How to Apply to the McCombs School of Business at UT Austin: Direct Admission Through “Unspecified Business”, and Requirements and Timeline for Chinese, Canadian High School and Transfer Students

At The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin), undergraduate business is taught at the McCombs School of Business, and the degree is the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA). UT Austin admits by major, so to study business you apply to McCombs directly. Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on UT Austin’s official information, for students at high schools in China, students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver students), and transfer students.

1. How to apply to McCombs

• First choice: Unspecified Business: apply on the Common App, list “Unspecified Business” (200400) as your first-choice major and meet all UT Austin requirements. Apart from the honors programs, no additional business application is needed.
• Why the first choice matters: UT Austin reviews you for your first-choice major with its competitiveness in mind, and only applicants eligible for Texas automatic admission may be considered for a second choice. For international applicants, the first choice is effectively the only choice. McCombs describes admission as very competitive.
• Entry term: the McCombs admissions page says it admits only in the fall, while the university’s colleges page lists summer or fall freshman admission. Follow the options shown in the application.
• Choosing a major: all freshmen enter as Unspecified Business and select a major later. The admissions office lists Accounting, Business Analytics, the Canfield Business Honors Program, Finance, the Integrated Master in Professional Accounting (iMPA), International Business, Management, Management Information Systems, Marketing and Supply Chain Management; McCombs also lists a Science & Technology Management major.
• Honors: the Canfield Business Honors Program needs a separate application; Texas CSB (computer science and business) and Texas ECB (electrical and computer engineering and business) take freshman applicants only.

2. Students at high schools in China

• Application: the Common App, at least one essay and the required short answers; the international application fee is US$90 and cannot be waived.
• SAT/ACT required: at least one official SAT or ACT score sent by the testing agency (SAT code 6882, ACT code 4240); the SAT Essay, ACT Writing and ACT Science are not required.
• Transcripts: submit records equivalent to US grades 9–12. UT Austin does not say whether Gaokao results are used, and McCombs publishes no A-level, IB or AP score requirements.
• Optional: a resume, up to two recommendations and a short essay on special circumstances.
• English: China is not on the exemption list, so submit TOEFL iBT 79 (or 4 on the 6-point scale), IELTS Academic 6.5 or Duolingo 115.

3. Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver)

• English exemption: the list includes Canada (excluding Quebec); graduating after at least three years of high school in an exempt country also qualifies.
• SAT or ACT is still required, and the first-choice major is again Unspecified Business. Students outside Texas may be asked to complete the Academic Coursework Entry Form through MyStatus.
• UT Austin publishes no BC-specific grade requirements.

4. Timeline for fall 2027

• Applications open 1 August;
• Early Action deadline 15 October, with supplemental materials by 22 October;
• Regular deadline 1 December (also shown on the McCombs page), with supplemental materials by 10 December;
• Early Action applicants receive a decision or a deferral by 15 January 2027; deferred and regular applicants hear by 15 February.

5. Costs and aid

• McCombs figures: non-Texas-resident tuition of US$23,249 per semester, with room and board of US$7,482 per semester (no academic year is stated).
• University 2026-27 estimates: non-resident tuition of US$42,554 to 51,106 depending on college and total costs of US$64,204 to 72,916. UT Austin notes that the business school charges differential tuition, so business students are at the higher end.
• Aid: there is no separate scholarship application, and the admissions pages do not describe need-based aid for international undergraduates; check with International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS).

6. Transfer students

• From another institution: McCombs admits transfers for fall only, as sophomores. International transfers need 24 completed transferable hours after high school; courses in progress do not count. The fall deadline is 1 March, with international decisions by 15 June; a resume and all college transcripts are required.
• Business indicator courses: transfer applicants must show credit or in-progress work for equivalents of Calculus I, Calculus II, Microeconomics, Macroeconomics and Rhetoric and Writing (RHE 306).
• Internal transfer after entering UT:
  • McCombs calls it highly competitive and advises against enrolling in another college expecting to transfer in;
  • you need 24 hours in residence and at least a 3.25 UT GPA, though admission usually takes more: admitted students averaged 3.88 in fall 2026 and 3.84 in spring 2026;
  • prerequisites are Calculus I and II, Microeconomics and Macroeconomics, plus RHE 306 from spring 2027;
  • the spring 2027 application runs from 15 September to 1 December 2026; you must apply within your first four long semesters, and students with 90 or more hours are encouraged to consider other options.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• List “Unspecified Business” (200400) first on the Common App; apply by 15 October (EA) or 1 December
• Official SAT or ACT required; TOEFL 79 (or 4), IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 115
• Apply separately for Canfield Business Honors if interested

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• Graduates of Canadian high schools outside Quebec are generally exempt from English tests
• SAT or ACT required; list Unspecified Business first

Transfer students:

• Fall only; deadline 1 March; 24 completed transferable hours
• Complete equivalents of two calculus courses, micro- and macroeconomics, and rhetoric and writing

Sources: The University of Texas at Austin, McCombs BBA; BBA admissions and cost; BBA majors; BBA transfer students; Internal transfer to McCombs; Freshman admission; International freshman admission; Information for international students and English requirements; Colleges and degrees; Transfer admission; International transfer admission; 2026-27 cost of attendance. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 figures). Check UT Austin for the latest details.