Hi all, I'm shipping out on May 19th with an 11x Option 40 contract for the Army (pretty sure there are a few Rangers here). I'm planning on getting my MBA after my 4 years are up, things could change, but that's the plan as of now. I was just curious as to what school would give me the most bang for my buck with the GI Bill?
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Can't comment on the schools, but wanted to wish you the best of luck. Thank you for making the decision to join the armed forces.
I similarly cannot offer much help. I thought WUSTL Olin is a member for the GI Bill yellow ribbon; however, I don't know if other places offer similar options. plus the 'best bang on the buck" depends on what post-mba industry you want to work in. MBAs seem similar, but each school has a different story.
The best school you can get into that offers Yellow Ribbon. Covers full tuition expense in most cases.
this comment is useless in its entirety.
How so? Go to the best school you can get into, which in his case will probably be free. The OP should look into Dartmouth if he's trying to get bang for the buck, and it'd have to be Harvard or Stanford to beat Dartmouth on a free ride, at least in my opinion.
Agreed. I don't know which schools offer Yellow Ribbon, but go to the best MBA program you can afford. For MBA, brand/network are among the most important factors for recruiting.
it's like saying "your answer is what you asked", because OP wants to know what are the Best schools to attend.
besides, how could we define "best" without any info from OP, except we know that he has honorably served in the military? What background does OP have? What industry does OP wants to move into? Where does OP want to go? It's not a blank question.
How is the rest of his profile? Just take WUSTL Olin, is it a safety/target/reach for OP? @brenms'
Again, you have some serious issues with reading comprehension.
He asked which MBA is the "best bang for the buck", which is a VERY different question than asking which the best MBA program is.
I'm also answering the way I did because the question of "best value" doesn't apply to him. Schools from online crap U MBA degrees all the way up to the M7 schools offer Yellow Ribbon assistance, which will reduce his out of pocket tuition costs to zero or near zero.
The question isn't relevant to him. What's going to limit him is his profile and application-writing skills, not funds.
Why do people on WSO love to talk about shit they know nothing about all the time? This isn't true at all. I'm guessing you were never in the military and have no idea how the GI Bill or Yellow Ribbon programs work. Costs will vary dramatically depending on the school (public or private), the number of YR slots available (it's not a guarantee that you get it), how much the YR actually covers (in many cases not even close to 100% of tuition).
For brenms it is impossible to give you better feedback without know what your goals are. Best bang-for-buck has to include what you want out of your MBA. Paying something out of pocket for Columbia might be better than a free ride to Fuqua if you want buyside finance for instance.
Once again, it's a moot point until he has been admitted into multiple programs and can see what financial aid is being offered to him, however he should look at Dartmouth because their yellow ribbon funding is up to 18k/yr without limitation, and in conjunction with the post 9/11 it's effectively free. With that being said the VA frequently updates YRP funding information for all schools in the country that participate so the OP doesn't need this board to tell him where to get the most bang for his buck using his benefits.
take 5 and build a past/future story for your profile. I think that'd help you grab a lot more attention & help from other WSOers
Not being an expert myself, knowing very little about your profile, and understanding that both you/these schools could change over time I will still offer one data point to get some wheels turning for you. This link provides just a fraction of what your considerations may be, but it seems to illustrate some options in an easy to understand way.
http://militarymba.net/schools-and-programs/best-value-mba-programs.html
Good luck at Basic, I hope you've practiced standing at parade rest starring into the abyss. You'll spend a lot of time doing that...
brenms, i'm currently in the regiment now as an 11b. i'm at 3rd battalion also, so i'll be around during your osut, airborne, pre rasp, and rasp classes if you would ever want to meet up. i'm in a similar situation as yourself; i'll be looking to matriculate into a top mba program in about two years.
as the other posters have said it really depends on your future goals and in what region you would like to work after your mba. i have very good understanding of the montgomery and post 9/11 gi bill as well as the yellow ribbon program. i was a finance geek before the army, so unlike the others i pay attention during all financial, healthcare, and benefit briefs.
admittedly, you have a pretty long way to go before you get to the regiment, but it is definitely attainable. if you have any questions regarding schools, benefits, or training let me know. there is definitely a very strong military community out there to help. i've written to dozens of mbas and recent grads that left the military, and i always receive great feedback. good luck on your journey. rangers lead the way!
PM me.
brenms Focus first on actually passing RIP/RASP. It isn't some cakewalk you can stroll through and expect to come away with a tan beret. My class started 167 and graduated 28. That's not including the massive amount of people who quit during the hold period before class began.
If you successfully pass RASP then focus on being a squared away private, gearing up for deployment and going to Ranger School. If you graduate from Ranger School then focus on being the best Tab Spec-4/SAW gunner/Gun Team Leader/Team Leader you can.
Once you have done all of this and have about a year or so left the time will come when it will be a good idea to investigate MBA programs. Right now you have a serious case of cart before horse. Additionally, no one knows how much the landscape of MBA programs and GI BIll/yellow ribbon assistance might shift in the next four years, so this conversation is already somewhat moot.
I hope this isn't the case, and I wish you the best of luck in your military career, but posting on a forum asking about exit ops from a special operations unit to MBA programs four years from now gives the impression that you are not focused enough on your current goal, which will make it very difficult not to give up and quit when you it's 2AM and freezing cold out at Cole Range, you haven't slept in 90 hours, and have walked the equivalent of 70 miles on a land navigation course in the past 4 days.
Also listen to this guy. For now, worry less about your MBA plans and more about doing well at the moment. Ironically enough it's going to help your MBA applications.
Reason why? Success now matters. Having ranger/SF on your resume help your applications significantly. Those and other "cool" military jobs like pilots and the submarine service generally impact your resume the same way working for a "prestigious" firm vs. a slot anywhere else impacts civilian applicants. Secondly it's important that you build good relationships with quality recommendation writers who can support your narrative. Depending on the school your "story" can be more important than your stats(doubly so for vets) and you aren't going to rate well there unless your recommendations warrant it.
I was going to say the exact same thing. Too many people lose heart after two weeks of basic much less Ranger school.
Question for you guys though since I wasn't a Ranger but was enlisted...why did you guys choose to enlist after graduating college? I mean instead of being an officer... We only had one guy that did that and he was trying to get a commission anyways.
@brenms...First off congratulations on your decision to serve. Second FOCUS ON WHAT IS AHEAD INSTEAD OF WORRYING ABOUT THE GI BILL.
I served in the RGT (A Co 1/75 and HHC 3/75) for over 15 years and you my friend need to get your SHIT straight before starting. This is not just a decision to serve for a bit but a life changing experience. You will be amongst the ranks of MEN that challenge you not just physically but mentally as well. Men such as Merritt, Bielich, Nash, Rippetoe, Anderson and Domeij who live and die by the creed.
After you are close to the end of your 4 years of service then worry about the MBA. Things will change in time such as rankings and YR funds that will make your decision even more difficult but worthy if that stays in your plan. If you took the GMAT and got >720 then relax with that but if not take the opportunity to improve your score and build your story during your downtime.
Additionally one last thing: Your life decisions may change totally and you may find yourself married and loving the RGT to the point that you do not want to leave or taking the next challenge.
Get OSUT, Airborne and RASP out of the way and prepare for a smoking for the next 6-12 months (depending on how much you suck) before getting the opportunity to attend Ranger School.
Learn the Creed but also learn to live by it. That is what will make you stand apart from anyone in an MBA application.
RLTW!!!
Feel free to PM me
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