Veteran In Need of Help
I first and foremost wanted to thank anyone who can respond with some advice to my current situation. I'm a 31 year old veteran who left the military, (Naval Officer), almost a year and a half ago. I have a 2.89 GPA from a top 20 school (English major).
At the time, I felt very strongly about working in the healthcare sector and becoming a doctor, despite the challenge of overcoming a low GPA. I enrolled in a pre-med post-baccalaureate program at a very good university, but left a semester later after I made a B+ in Calc I and a B- in Chem I, (I had to really beg them to let me in). My advisor at the program told me it would be best to “find another path”, as I really needed all A’s in my post-bacc program to even be slightly competitive.
I realize getting accepted to a good MBA program will be no different, however, I decided on business school for four reasons: 1. Someday I want to start my own business and work for me. I know this sounds very cliché and that I don’t need an MBA to do this, but many graduates from the top programs go onto found companies together, mainly because business school is an excellent place to do this. 2. Meet people and form a network of individuals who have similar goals as mine. I know, this is another often cited example, but at the moment, I don’t have very many 3. Use business school as a “launching pad” of sorts to break into other areas of business, if I don’t choose the entrepreneurial route, (essentially, use business school to change careers). 4. Use my post-9/11 GI Bill. I know this is a bad reason, but I don’t want to waste 3 years of free education money from the US Government. Plus, I have the Yellow Ribbon Program, which essentially means private schools would be partially, if not entire, paid for.
The real problem for me is my employment. For the past year, I’ve worked as a swim coach and at the front counter of an aquatics center while taking Udacity courses in computer programming. I had hoped to land a job at a start-up, but nothing has happened yet. I realize no company cares about my past history as a swim coach, its completely useless in terms of marketing myself for a job in the business sector.
So, my question is, how can I get into a top business program given my current situation. What would you do if you were in my situation? I honestly just want a job that would look good for business school, allow me to practice a valued marketable skill, and pays me enough to live independently.
Anyway, I’m very sorry if this sounds like a sob story. As you can probably tell, I’m super depressed and have nobody else to talk to about this besides my therapist.
Thanks again for reading this and helping me out in this really hard time in my life.
See if you can't get into a management training program of some kind. Or perhaps a sales training program. Or follow the advice from StaphyBone and turn your swimming instruction into a business that you can tout when you apply.
Also a high test score is going to be really important. Finally, if you can take some graded business classes and get A's in them. Look into accounting, stats for business, econ, etc. Show the schools that when you aren't pre-med and you are taking business related classes, you can excel.