Brazilian-native Rodrigo Malta is next up in our series designed to showcase the real people behind the MBA admissions process at leading business schools. Malta heads admissions at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin, where he himself got his MBA a decade ago.
He went to work in marketing at Dell for a bit after graduating but was ultimately wooed back to the admissions office—where he’d also worked as a student—by mentor and then-Director of MBA Admissions Tina Mabley. He jumped at the chance to return to campus and work on something he was really passionate about—diversity recruiting. Later, when Mabley was promoted to assistant dean for the full-time MBA, Malta applied for and got the admissions director’s position, where he’s been ever since.
Malta graciously agreed to sit down with us recently and even answered a few questions in video format—which, it turns out, is not something he’s fond of. We appreciate his stepping out of his comfort zone for us! Enjoy.
Real Humans of MBA Admissions: Rodrigo Malta of UT Austin’s McCombs School of Business
Coffee or tea? Coffee
Beach or mountains? Beach
Morning person or night owl? Night owl
Pet peeve? I am a pretty laid-back person, so not a lot gets to me, but I don’t like people who are not sincere.
Guilty pleasure? Chocolate and the Gilmore Girls
Favorite virtue in others? Loyalty and sincerity
Worst habit? I am a procrastinator.
Happy place? My home
Comfort food? Chips and queso
Go-to cocktail? Margarita with salt on the rocks
Proudest moment? I am really proud of graduating with my MBA from UT and getting the job to work as a member of the admissions team.
Biggest regret? Not one per se. I don’t mind trying something and failing, so my regret is not trying.
One thing you would change about how you were raised? I wish my parents had put me in English school sooner if they knew I was going to live in the United States.
Superpower you wish you had? To be like the Flash to get to places faster and skip traffic. Actually, traffic might be a pet peeve of mine.
Favorite fictional hero/heroine? I always thought Wonder Woman was really cool because she is a woman and most superheroes are men, and she felt more human to me than the other superheroes.
Finally, don’t miss Malta’s video answers to a few additional questions:
