Admissions & Application Information
- Are all international applicants required to submit a TOEFL score? I took the TOEFL in the past - do I need to retake it? Do you have a minimum score required? When should I take the TOEFL?
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International applicants who were educated in an English-speaking university or post-graduate institution are not required to submit a TOEFL score. You may submit TOEFL scores from the past, but they may not be more than 2 years old. The Admissions Committee discourages any candidate with a paper-based score of less 620 or a computer based score of 260 from applying.
- What is your deferral policy?
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Acton will not defer any applicant's acceptance to the program.
- What are the benefits to applying for earlier admissions deadlines?
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Acton has a very limited class size, so we encourage potential students who are very serious and excited about attending the program to apply as early as possible to ensure they have the best chances of acceptance. We do not reserve a certain number of acceptances per admissions deadline, so there is a chance that there will be only a few seats left by the final admissions deadline.
- Will you offer feedback on denied applications?
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Due to the large number of applications we receive each year, we cannot provide personalized feedback to each rejected applicant, nor can we advise you of whether or not you should reapply in the future. Also, please understand that the Admissions Committee's decision is final and no applications will be reconsidered. Should you be denied acceptance to the program, you will have to reapply for a future academic year.
- Are all applicants required to submit a GMAT score? I took the GMAT in the past - do I need to retake it? To whom do I submit my score report? Which scores do I report if I have taken the GMAT more than once? Do I have to submit my GMAT scores with the rest of my application?
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Most Acton applicants are required to submit a GMAT score. You must submit both the unofficial score report you receive the day of the test to the Acton Admissions Office, as well as submit your official score report to Hardin-Simmons University, code 6268. You may submit GMAT scores from the past, but they must not be more than 5 years old. Submit only the best score report you have. Applicants may submit an application package prior to taking the GMAT, as long as the applicant is scheduled to take the exam within a month of the date the application package is submitted to Acton.
- What is the average GMAT score? Do you have a minimum score required?
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The average GMAT score for the class entering in fall 2006 was 640. While the Admissions Committee prefers to see a score of at least 600, they also acknowledge that your GMAT score is just one piece of your complete application and will not make their decision purely based on that score.
Course & Program Information
- What does Acton do to support students with significant others and/or families?
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We know that the dedication and intensity required to graduate the Acton program will affect not only you, but your families and significant others, as well. Therefore, we offer several sessions throughout the year in which students and their significant others get together with the Life of Meaning teacher to discuss the contributions and sacrifices each has to make throughout the year-long program.
- Can you enroll in Acton without any previous work experience?
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Acton will accept no more than 5 students per year who apply directly after college. For these select students, there is an even greater emphasis on GPA and GMAT scores, history of leadership positions, community involvement, internships, after-school jobs, etc., to make up for the lack of work experience.
- What is a typical day like at Acton?
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While Acton students have to create their own schedules to best fit their individual needs (when they sleep, spend time with significant others, etc.), the following is a general idea of students' daily schedules:
- 5:30am : Wake up and drive to class
- 6:00-6:30am : Review cases
- 6:30-8:00am : Meet with study group
- 8:00-12:30 : Class
- 12:30-1:00pm : Lunch
- 1:00-7:00pm : Prepare cases
- 7:00-7:30pm : Dinner
- 7:30-12:30 : Prepare cases
- 12:30am : Go to sleep
- How long is the Acton program?
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Acton is a 12-month long program. Students go through Pre-Matriculation for 12 weeks during the summer before classes officially begin in Austin, TX, the last week of August. Graduation is first weekend in May.
- Does Acton provide any student housing?
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No, Acton students are responsible for finding and providing their own housing.
- What does Pre-Matriculation entail?
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Twelve weeks before classes start, you will receive an extensive package of materials, including our set of "great books on business and life," computer simulations, accounting and quantitative exercises, and tutorials on the case method. From June to August, students spend at least 20 hours a week on Pre-Matriculation materials.
- Where are the classes taught?
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Classes are currently taught at our temporary facility just south of downtown Austin on Barton Springs Blvd. To schedule a visit, please contact Jessica Blanchard at jblanchard@actonmba.org or at 512-703-1231.
- Does Acton have a part-time or distance-learning program?
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No, Acton does not have a part-time or distance learning program. Acton's case-method requires that students lead the discussion in every class on a daily basis. The case-method does not work well with distance learning.
One of Acton's strengths is delivering a cohesive program in a short amount time. In order to receive an MBA, our students must wisely use every minute of their 80 to 90 hours a week. If we offered a part-time program, students would miss out on the 'drinking though a fire hose' experience, an experience that every entrepreneur endures when building a new business.
- What is the usual class size?
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Acton's class is limited to 25 students in our current facility. We are in the process of building a new campus on the shores of Town Lake just minutes from downtown Austin. Our new facility will be able to accommodate a class size of 40.
- Am I able to work while enrolled in Acton?
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There is no time for students to work while attending Acton. Students work 80-90 hours a week attending class, meeting in study groups, and preparing cases.
- Is Acton accredited?
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Acton is a program of Hardin-Simmons University. Hardin-Simmons is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).
