Calling all US Military Fall 2012 Applicants!

I have to say, as I sit here working on my essays, that this kind of writing is some of the hardest I've ever done. I was a history major and wrote a thesis. I do strategic intel and, as such, basically research and write for a living, but these essays are painstaking. I feel like we're at a bit of a disadvantage by virtue of having to take everything that we do and convey it in simplified terms that people can understand.

Providing context, translating into civilian, and then still answering the question in a compelling way while adhering to the word counts is a vexing process. I guess it balances out in the end though. All I keep hearing at the schools that I talk to is how much they value military experience. Of course, I wouldn't expect them to say that they don't value it either. In talking with one vet who was rather candid he was like "Yeah, the thing no school will advertise despite all the talk about creating leaders is that they aren't creating leaders and they know it. In two years, they aren't going to take someone that didn't have that 'I'm a leader self-image concept' and transform them. Not at this age. They can teach a former military guy Excel. They can't teach an IB spreadsheet jockey how to lead if he wasn't a leader at some other point in life.' I thought that was telling and I hope that it's true.