D,
Your thesis works at HBS, MIT, and ... that's about it. The other thesis - the better thesis - is that you have leadership experience, the ability to solve complex problems, and a clear short-term career goal in mind, you just need the MBA (with the knowledge, network, and pedigree pertaining) to achieve it. With most schools, it all comes down to the hiring process more than the classroom experience and that is reflected in the focus on career goal questions.
The key for you and for many applicants with military experience is recognizing the themes that matter most to b-schools and then building a narrative around those, rather than just telling your story (which you could do for, say, law school). The raw ingredients are no doubt there, but there is often a missing link or two that might not exist for someone coming straight from banking or consulting. You have a bit more pressure to show the transferability of your skill set than a "traditional applicant." The plus side is that the stories you do tell - as long as they are thematically correct - usually have far more impact and they stand out from "I led this team of analysts..."
Good luck bringing the pieces together and let us know if you need help doing so .. and, of course, thanks for your service.
Respectfully,
Paul Lanzillotti
_________________
Paul Lanzillotti | Founder|
About | mba@amerasiaconsulting.com | 877.866.9251
Schedule a Consultation |
Twitter |
BlogDownload "How To Apply" Guides |
INSEAD |
Columbia |
Harvard |
Wharton