Max Lies, Texas McCombs MBA Class of 2026
Age: 29
Hometown: Denver, CO
Undergraduate Institution and Major: College of the Holy Cross (Worcester, MA); Economics and Political Science
Pre-MBA Work Experience: Goldman Sachs (Liquidity Risk Analyst – 2 years), Department of the Treasury (Economic Research Analyst – 3.5 years), private equity consulting (senior associate – 1 year)
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
I’ve had the privilege of having an extremely diverse post-undergraduate career. I wanted an experience that allowed me to leverage the best parts of that career, further build out my personal skillsets, and challenge me to grow both personally and professionally.
Why did you choose Texas McCombs? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
Ultimately, my choice boiled down to McCombs and another peer school. Ultimately, my decision to attend Texas McCombs was in large part influenced by the caliber of people (faculty, staff, current students, and alumni) as well as what I perceived to be dedicated efforts to establish a presence among other Top 20 business schools.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2026?
I have been continually impressed with the caliber, background, and ambition of the Class of 2026. That being said, in our roughly 260-member cohort, there are a variety of different academic and social groups. As a naturally extroverted and social person, I believe one of my major contributions to the class will be bridging these disparate groups and furthering personal and academic cross-pollination.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
I swam competitively with Olympian Missy Franklin. There may be some caveats that it was when we were much younger and on different practice squads, but I still got to swim laps in the same pool as her for the same team.
Post-MBA career interests:
For better or for worse, there are a bunch of fields and roles that interest me. At the moment, I’m particularly interested in pursuing corporate finance roles at Fortune 500 companies.
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
For McCombs specifically, it would absolutely be Preview Weekend. Coming from DC, it was no small feat to head to Austin for a weekend on somewhat short notice, but I am so glad I did. Between staff, McCombs student ambassadors, and other students, it was an awesome way to organically connect with students and get truly candid answers to questions that you may have not been able to previously answer, as well as get a feel for how campus operates. More generally, any admitted-student weekend a school has, I would go to.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
I think I would develop a better framework around simple logistics of the application process. Oftentimes, we are so consumed with finding out why we want to apply to business school that the sheer logistics of that process (testing or getting a waiver, school events, connecting with alums, application, essays, etc.) require a tremendous amount of time and that can get thrown by the wayside.
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
Testing. I took my first GRE when it was still long-form and the hardest part (before it got shortened) was keeping my brain in testing mode for 4 hours.
What is your initial impression of the Texas McCombs MBA students/culture/community?
Cohesive. One of the many reasons I chose McCombs is that, for all its ambition and seriousness, I’ve yet to see success be a zero-sum game here. I feel confident that I could go up to anyone in the Class of 2026, ask a question or favor, and it would be addressed.
What is one thing you have learned about Texas McCombs that has surprised you?
I know everyone mentions it, but the pace of courses has been quite the surprise. The complexity and depth of topics covered in less than 8 weeks is kind of astounding, and even more astounding is a final (usually) worth more than 50% of your grade following those weeks!
What is one thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
Recruiting is the easy answer here. That aside, I suppose I am most anxious to see how effectively I can digest 6-7 weeks’ worth of material for core class finals.
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
Touching upon previous answers, I’m excited to continue to make and deepen relationships with my fellow classmates. We are geographically, socially, academically, and professionally diverse, so I look forward to continuing to meet people from different walks of life as I make my way through this new and exciting chapter of life!
