Applying For An MBA With Military Experience

If you have military experience, you may have a distinct advantage when it comes to applying for the MBA.

Ilana Kowarski, a reporter at US News, recently spoke to experts on how military veterans and active-duty military personnel can use their military experience as an advantage in MBA applications.

WHAT MBA ADMISSIONS OFFICERS LOOK FOR

When it comes to the MBA, there are a few critical skills that admissions officers seek in applicants.

Kristen Moss, Stanford GSB Assistant Dean and Director of MBA Admissions, says leadership is one of those critical traits.

“One of the things that has been proven over and over in research is that highly inspirational leaders who get the highest level of performance from their organizations really know what drives them, and they are thinking beyond themselves to the problems they can make change and have an impact on,” Moss says. “So in our application one of our key questions is ‘what matters most and why?’, and it has been an iconic question for a long time. Taking the time to understand what matters to you will be your true north as a leader no matter what school you go to in the rest of your life… You will be one step ahead of the game in terms of being able to motivate others.”

Alex McKelvie, associate dean for undergraduate and master’s education with Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management, says military MBA applicants tend to have the sought-after skills.

“We are looking for students who have leadership experience and can work as part of a team,” McKelvie tells US News. “These are fundamental skills for business and being able to demonstrate that in previous military experience, such as having worked as an officer, is important.”

HOW MILITARY EXPERIENCE HELPS

Experts say MBA applicants with military experience have the discipline and grit necessary in business.

“A lot of military people are thrust into very challenging situations, war or not, at a very young age. And a lot’s expected of you, and the standards are high,” René Bruer, a Marine Corps veteran and co-CEO of Tallahassee-based financial advising firm, Smith Bruer Advisors, tells US News.

Bruer says his own personal injury in the military taught him adversity – an experience he was able to highlight in his MBA application to California Lutheran University.

“Some of these injuries will set you back, and they’ll set you back physically, and emotionally and discussing how you’ve overcome them, I think, that’s a tremendous benefit, because it takes a lot to overcome that,” he tells US News.

Military applicants also have the benefit of being given large responsibilities. Nick Armstrong, the senior director for research and evaluation at Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families, says that’s not commonly found in other applicants.

“Veterans bring unmatched leadership and a wealth of lived professional experiences that are highly valuable in classroom settings, particularly those focused on management, strategy, and human resources,” Armstrong tells US News. “In addition, by design, the military reassigns service members into new roles every few years, thereby providing new experiences to learn and grow in different positions.

Sources: US News, Poets & Quants