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Transitioning U.S Army Officer with experience leading teams of up to 25 people.
Target School: McCombs School of Business
Considering: UCLA Anderson, IU Kelley, USC Marshall, Rice Business, Ross, Duke Fuqua
See More Profiles For: McCombs School of Business
Application Status: Open
Undergrad School: United States Military Academy- West Point
Undergrad Major: Business Managment
GPA: 2.3
GRE: 310
Age: 27, Ethnicity: Black or African American
Extracurriculars: Various Community Outreach Service Projects (Coach Child Athletics, Volunteering at Animal Shelter)
Title: Field Artillery Officer
Industry: Government / Military
Company: Army
Length of Employment: 5 yrs
1) Responsible for hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment and contributing to the planning of strategic military operations for 300+ people. 2) Former 4-year division 1 student-athlete I believe there is no more rewarding and unique experience like it. Being responsible for the lives and welfare of 20+ Soldiers at such a young age allowed me to hone in on my leadership and serve as a representative for such a group of men through the world of sports. That experience was able to provide me with the daily opportunity to interact with people from all different backgrounds and diversify my understandings of people. These are transferable skills that I would be able to apply toward my business school experience when collaborating with classmates or fellow employers.
My post-MBA goal is to pivot into either the tech or marketing industry. Acquiring an MBA will teach me how to network effectively, grant me the ability to solve complex problems, and enhance my leadership capabilities. These qualities are just a few of many that I intend to take away and will assist me in accomplishing my long term goals, improve my managerial skills, and help me become more competent in understanding the world of business.
Join in! Click here to assess the odds of Mr. Military 2.0
First and foremost, thank you for your service, Mr. Military 2.0. As someone who served on active duty with the United States Marine Corps for a decade, and with 8 Veterans on our consultant team, we definitely get it. In my case, I served as a pilot and staff Officer and still serve in the Marine Corps Reserves.
Coming from West Point is a plus, but your GPA and GRE score are certainly candidacy constraints. The good news is UT Austin (McCombs) really appreciates Veterans, and the fact you are coming from an underrepresented demographic doesn’t hurt.
The key to your success will be how you differentiate yourself from other Arty Officers (and combatants) planning on using business school to make the transition from …
The key to your success will be how you differentiate yourself from other Arty Officers (and combatants) planning on using business school to make the transition from military life to a civilian career. For example, instead of just having “normal” Arty Officer experiences since leaving Fort Sill, maybe you got to help test and improve the next version of AFTADS. Of, maybe you worked in a Joint of Combined environment as a JO that your other peers didn’t get to do. Crafting and telling an authentic, differentiated, and compelling story – as compared to the peers you will be compared to – will be critical. If you’d like a free evaluation of your candidacy, you can submit that request here:
Please feel free to mention my name, Alex (CEO), and our staff will route your evaluation to me for personal attention!
Hey there, I’m Julie-Anne Heafey with mbaMission. Well, you have some big hurdles, but some really strong attributes too. Business schools highly value 1) Division 1 student athletes and 2) military applicants, especially those from West Point, and you’re bringing both experiences to the table. Tech’s growing like crazy in Austin, too, so your goals, if you can explain them in a little more detail, seem like a real fit with McCombs. That 2.3 GPA is definitely still a challenge, but I think with the right story, and an improved GRE, you’ve got a shot there. It’s difficult, but not impossible. You do have to do some extra work to show clear direction, strong motivation and hard work, plus …
Hey there, I’m Julie-Anne Heafey with mbaMission. Well, you have some big hurdles, but some really strong attributes too. Business schools highly value 1) Division 1 student athletes and 2) military applicants, especially those from West Point, and you’re bringing both experiences to the table. Tech’s growing like crazy in Austin, too, so your goals, if you can explain them in a little more detail, seem like a real fit with McCombs. That 2.3 GPA is definitely still a challenge, but I think with the right story, and an improved GRE, you’ve got a shot there. It’s difficult, but not impossible. You do have to do some extra work to show clear direction, strong motivation and hard work, plus you’ll have to demonstrate your ability to handle the academic side. Don’t forget to leverage the military connections there (and at all your target schools) – vet groups at business schools are an invaluable resource. Because of the high risk introduced by the low GPA, I do recommend applying to a good list of backups, and I like your choices a lot. GOOD LUCK!
Highly unlikely – GPA and GRE too low
We were probably classmates. Get in touch with McCombs vet association. I have heard that USMA gpas dont get looked at as much because the course load cadets take is so much heavier than everywhere else and USMA uses different grading scales. Get a current vet MBA student or a consultant to refine your resume. The skills and accomplishments you list here are bland and dont translate well. AdComs are 45 year old white women with social science degrees, they can’t read mil resumes. I understand your resume and those skills, but we literally speak a different language from civilians. Also realize that your “operations manager for 300+ people” isnt that special in the bin of military applicants. Every idiot that got fired as a platoon leader puts ” operations manager for a 700000000miliions person organization” for when they got sent back to the 3 shop Gulag. Look for actual quantifiable accomplishments that are backed up by your recommendations.
I’m just a guy who is 0/3 for admits this cycle though, so take it or leave it.
Thank you for your service. Your GPA is killing you and your GRE isn’t do much to save you. Can you retake your GRE and improve it by 5-10 points? I think if you did that, one of the schools on your list would take a shot on you! Good luck.
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