Owen Graduate School of Management
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The one statement most commonly made by our military veterans considering business school is: I don’t think that I have many transferable skills to bring to the business school classroom and the corporate world. That statement is quite simply not true. Business schools are always looking for versatile candidates whose skills will transfer to the corporate and professional world. Military veterans bring many qualities to an MBA program: proven leadership, teamwork, adaptability, perseverance, creativity, diversity, and quite simply GRIT. Military veterans are trained to make decisions quickly with limited data. Military veterans are experts at utilizing their critical thinking skills, oftentimes on a large scale affecting many people. And military veterans work alongside a diverse group of people from all races, ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, and geographical locations. All of these qualities are instantly transferable (and valued) to an MBA program and the corporate world.
So how does a military veteran take all of the above and translate that into a competitive application for business school? First, make sure that your resume translates into “civilian language”. We are looking for career progression and tangible metrics to qualify your work experience. Second, connect with the school’s Armed Forces Club. This student club is your resource about student life activities and access to current military students. The military community is a close-knit one and finding current students (who just went through the application process) will provide perspective and a real testimony. Third, make sure you understand your military educational benefits and align with a business school that will help you maximize these hard-earned benefits.
Vanderbilt Business is committed to helping military candidates transition to business school and is proud to offer not only a collaborative environment at a top-ranked business school but dedicated resources for military candidates. As a Vanderbilt Business student, you will have access to customized executive coaching and tools typically reserved for executives at Fortune 500 companies through our Leadership Development Program.
Our admissions process is a personalized one with every candidate having a dedicated Recruiting Manager assisting you through the application process. We recognize that through the military you have gained extraordinary leadership experience, advanced communication skills and a significant amount of experience working on teams. Our team works diligently to recognize the depth of experience you have gained through the military and the transferrable skills you have developed through that experience.
In recognition of the patriotism, scholarship, and leadership qualities and capabilities of veterans, the Bass Military Scholars Program provides $25,000 per year to an annual cohort of highly talented veterans pursuing graduate and professional degrees across five Vanderbilt Schools. In addition to Bass Military Scholars program and other scholarship opportunities specifically for military candidates, Vanderbilt Business is committed to providing our Yellow Ribbon eligible students the maximum amount approved by the Veterans Administration (VA) based on unmet need. As a military candidate, you also have a dedicated financial aid officer who is familiar with your benefit opportunities to assist you with the transition.
