What single resource was the most useful for you during your MBA application process?

Starting out, even figuring out which resources would be the best to use was a challenge that involved research. Initially, I thought there had to be some great book out there that would answer all my questions, and there were TONS of books but, ultimately, the single most useful resource I discovered and used (a lot) was the website and online forums at GMATClub.com.  It was a great place to ask questions about the GMAT and to find study guides, and it was also a great place to get in touch with current MBA students and ask them about their school and the MBA student lifestyle. I can honestly say with 100% certainty that I would not have ended up at Darden had it not been for the advice and guidance I received from other current MBA veterans that I reached out to through the forums.

A vital resource that many servicemembers lack is a mentor or supervisor who has an MBA and who has gone through the process. This puts us veterans at a disadvantage when it comes to perspective and understanding just how valuable our experience is or how competitive our applications are at top business schools. Being able to reach out online to vets who went through the application process and who are at top schools presented me with an opportunity to gain the perspective that I lacked.

Branch: Army
MBA: Darden (University of Virginia)
Year: 2013
Industry: Consulting


How has your military experience brought value to your MBA experience and to the classroom?

I didn't come to business school knowing how to calculate net present value or build complicated business models using Excel. However, I did come to business school with years of direct leadership experience and a clear understanding of how leaders should behave and interact within an organization. Anyone can learn how to analyze data or create financial forecasts, but some of my smartest classmates may NEVER truly learn how to be a leader. Having military experience means that you come preloaded with leadership perspectives that many people never learn in a lifetime. What's more valuable than that?

If you could go back and do it all over again, what would you do differently?  

I wouldn't have discredited myself so much early on. That lack of perspective that I talked about before really got me. When I was beginning my MBA journey I was in Iraq, stressed out, researching schools and the GMAT, and I remember thinking that it must be really hard for guys like me, with humanities degrees and no business experience, to get into great schools. Luckily for me I got on track at the last possible moment and ended up at an excellent school that I really love, but I could have just as easily ended up at another school that was far inferior to where I am today. Shoot for the stars.