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Del
SMU is legit. Punches way above its weight in terms of ranking. Would call it a semi-target. See people going into IB or at least good MO roles in Dallas all the time. You might have similar opps at Fordham bc its in NY and location is key but I wouldn't bother with any of the others.
del
Hey man, I had a slightly different path then you: ROTC (at one of the schools that you mentioned -- PM me for more details) => BB/National Guard. Out of the schools that you mentioned, I've met many more people from Fordham and Penn State than I have from the other schools that you mentioned. Just my experience though. It could also just have to do with the overall size of the schools. Check out Service2School to get help with applying to schools.
The good news is there are plenty of vets at banks, and they're usually more than willing to help you out. It sounds like you've been reaching out to them, but, especially once you enter college, it will be all the more important to hit up vets on LinkedIn. What academic year will you be in when you separate? It would be better if you came in as a junior or earlier (so that you could shoot for an internship). I'd try to get a feel for how recruiting looks before you pull the trigger on grad school. That being said, might be worth starting to prep for a grad school exam.
Happy to talk in more detail if you want. I have a few other resources/tips I could pass your way as well. Best of luck!
Apply to the Ivy's. They have much better placement onto the street. I met quite a few vets in Columbia, UPenn, Harvard with lower stats mainly because of the invaluable experience they bring to the cohort. You will definitely get into one, and just use the schools you listed as backups.
You could go to an MBA program right away, but if you want to go PE or banking you're probably better off going into banking as an analyst. If you have GI Bill left go MBA and have a great tim
FYI I'm an AD officer vet in bschool now.
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Awpeoijf hit the nail on the head. Do not sell yourself short. Apply to some top 15 programs. Veterans are sought after simply because you're bringing real world leadership experience that most candidates, regardless of where the worked, simply do not have.
I have only a slightly competitive GMAT score and was invited to interview at every school I applied to.
7 year AD. Army. CPT.
Sign up for the Service 2 School undergrad program. Someone will be able to help you out very specifically on your goals. Also, its free.
Truth is, you have to go to the best undergrad possible. The schools you listed, while good, are not the best. Not saying it is impossible to get into IB from there, its just going to be much more of a grind. The process will be much more streamlined from a target school, banks are full of alumni from these schools...
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