MBA straight out of the officer corps

Hi, I was wondering if there's anyone with experience and/or advice related to the prospect of entering business school straight out of the military. I'm a brand new lieutenant in the Marine Corps, and even though becoming a Marine officer is the fulfillment of a childhood dream, I've always intended to serve only one commitment. This will have me re-entering the civilian world in the spring of 2014. I've always had a pipe-dreamy eye toward a future MBA, but the combination of the revamped GI Bill and the Yellow Ribbon Program has brought the prospect of business school to the forefront of a my long term planning, especially when coupled with the opportunity to take the GMAT while my undergraduate work is still fresh.

My main question is whether 4 years of experience as a junior officer is looked upon as valid work experience when it comes to admissions. Also, for anyone who has served and then matriculated, is there any advice on making one's self more attractive as a candidate while serving active duty? So, requisite scrutiny of whether of whether this is what I really want not touched upon, does applying for a program in 2014 sound advisable, feasible, etc.?

(Just by way of stats:
BA in Economics, UC Berkeley '10
GPA: 3.6
no gmat scores yet
meager-ish extracurriculars)

 

Are you kidding? You will be highly sought after.

I am a former Marine officer and leveraged my leadership into a management position upon exiting the service which lead to me running a $60 million/year business unit a year later. I then went to law school and am now starting at MBB who greatly valued my leadership experience.

MBA programs will love it. So will employers when you graduate from business school.

Just crush the GMAT... you will be golden.

Good luck and Semper Fi.

 

Let me maybe voice some caution. Depending on what your MOS is within the corps will make a big difference. An LT is still pretty junior and I have seen a lot of profiles for top schools typically at the Captain level. Not saying this to dissuade you, just saying that yes, the military is highly sought after, but many people applying will have higher rank, etc.

 

Cheers everyone. Really appreciated.

Anthony, I actually had this consideration in mind, since every vet I know who quickly ended up in business school went out as a company commander. I imagine that MOS-wise, the more glamorous jobs (combat arms, human intel, etc.) are more attractive? (Not that I would ever consider angling toward a certain MOS to enhance my post-USMC prospects.)

 

Focus on using your valuable military experience to an advantage and creating a story about a few notable lessons your learned that you feel translate well into the financial world.

Chance favors only the prepared mind.
 

Right. MOS won't matter... Neither will rank. In any case, if you do your 4 years you will exit as a Captain anyway.

A 2nd lieutenant has a shit ton more responsibility than just about any other private sector job I can come up with.... even as a staff officer.... and certainly a ton more than any other 23 year old is going to find right out of college.

Oh, and yeah, all Marines want combat MOSs... it is part of our nature... but no one in the private sector gives a shit.

What you want to do as a 2nd lieutenant is get a platoon command. Not for career reasons, but because it is, hands down, the best fucking job in the world. Period.

When it comes to work experience you will have every other applicant beat regardless of your MOS... unless they founded the facebook-equivalent or something.

Just crush the GMAT.

Hold on... UC Berkeley 2010? I don't suppose you did NROTC there? I graduated in '98.

 

No, I did PLC. My only connection with the NROTC unit was through a small thesis paper I wrote in their military affairs department. Also, I'll be going out as an 1st LT. Even though I'll have four years active duty, the clock doesn't start ticking until my TBS report date in October. Of course, that's assuming I won't become a stop-gap captain, which is a big assumption these days.

It's great to hear that someone whose path mine so resembles is having a successful run. Thanks for all the advice!

Go Bears and Semper Fi

 

By the way, what MOS did you get, if you don't mind me asking? I'm gunning for infantry or ground intelligence if that doesn't work out, but I know it can be a bit of a crapshoot with the nature of TBS rankings.

 

Sure: I was an 0402. Got lucky though: got a truck platoon command and then went to Parris Island as a Series Commander. It was my 4th choice of MOS so I did ok. Having command virtually my entire stint was sweet.

TBS is a bit of crap shoot. Just do your absolute best and make the most of whatever MOS you get.

Stay safe. Even training is dangerous. I saw people get shot (and personally treated the wound) and drown even in training environments.

 
Best Response

To me MOS never really matters anywhere near as much as leadership experience. There are just a couple of MOS that people will even think matter and they are Special Forces type position...because they want to work with someone who can murder then with a paper clip and whiteout and some of the Intelligence position...just because they think you are a spy of some sort and also being a pilot usually gets people's attention. Other then that, nothing is really that great and most jobs in the military have no tangible skills relevant to IB/PE/HF.

The experience in general is what counts...which shows you are motivated and dedicated Devil Dog as well as the leadership experience which is rare at a relatively young age, thus a plus for MBA programs.

With a solid GMAT, you should have no problems getting into a great school. What you do when you are there will fall on your shoulders, but given you background, I am sure you will come out on top.

Thank you for your service and good luck.

Regards

"The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant, it's just that they know so much that isn't so." - Ronald Reagan
 

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