explanation. At any rate, there’s no need to make your response any longer than it needs to be (or even to respond at all!) — just communicate any critical information.
Video Assessment: All applicants will be required to complete the Video Assessment shortly after submitting an application. Applicants have 7 days to complete the assessment upon receiving access to the video submission platform.
There will be 5 question prompts and applicants will have 1-3 minutes to answer each prompt.
For each of the school’s five random recorded video questions, you will have between one and three minutes to respond, and you do not need to use the full time. Prior to the final recordings, you will have the opportunity to practice your responses to the questions and get accustomed to speaking to a camera. We recommend that you take advantage of the practice rounds until you feel comfortable enough to record your actual submissions. Go into your assessment having thought about stories and examples that illustrate the typical behavioral questions you might expect across dimensions such as competency, empathy/inclusivity, ambition, and your goals.
McCombs doesn’t specify a dress code for these videos, but business casual is the best way to go (and don’t worry about wearing a tie). University of Texas colors will also go a long way! Since this could be the only time the adcom observes you “in person” (McCombs does not have a mandatory interview), it’s important to put your best foot forward in these video essays. So smile, relax, and be yourself!
Optional video interview: All Full-Time MBA applicants are encouraged but not required to complete a virtual interview with a member of the McCombs Ambassador Committee. The interview format is behavioral-question based and lasts 20-30 minutes including time for your questions.
These interactive virtual sessions present a valuable opportunity for our applicants to connect with the MBA community, showcase their collaborative skills, reaffirm their motivation for pursuing an MBA, and leave a lasting positive impression on Texas McCombs.
Although it’s optional, the McCombs interview is a golden opportunity. If McCombs is high on your list, you should absolutely take this chance to speak with a student ambassador. The interview’s format is behavioral — think STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) — so be ready to talk about teamwork, leadership, conflict resolution, and personal growth. Come prepared with stories that reflect your values and your collaborative mindset.
What makes the McCombs interview unique is its “human-centered” ethos. Your interviewer isn’t trying to trip you up; they truly want to know how you’ll fit into the McCombs community. Ask thoughtful questions that show you’ve engaged with the school beyond its website. You could ask questions like “How has McCombs helped you stretch beyond your comfort zone?” and “What’s something you didn’t expect but now deeply value about the program?” The goal isn’t to impress — it’s to find ways to connect deeper with the existing community.
Each piece of the McCombs application is a chance to paint a more dimensional picture of who you are and what kind of impact you’ll make at the school. McCombs is looking for people who will thrive because of their unique path, not despite it. So be thoughtful, specific, and real. Show the adcom what lights you up, how you lead, and why you’re ready to co-create your MBA journey at McCombs.