Group Hosts First MBA & JD Admissions Fair For Veterans

Since its founding in 2011, Service to School has helped thousands of military service members and veterans transition not just to higher education, but often to their dream schools. It does this through test and interview prep; resume, application, and essay reviews; networking assistance; and connecting veterans with mentors in the programs to which they aspire.

Next month, the national veteran-focused nonprofit is hosting its first-ever MBA and JD admissions fair to connect military members one-on-one with leading business and law schools.

“It’s a one-stop shop for some of the best schools in the country. There’s no other event like this where a veteran, from the comfort of their home or even work, can just hop in and meet the admission teams,” S2S CEO Christine Schwartz tells Poets&Quants.

“The value (of S2S) is that a lot of people who are separating from the military don’t consider higher education. They go out and get their first job and maybe they aren’t super happy at it. I think higher education is such an important next step. Veterans have the GI Bill, so they have access to this wonderful benefit that helps them pay for higher education, so you might as well use it to find a job that fulfills you.”

FOUNDED BY FORMER ARMY OFFICERS

Service to School was founded by former Army officers and an admissions guru to help service members transition to school programs. While it was originally geared to help students gain admittance to MBA programs, it has expanded to help vets get into law school and undergrad business programs, too. Schwartz says S2S is designed to assist service members in utilizing rather than wasting their GI Bill on less-than-reputable online schools.

S2S CEO Christine Schwartz

S2S works with veterans throughout the application cycle, and they helped over 3,000 veterans last year get into higher education programs. Their services are completely free.

In September, S2S ran its first admission fair for veterans looking for an undergraduate college, and 29 universities and 500 veterans participated.

“We had such positive feedback from both the veterans and the schools, and we wanted to do the same for our grad students,” Schwartz says. “The goal for the MBA and JD admissions fair is to get any service member or veteran who is even thinking about an advanced degree to come speak to as many schools as they can. These are some of the best schools in the country, and this gives them the ability to connect one-on-one with the admissions teams and with veterans currently attending these programs.”

So far, 28 schools have signed up to participate to the MBA and JD event. The event is completely virtual and it is completely free, Schwartz says. After logging in, attendees will be able to pick the schools they want to “visit” and will be placed in a queue to talk to a representative from that school. Attendees can bounce around in order to talk to as many schools and representatives as they can fit in.

“You don’t have to be in the application process. You can just be thinking that maybe you’d like to get an MBA or a law degree. We would love for those types of people to attend and fee the programs out, and talk to veterans who are getting an MBA, talk to the admissions team and decide if that is the right path for you,” Schwartz said.

WHY MILITARY EXPERIENCE IS GOOD FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL

It’s no secret that graduate business schools like to court military talent. In the top 25 programs in P&Q’s most recent rankings, veterans generally make up between 5 to 10% of the incoming MBA cohorts. Many of the top schools waive MBA application fees to veteran candidates, offer scholarships and fellowships to ease the financial burden, and have robust and active veterans associations to help attract military talent. Further, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Post 9/11 GI Bill offers up to 36 months of tuition and fees, housing, and other funds for qualifying veterans while the Yellow Ribbon Program provides out-of-state grants for the difference in in-state tuition, matched dollar-for-dollar of participating schools’ contributions.

All that translates to leading law schools as well, and Service to School’s mission is to connect veterans with these leading institutions and the benefits available to them.

“Military veterans already have great leadership expertise that they’re bringing to the table and to the classroom, so they’re going to be that natural leader whether it’s in an MBA program or at law school,” Schwartz says. “They’ve already been taught to be pretty analytical and think critically, and I think that that’s a huge value.

“They also bring a diverse perspective. You know, this isn’t the senior in college applying to a grad program. It’s somebody that’s a little older, perhaps a little wise, who has had some different life experiences. And they bring all that diversity of thought into the classroom.”

EVENT DETAILS

WHAT: Service to School’s first admissions fair for MBA or JD programs. Veterans and active service members considering or looking to enroll should attend. You will have the opportunity to connect directly with admissions teams from participating schools and explore what each institution offers.
WHEN: 5 to 7 p.m. EDT April 14, 2022
FORMAT: The event’s virtual platform will connect veterans and active service members to top schools from the convenience of their homes, office, smartphone, or tablet. Learn more about each school’s applications, programs, and veteran support services. After logging in, you’ll be able to connect directly or sign-up for one-one-one chats with admissions officers from schools across the country.
REGISTRATION: Register for the free event at Service2School.org/events.
PARTICIPATING B-SCHOOLS: American University, Kogod School of Business, Berkeley Haas, Cornell University – Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, Georgetown University McDonough School of Business. Harvard Business School, Lehigh University College of Business, MIT Sloan School of Management, NYU Stern School of Business, Schwarzman Scholars, Stanford GSB, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, University of Miami Herbert Business School, University of Michigan Ross School of Business, University of Virginia Darden School of Business, Wharton School, and William and Mary.
PARTICIPATING LAW SCHOOLS: American University Washington College of Law, Boston University School of Law, Georgetown Law, Harvard Law School, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, Notre Dame Law School, Seton Hall Law School, University of Kansas School of Law, University of Michigan Law School, University of Wisconsin Law School, William & Mary, and Yale Law School.