Growing Future CEOs in Texas

Christina Mabley became director of admissions for the University of Texas at Austin's McCombs School of Business in December, 2004, where she previously served as the director of alumni relations for two and a half years. A McCombs alumnus, Mabley also worked for three years in marketing at start-up Garden.com, an online seed and gardening-supply company whose operations closed in 2000. Mabley says that the best way for applicants to learn about the school before applying is to network with alumni. She recently spoke with BusinessWeek Online reporter Jeffrey Gangemi. Here are edited excerpts of their conversation.

Q: How are application numbers at your school?
A: We have seen a decline similar to [the falloff at] a lot of our peer schools. We have opened a few new program options for people who want an MBA from the University of Texas, including part-time programs in Dallas and Houston. We've seen a strong quality in the applications that we have received.

For our full-time program, we're decreasing our class size from 320 to 260 for the coming year. We're adding 40 faculty members, so we're increasing the resources available to that group as well as decreasing the numbers. We've also just beefed up our career-placement office, so enhanced facilities will be available to the full-time students.

Q: Are you comfortable with the numbers of international students and women?
A: There has been a decline across the country in terms of international applications, but we have been unaffected by it. Actually, our international applications were up last year. We've always had strong connections in Latin America, Asia, and Europe, and our students continue to enjoy and benefit from those.

Our [enrollment] of women is not where we would like it to be. As a female alumnus of the program, I'd like the number to be higher. We hoped to increase the pipelines of women into business school and business. We have a very strong women's organization that has helped us with recruiting. We also started a "Women in Business Leadership Conference" that brings successful women to campus. From my own perspective, it was a great place to be a woman and an MBA, so I'm interested in continuing to find initiatives to bring more women into the program.

Q: How much work experience do you require?
A: Two years, but we generally see an average of five. We feel that the level of discourse within our classroom requires at least two years of experience. The types of experience are often diverse and varied, with people coming from all different backgrounds, and that adds to the classroom experience. More than anything, we want to see a good story. We want to know why applicants want an MBA, why they want it now, and why they want it from McCombs.

Q: Where did the strong connections to Latin America and Spanish language originate?
A: Our proximity to Mexico has given us a strong connection in Latin America. We also have several partnerships with top South American programs. The University of Texas houses the top Latin American studies program in the country. We have a Spanish language track with instruction for all levels of speakers. There are study abroad options in Mexico, Spain, and Peru to enhance that track.

Other international opportunities include participation in our Plus Global in the second part of the second year. This is good for students who don't have the time or the inclination to go for a full semester. It includes coursework that culminates in a 10-day trip over spring break, where students participate in consulting projects with partner schools.

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