MBA Admissions Guide

Everything You Need to Know About the MBA Application Process

Applications for Fall 2026 are now open. We’re excited for you to take the next step toward joining our community. You belong here — and together, we’ll work toward getting you where you want to be. Review the application deadlines below.

Candidates may only apply to one Rice Business graduate degree program per application cycle. If you were, at any time, a former Rice Business graduate student, please indicate you are a re-applicant in your current application. Please reach out to our team with any questions – we’re here to help you every step of the way.

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Application Deadlines

Please select a program to find the relevant application deadlines.

Full-Time MBA Deadlines

Decision Round	Application Deadline	Rolling Decisions Released
Round 1	October 17, 2025, 11:59 PM CT	Starting December 15, 2025
Round 2	January 16, 2026, 11:59 PM CT	Starting March 23, 2026**
Round 3	April 3, 2026, 11:59 PM CT	Starting May 4, 2026**
Round 4*	May 27, 2026, 11:59 PM CT	Rolling decisions on space-available basis

*The Round 4 deadline is for domestic candidates only (U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents).

**Decisions may be released earlier if the application and review are complete.

Consortium Application Deadlines

Decision Round	Application Deadline	Rolling Decisions Released
Round 1	October 15, 2024	Starting December 9, 2024
Round 2	January 5, 2025	Starting March 10, 2025

Professional MBA, Executive MBA, and Hybrid MBA Deadlines

Decision Round	Application Deadline	Rolling Decisions
Round 1	October 17, 2025, 11:59 PM CT	Applications will be evaluated for admission on a rolling basis
Round 2	January 16, 2026, 11:59 PM CT
Round 3	April 3, 2026, 11:59 PM CT
Round 4	May 27, 2026, 11:59 PM CT	Applications will be evaluated for admission on a space-available basis

We encourage you to apply early to gain the advantage: Compete with a smaller number of applicants for the greatest number of seats. Secure more time and support to prepare for the program (including a quantitative skills prep course and a custom workshops for enrolled students). Expand your connections by attending networking events months before the program begins.

Online MBA@Rice Deadlines

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis for each of our four intake terms (October, January, April, or July). We invite you to learn more about the application requirements and deadlines for our online MBA.

Deferred Enrollment MBA Deadlines

The application will open on August 1, and the submission deadline is May 1, 2026, 11:59 PM CT. Please follow the requirements for the Full-Time MBA.

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Application Requirements

Use our admissions process guide to build your best application. The Deferred Enrollment MBA program follows the Full-Time MBA program admissions process (with the exception of GMAT waivers, which are not available for the Deferred Enrollment program).

Printer-friendly checklists:
☑Full-Time MBA ☑Professional MBA ☑Hybrid MBA ☑Executive MBA

Transcripts

To submit your application, you must upload unofficial copies of transcripts for each degree that you have earned or any degree in process. Your transcripts must include the name of the degree awarded and the degree conferral date if the degree has been awarded. Please note an undergraduate degree is required to apply to our MBA programs.

For the Deferred Enrollment MBA application, please submit the transcripts of the courses that you have completed and provide a list of courses that you are currently enrolled in. You will also need to submit your final transcript once you complete your undergraduate studies.

When You Enroll:

If you are admitted and decide to enroll with us, you will be required to send us official (physical or electronic) transcripts from each bachelor's or graduate degree(s) earned from U.S. degree-granting institution(s).

To ensure credential standardization, we require that all transcripts from non-U.S. degree-granting institutions be reviewed by a third-party transcript evaluation service. You are welcome to use any of the below companies for this process.
- The Evaluation Company (formerly SpanTran)
- World Education Services
The evaluation will also fulfill the requirement of an official transcript for that institution.

If the evaluation shows the degree to not be equivalent to that of a 4-year U.S. bachelor's degree, the Admissions Committee may rescind the offer of admission.

Note: If the Admissions Committee notices inconsistencies with the accuracy or legibility of your unofficial transcripts, we reserve the right to request that you send us an official transcript before releasing your final decision.

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Standardized Tests

We require a standardized test for admission to our Full-Time, Professional and Hybrid MBA programs. Full-Time MBA candidates may be eligible for a standardized test waiver. Professional MBA and Hybrid MBA candidates may submit an application without a test score with sufficient reasoning. Please read below for more details.

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Full-Time MBA candidates may be eligible for a standardized test waiver. For more information, please review the Standardized Test Waiver Request webpage. Please note that you need to start an application to gain access to the test waiver request form. Test waivers need to be submitted 10 days prior to the application.

For Professional MBA and Hybrid MBA applicants, we require a standardized test however, if you feel you have sufficient reasoning for a test waiver, such as a terminal degree, a master's degree or more than 3 years of work experience, you may submit your application without a test score. Please submit the optional essay explaining your qualifications. Please note, if you submit without a score, the admissions committee reserves the right to request a test score after review of your application.

For Executive MBA applicants, we do not require a test but you may submit a valid test score if you have one.

You may reference the chart below for the types of tests we accept for each MBA program:

Test Option	Full-Time MBA	Professional MBA	Hybrid MBA	Executive MBA	Deferred Enrollment MBA
GMAT	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
GMAT Focus	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
GRE	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Executive Assessment (EA)	✔	✔	✔	✔

When You Apply:

As you work on your application, you will be required to upload a copy of your GRE/GMAT or EA test score. During the application process, please submit the official test score report. As of July 1, 2024, official test score reports will be required in order to receive an admissions decision.

Applicants to the MD/MBA dual degree program may submit their MCAT scores to complete their MBA applications and to be considered for merit-based scholarships.

After you apply:

Before we render an admission decision, we require that you have your official scores sent to us using the codes below:

Test Option	Full-Time MBA	Professionals MBA	Hybrid MBA	Executive MBA
GMAT or GMAT Focus	3WS-WD-92	3WS-WD-68	3WS-WD-68	3WS-WD-58
GRE	7502
Executive Assessment (EA)	“Rice University Jones Graduate School of Business”

Application Tip:

We encourage you to take your standardized tests early in the admissions process. If you are unhappy with your test score, we also encourage you to consider retaking the test. We do not look upon retakes negatively, and we will consider only your highest score when reviewing your application for admission.

If you do decide to retake a test after you have submitted your application, please let us know and we will be happy to consider your application with the updated score (although your application may be pushed to the next application round).

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Resume

In order to assess your work experience, we require you to submit a professional resume. Spend some time before submitting your application to make sure that your resume is up-to-date and appropriate to use in an application to a business school.

We also want to learn about who you are outside of your job duties, so our application includes an entire section dedicated to your extracurricular involvement. Use this space to list the groups you are a member of, the activities you lead, and the impact you have on your community. You will also have a chance to talk about any awards or special recognition that you have received.

For those applying to the Deferred Enrollment MBA program, please focus your resume on your extracurricular activities, including, but not limited to, internships, student club involvement, and volunteer work.

Application Tip

In general, your professional resume should be no longer than one page (as opposed to an academic curriculum vitae, or CV). Rather than serve as an exhaustive list of all of your job duties, your resume should highlight your employment history, education, and extracurricular involvement.

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Letters of Recommendation

A letter of recommendation is a required component of the Rice MBA application. While any professional recommendation is accepted, we'd prefer a letter from your current or a former supervisor. A maximum of two (2) letters of recommendation are allowed.

Rice MBA programs use the GMAC Common Letter of Recommendation, which allows recommenders to answer the same set of questions for multiple business school applications.

After entering your recommender’s contact information into your application, the application system will immediately send an electronic "Common Recommendation" form to that individual.

For those applying to the Deferred Enrollment MBA program, one of your recommendations can be from an academic source, but one must be from a supervisor from work or extracurricular activity.

Application Tip

In addition to the official recommendations, if you know a current Rice MBA student or alumni you may ask them to write you a Build the Class referral, which will qualify you for an application fee waiver.

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Essays

Essays are an opportunity to provide a better understanding of your unique perspective and aspirations. The Full-Time, Professional MBA and Hybrid MBA programs require two and the Executive MBA requires one.

For Deferred Enrollment MBA applicants, please follow the instructions for the Full-Time MBA essay requirements.

Full-Time MBA, Professional MBA & Hybrid MBA
- Required Short Answer Responses: (100-word limit, each)
  Rice Business seeks to have a clear understanding of your career goals upon the completion of your MBA experience.
  
  Response #1: "In 100 words or less, please share your short-term career goals."
  Response #2: "In 100 words or less, please share your long-term career goals."
- Required Creative Essay:
  While we know a picture is worth 1000 words, in 500 words or less tell us the story of a photo of your choosing that has significant value in your life experiences. Please feel free to share your photo!
  
  You can complete this essay via a traditional written response (500-word limit) or via a video response (one to three-minute time limit).
Executive MBA
- Required Essay: (750-word limit)
  “As you evaluate where you are today, how have your educational, professional, and personal endeavors brought you to this point? In addition, please explain how the Rice EMBA is part of your future plan.”
Optional Essay: (500-word limit)

If you have any additional information for the admissions committee or if you wish to clarify any aspect of your application (including breaks in employment, your choice of recommendation providers, your past academic performance, etc.), you may submit an additional, optional essay.

Professional MBA and Hybrid MBA applicants, if you plan to submit your application without a test score, please submit the optional essay explaining why. We don't require a long explanation, only share your reasoning, i.e. terminal degree, a master's degree or more than 3 years of work experience.

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Online Application

Once your application has been submitted and the application fee of US$200.00 has been paid*, our Admissions Committee will begin reviewing your application.

*We are proud to offer application fee waivers to:
- United States military personnel (active duty or veteran)
- Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) MBA Prep Fellows
- Forté Foundation MBALaunch members
- MD/MBA dual degree program applicants
- Rice University alumni
- Prospective students referred to us by alumni through the Build the Class program
- Prospective students who have attended a Recruiting and Admissions event. (Virtual Events, On-Campus Events, MBA Fairs, etc.)
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Our Process

We review applications comprehensively, which means that not any piece of the application is viewed as more important than the others. Rather, we evaluate the quantitative (years of work, GMAT score, GPA, etc.) and qualitative (leadership, community involvement, career progression, etc.) elements of your application together to determine your overall fit with the program.

Throughout the application process, we will check to make sure that we have all of the information we need to properly review your application. If we require additional clarification regarding a piece of your application or notice that you are missing important material, we will reach out to you via email or telephone.

When the preliminary review of your application file is complete, the Admissions Committee may extend an invitation to participate in the additional assessment activities outlined below.

Admissions Assessments for Deferred Enrollment, Full-Time, Professional MBA and Hybrid MBA Applicants (By Invite Only)

Rice Video Interview
Rice Business utilizes a virtual platform as an additional assessment component. This is an opportunity for you to showcase your motivations for pursuing an MBA at Rice Business and alignment with our culture.
Interview
This is a conversation between you and a member of the Rice Business community. We hope that you will use this time to not only share your personal accomplishments but also to showcase your personality. Tell your story. At this time, all of our interviews will be conducted via Zoom; however, we will be sure to share when in-person interviews are available again in the future.

Due to the number of applications received every year, we are not able to extend an invitation for additional assessment activities to every applicant. Please note, however, that if you do not receive an invitation for additional assessment activities before decisions are set to be released, this does not automatically mean we are no longer considering your candidacy.

Admissions Interviews for Executive MBA Applicants (By Invite Only)

Rice Video Interview
Rice Business utilizes a virtual platform as an additional assessment component. This is an opportunity for you to showcase your motivations for pursuing an MBA at Rice Business and alignment with our culture.

Interview
This is a conversation between you and a member of the Rice Business community. Our interviews will be conducted in-person or via Zoom.

Due to the number of applications received every year, we are not able to extend an invitation to interview for every applicant. Please note, however, that if you do not receive an invitation to interview before decisions are set to be released, this does not automatically mean we are no longer considering your candidacy.

Things To Remember

Complete applications submitted by Round 1 and Round 2 will have priority consideration for merit-based scholarships (Full-Time MBA only).

If you retake a test, add a new line on your resume, or have any other updates to your submitted application, please upload the documents to your application portal.

While we do not give feedback on individual applications after an admissions decision has been made, we are more than happy to work with you any time during the application process to help you put forward your best application.

Candidates may only apply to one Rice Business graduate degree program per application cycle. If you were, at any time, a former Rice Business graduate student, please indicate that you are a "re-applicant" in your current application.

Please do not hesitate to email, call, or schedule an on-campus meeting with a member of the Rice MBA Recruiting and Admissions team. We look forward to getting to know you!

International Applicants

To be eligible to apply to the Rice MBA program, we require applicants to hold a four-year U.S. bachelor's degree, or its international equivalent. In addition, for our working professional programs, you must already have a valid visa that allows you to study in the United States, like an H1B, L1, TN or similar. Only the Full-Time MBA program sponsors an I-20 for international applicants.

When you Apply:

Before submitting your application, you will be required to upload an unofficial (scanned) copy of your transcripts or mark sheets.
If your transcripts are not written in English, you must also upload an additional copy that has been translated into English by a certified translator. Please note that these translations must bear an original ink signature and seal, and that the unofficial, untranslated copy must accompany the translated copy.
If we notice issues with legibility or translation accuracy, the Admissions Committee may ask you to send us a full transcript/credential evaluation.

When you Enroll:

If you are admitted and choose to enroll with us, you will be asked to have your transcript evaluated by a third-party evaluation company to verify grades, curriculum and that your undergraduate degree is indeed the equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's degree. (To ensure credential standardization, we require that all transcripts from non-U.S. degree-granting institutions be reviewed by a third-party transcript evaluation service.) You are welcome to use any of the below three companies for this process.

Re-applicants

The Rice MBA programs have an extremely competitive pool of talented candidates, so while we may not have been able to offer you admission in a previous admissions year, we invite you to consider reapplying to the program in the future. Since prospective students cannot apply more than once during an admissions cycle, we suggest using the time between your decision and the opening of a future admissions cycle to self-assess your last application and think of ways that you could improve it.

To reapply, you will need to submit a new application. This will require new essays, new letters of recommendation, and another application fee of US$200.00.

If you decide to apply again, you will also need to complete an additional, required re-applicant essay:

“Think about the time that has elapsed since you last applied to Rice Business. What actions have you taken to improve your candidacy?” (500-word limit)

Unless your test scores have expired (five years for the GMAT and GRE tests), you will not need to worry about re-sending your score reports to us; we will still have access to your scores and will be able to add them to your application. We will also still have your official transcripts on file if you chose to send your transcripts to us previously.

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