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EBM
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Hey EBM, thanks for starting this thread! Just wanted to give a shout out to the military applicants for this Fall's cycle and let them know that EssaySnark is doing pro-bono Comprehensive Profile Reviews and offering other discounted services for veterans. Check it out here:

https://essaysnark.com/military-mba
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If anyone is interested in Sloan and would like some insight/advice/help feel free to PM me. Also, I am an enlisted SF guy so if you are enlisted and want some advice about b-school feel free to PM me.
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Also, I would like to endorse Yinon Weiss and the Military to Business crew. I consulted with Yinon on some b-school questions and received some great feedback. My biggest regret to the B-school application process was not talking to Yinon sooner.
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militaryessaysnark
Hey EBM, thanks for starting this thread! Just wanted to give a shout out to the military applicants for this Fall's cycle and let them know that EssaySnark is doing pro-bono Comprehensive Profile Reviews and offering other discounted services for veterans. Check it out here:


I took advantage of this and I'd highly recommend it to anyone who's still picking schools or wants to ensure they're not overlooking a key component of their strategy. It's not like the other "free profile evaluations" out there in that they publish a very detailed report and don't use it as simply a marketing tool for the rest of their services.

Is anybody else looking to go the sponsored route and return to AD afterwards?
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militaryessaysnark
Hey EBM, thanks for starting this thread! Just wanted to give a shout out to the military applicants for this Fall's cycle and let them know that EssaySnark is doing pro-bono Comprehensive Profile Reviews and offering other discounted services for veterans. Check it out here:

https://essaysnark.com/military-mba

I'd also recommend this to any military applicants who've done some research on their own. I got 15 pages of feedback at no cost after taking 20 minutes to fill out their online form. It wasn't 15 pages of fluff, either -- plenty of useful advice in there on issues that I didn't think of or wasn't sure how to approach.

Good luck to everyone, it's back to essays for now....
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Thanks for the endorsements!

Here's a recent blahg post on characteristics of a "military friendly" school: https://essaysnark.com/2013/07/how-to-tell-if-a-school-is-military-friendly/

If you can't access the micro site, make sure to follow the directions on the site to gain access!
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Here's a link to an hour-long admissions Q&A webinar that a few HBS vets did in the spring: https://video.hbs.edu/videotools/play?cl ... ry_webinar

We received a handful of HBS-specific questions from viewers, but I'd say a majority of our discussion applies to any target schools.
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EBM
Here's a link to an hour-long admissions Q&A webinar that a few HBS vets did in the spring: https://video.hbs.edu/videotools/play?cl ... ry_webinar

We received a handful of HBS-specific questions from viewers, but I'd say a majority of our discussion applies to any target schools.

Just watched it, great advice on interviewing about 20 minutes in. Also nice to actually see and hear from AFAA members for those who, like me, haven't been able to visit or talk to current students face to face.
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Hi everyone!

Great thread. Thanks for posting all the tips!

I have a question for the general community. Right now I'm active duty - looking to separate Summer 2014. I exhausted most of my post-9/11 GI Bill between my undergrad and graduate degrees (my journey took me from enlisted -> Michigan State -> officer). I have a mere 4 months left. That said, I'll need funding. Are most B schools reluctant to give military personnel non-Yellow Ribbon funding opportunities? Or is it all based off competitiveness?

Thanks for the help!

Jeremy
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Hi everyone!

Great thread. Thanks for posting all the tips!

I have a question for the general community. Right now I'm active duty - looking to separate Summer 2014. I exhausted most of my post-9/11 GI Bill between my undergrad and graduate degrees (my journey took me from enlisted -> Michigan State -> officer). I have a mere 4 months left. That said, I'll need funding. Are most B schools reluctant to give military personnel non-Yellow Ribbon funding opportunities? Or is it all based off competitiveness?

Thanks for the help!

Jeremy

I'm sure it is school dependent but they should base it off of merit and need. Columbia is notorious for being cheap when it comes to scholarships(the Dean even admitted it in an interview) however I received almost $20,000 in various scholarships and I know another officer who got over $30,000. Neither of us qualify for the Yellow-Ribbon Program these were just general scholarships all students compete for.
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jthespartan
Hi everyone!

Great thread. Thanks for posting all the tips!

I have a question for the general community. Right now I'm active duty - looking to separate Summer 2014. I exhausted most of my post-9/11 GI Bill between my undergrad and graduate degrees (my journey took me from enlisted -> Michigan State -> officer). I have a mere 4 months left. That said, I'll need funding. Are most B schools reluctant to give military personnel non-Yellow Ribbon funding opportunities? Or is it all based off competitiveness?

Thanks for the help!

Jeremy

Hey Sparty! Just to let you know about my background, I'm 100% eligible for the GI Bill and the Yellow Ribbon would have covered things at Johnson, but I was still awarded a Park Fellowship based on merit. In other words, you should be able to compete for scholarships just like any other student, and as a bonus, some schools have veteran specific scholarships.
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mappleby


I'm sure it is school dependent but they should base it off of merit and need. Columbia is notorious for being cheap when it comes to scholarships(the Dean even admitted it in an interview) however I received almost $20,000 in various scholarships and I know another officer who got over $30,000. Neither of us qualify for the Yellow-Ribbon Program these were just general scholarships all students compete for.

Thanks for the info. The big decision I have to make is what round to shoot for. I'm applying to a number of IR and MBA programs (interested in cultural engagement from an international business or diplomatic perspective), so I plan on using the GRE only (I want to kill two birds with one stone). I haven't received my official scores yet, but my instant scores were both mid-150s. I know I can do better, and I want to retake. But I'll be in Afghanistan until late November. So the question becomes do I...

(1) Rely on my high undergrad (3.81) and grad (4.0) GPAs, letters, military story, and apply Round 1 or
(2) Push everything to Round 2.

Interested to hear what others think.
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If you want to re-take, I'd push to round 2. May as well apply with your strongest application. Also the GMAT seems to be a big factor in determining merit-based scholarships...not sure how the GRE is treated in this sense as I haven't seen many posters talk about fellowship $$ when getting admitted with the GRE.
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CobraKai
Also the GMAT seems to be a big factor in determining merit-based scholarships...not sure how the GRE is treated in this sense as I haven't seen many posters talk about fellowship $$ when getting admitted with the GRE.

That brings up a good point. I know GRE scores for MBA programs are a relatively new thing. Does anybody know how that impacts funding decisions, if at all?
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Hey guys/gals! Long time reader, first time poster. I am a USAF acquisition officer with 3 years in, currently in Afghanistan. I have an Air Force specific question. Is anyone out there familiar with the Air Force Educational Leave of Absence (AFELA) program? It allows you to remain on active duty and go to school for up to two years. However, it is a little-talked about program and I haven't heard from any officers who have actually used it. Besides the one con I can think of (blank OPRs), it would allow me to stay in the AF and go to the b-school of my choosing which is ultimately my goal. If anyone has used it or has any more info on it, I would greatly appreciate it.

On another note, how do you guys think admissions would feel about a candidate who would be remaining in the military, rather than transitioning into the civilian sector? Do you think this would hurt or help my chances? Thanks for the help guys.
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USAFmba

On another note, how do you guys think admissions would feel about a candidate who would be remaining in the military, rather than transitioning into the civilian sector? Do you think this would hurt or help my chances? Thanks for the help guys.

It shouldn't hurt your chances. The Navy sends some of its supply officers to civilian MBA programs while on active duty - fully funded, drawing a salary - and those guys owe three years after they graduate. They still intern, but they're evaluated just like any other vet. Obviously, these guys fall in the category of "not seeking employment" on the employment report. Really not much different than the guy/gal who's being sponsored by his/her company.
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USAFmba
Hey guys/gals! Long time reader, first time poster. I am a USAF acquisition officer with 3 years in, currently in Afghanistan. I have an Air Force specific question. Is anyone out there familiar with the Air Force Educational Leave of Absence (AFELA) program? It allows you to remain on active duty and go to school for up to two years. However, it is a little-talked about program and I haven't heard from any officers who have actually used it. Besides the one con I can think of (blank OPRs), it would allow me to stay in the AF and go to the b-school of my choosing which is ultimately my goal. If anyone has used it or has any more info on it, I would greatly appreciate it.

On another note, how do you guys think admissions would feel about a candidate who would be remaining in the military, rather than transitioning into the civilian sector? Do you think this would hurt or help my chances? Thanks for the help guys.

I guess I don't see the point. Why would you want to get an MBA if you're not going to use it? Your close to your ADSC... why not separate and pursue a MBA as a civilian. If you just want to check the box, get something far easier and cheapter.

PM with your @us.af.mil address and I'll explain further. I'm also deployed to AFG at the moment.
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