McCombs School of Business

The University of Texas at Austin does an outstanding job of making all the necessary tools for success available to its students. Moreover, the sheer size of the school allows for greater diversity within the student body. This increases the amount of clubs, groups, and overall opportunities for students to learn, have fun, and better prepare themselves for life after graduation.

The academic quality of elective classes in McCombs could be made stronger. We simply do not have the financial resources to hire more faculty to offer a more diverse set of electives specific to finance, marketing, operations, etc. There could also be a greater effort made to integrate the core curriculum and to teach business in context - companies do not operate in a vacuum, after all.

I think the best part of our program is the amount of face time we have with both professors and other students. McCombs does a wonderful job creating group projects, which challenge students and force them to find strengths in others. In addition, teachers are willing to meet outside of office hours and after classes to make sure their students understand the material. Outside of the classroom, teachers and students are willing to offer advice and contacts to other students in order to further expand their education and network.

Currently, the business school only considers class rank when determining who is accepted into the school. This gives students who went to a highly competitive high school a disadvantage because they are compared to students who attended a less competitive high school. The business program should also consider SAT/ACT scores in the application process so that all candidates are on the same playing field.

McCombs has prepared me for my career in tremendous, diverse ways. Not only have I obtained the financial modeling proficiency to succeed, but also more importantly, McCombs has developed me personally. I have obtained a greater depth of understanding on ethics, teamwork, leadership, sustainability, and cultivated lasting relationships with fellow classmates, professors, and alumni.

We could expand the types of companies that recruit here. Although the companies that come are of high caliber, a lot of times it feels like the focus is on finance, accounting, and ultimately investment banking.

The McCombs School of Business brings a diverse group of students into a historically strong program that provides an excellent work environment. Classes are usually small in size and all of the professors have great work experience that helps support their strong teaching skills. The school a vastly diverse group of clubs and organizations that can fit any students needs. I believe McCombs has one of the best career services departments in the country. Despite the economic recession, I have received three job offers this semester that had developed from on campus recruiting. I have thoroughly enjoyed living in the great city of Austin, and my experience at the University of Texas has exceeded my expectations.

I personally believe that other majors, outside of accounting, need to be emphasized more. McCombs is known for all of its majors but no other major receives as much credit as accounting does.

McCombs has so many study niches with students diligently working on team projects, assignments, and studying for exams. The high caliber students and do-it-yourself attitude prepares you for the real world. Standards are set high at Texas.

I think that classes could be made more challenging. Some of the entry level classes are too easy and do not push students hard enough.

The McCombs program is particularly diverse. There are many international students, as well as a wide variety of opportunities to study abroad. Additionally, the size and reputation of the program allows students to benefit from a wide variety of helpful resources that likely could not be found at most other schools.

I think that the business program could be stronger if the program spent more time making relations with smaller companies rather than just the large companies. I also think that sometimes there is a lot of emphasis placed on Houston and Dallas, while overlooking some of the other cities in the state/region.

My school has a very large program with a very small, elite program within it. The Business Honors Program specifically competes with and places students at the same firms as schools like Harvard, Wharton, Princeton, and the like. The social life is great here as well.

The career services office could work on building relationships with more non-profit organizations, start-ups, as well as more global opportunities.

-The size of the school makes it a more attractive place for employers to recruit and does not detract from the quality of education. UT is arguably the best business school within an 800-mile radius of Austin, so companies needing to fill positions anywhere in the area will come to UT first.