The DOD Weighs in on What Military Should Know When They Go For Their MBA

The federal government offers a strong helping hand to military personnel who decide to further pursue their education. This information came out in a few interviews for our two shows Military MBA: From the Military to Corporate America: Getting In and Fitting In.

I talked to Program Manager Geraldine Hicks, who is the Education Service Specialist at the Army Continuing Education System...to Joe Cothron, the Deptuy Director for Army Education in the Adjutant General's office...and, to Lt Col Mike Moose, the Public Affairs Officer for US Army Human Resources command, who was on active duty, on leave from his civilian career at Radio Shack. Keep in mind that the information will vary for other branches.

You're military? You get to take the GMAT for free -- one time.

There are two programs. One is what Joe is connected with -- the voluntary education program, which is when a soldier comes to the Army Education Center, and states that he or she wants to go back to school. Geraldine says the soldiers receive 100-percent tuition-assistance. But, Joe says if you're in the voluntary program, you'll be paying for your own books.
The second program is if the military has a mission requirement - and then the advanced education is fully-funded.

Mike was on active duty, then got his MBA, and, while working for Radio Shack, got called back to active duty. He says the GI Bill got him to the next level. And, Mike says his MBA not only gave him a career boost in the early Radio Shack years, it also helped him in his army reserve career.

Stay tuned -- we've interviewed more than a dozen experts for these two shows. We'll let you know when they're posted on MBA Podcaster.com. And, I'll be blogging about the rest of the participants.

Military to MBA - Advice from MIT Sloan

Moving from military to the MBA? It's nearly a natural fit.

That's what Assistant Director of Admissions at the MIT Sloan School of Management -- Barry Reckley -- says of military personnel who go for their MBA. "With the qualifications and with the inbred basic leadership capabilities that folks have when they're coming out of the military, it's almost a natural fit."

Reckley says it's not an issue if an applicant doesn't have a financial or business background. "In many ways, it's more beneficial, because they bring a different tool set into the mix. (Although) that applicant may have to go back and maybe take a course in accounting or microeconomics, or something to that effect."

If you're military, applying to MIT Sloan, he advises you to stay clear of using what he calls alphabet soup. You might want to run your application past a military alum to be sure you're communicating clearly for non-military.

Sloan has a veterans association. Sloan waives the application fee. And, he says Sloan works with the VA, so there are financial advantages available. All the details are in our upcoming show on MBA Podcaster, with a dozen more experts speaking out. We'll let you know when it's posted.

Military --- Good Fit for Corporate Life

The next generation of CEO's could very well spring from the military. And Melissa Knueven -- the Associate Director at the Global Citizen Initiatives at the Graduate Management Admission Council -- says military are strong young leaders, who have been tested under stressful situations most of us could never even imagine. They are able, she says, to solve problems with imperfect information. Knueven says, add the MBA, and you have a strong leader who now has an operations, accounting, and finance background -- a holistic view of business.

I interviewed Melissa for an upcoming show we call Military MBA: From the Military to Corporate America. There are two shows, actually, one subtitled Getting In, and the other is Fitting In. I'll let you know when they're posted on MBAPodcaster.com. And, while we're explaining things -- Melissa is with the council that owns the GMAT and the Association of Graduate Schools of Business around the world.

If you are military, and, at this point, searching for the right fit to pursue your MBA, Melissa says the best schools will be in close proximity to military installations, offer part-time or flex-time programs, and they'll have strong military networks and alumni base.

She says look for military-friendly schools. GMAC considers schools military-friendly if they do things like waive the application fee, they have financial aid available, and they offer a one-year deferment policy, keeping the spot for MBA students who may be deployed.

We have interviewed more than a dozen people for this show, so keep watching this space. One more comment from Melissa Knueven with GMAC:

"Whether you're transitioning out of the military into corporate life, or staying in, career-military, the MBA combined with that experience just makes these people forces to be reckoned with."

Microsoft's 2nd Annual MBA Panel: Soliciting Questions from You!

UPDATE (6/25/09): The Panel was a success! Hear the event here: http://www.mbapodcaster.com/MBA_MoreInfo/BizSchoolPanelMicrosoft.asp?iEpisode=74

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As we all know, the current economic climate is prompting thousands to consider going for their MBA and in turn propelling upward the number of applications to business schools. With the increased competition, how do you gear up to get an MBA in this climate? One contribution comes from a special business school panel presented by Microsoft. The focus is a current and compelling one -- the theme is "Standing Out Among the Outstanding: Recession, Competition, and Business School Admissions"

Guests on this year's panel include:

• Cassandra Pittman Assistant Director of Marketing at INSEAD and responsible for MBA recruitment in North and South America
• Scott Shrum Director of MBA Admissions Research at Veritas Prep
• Barbara Thomas, President and CEO National Black MBA Association, the world's leading organization for black professionals
• There will also be "experts in the audience" contributing to the dialogue: Bryan Tomlinson and Edward Gali, both representing the University of Washington, Michael G. Foster School of Business

MBA Podcaster will be attending the event and bringing your questions to the panelists. So we're asking you: if you're seeking your MBA -- or considering it -- what questions would you have for this panel? Send your questions to info@mbapodcaster.com

The Business School Panel will be held at the Redmond, WA headquarters of Microsoft on June 18th, 2009, hosted by Africans at Microsoft.

This is the second annual panel put on by Africans at Microsoft. Below is a link to our podcast on the event from last year. The show covers the entire MBA process from the applications to acceptance.

2008 Business School Panel: Pursuing an MBA -- Motives, Values, and Opportunities
http://www.mbapodcaster.com/MBA_MoreInfo/BizSchoolPanelMicrosoft.asp?iEpisode=74

We had representatives from Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, University of Washington, and the GM of Microsoft's global recruiting team. Also participating were students from Harvard, Wharton, Darden, and Cornell Business Schools.

The energy generated by the audience and the panel made for a lively, informative discussion that covered and broke the bounds of the topic. We expect no less this time!

This is a valuable topic -- how to stand out among so many outstanding candidates!

Please let us know what questions you have for this event, and likely you'll hear them answered by these elite panelists on our next podcast.

Summary of Free GMAT Classes That Are Currently Being Offered

Many test-prep companies these days are offering free sample GMAT classes. Take advantage of the offers, test out the various companies and find a teacher that really clicks with you.

1. ManhattanGMAT: http://www.manhattangmat.com/free-events-select-location.cfm
Free class at many locations across the U.S. They also offer a free CAT, study flashcards and free online trial classes
For $100 off any ManhattanGMAT class, use the promo code Podcaster when registering

2. Veritas Prep: http://blog.veritasprep.com/2009/05/veritas-prep-free-trial-gmat-class.html
Free class in Los Angeles, Chicago & Boston. They also offer a free CAT; a free GMAT iPhone study application
For $150 off any Veritas class, use the discount code pod150 when registering

3. Princeton Review: http://www.princetonreview.com/bootcamps.aspx
Free GMAT "bootcamps" across the country
For $100 off any Princeton Review class, use the promotional code NAMPOD when registering

4. Kaplan: http://www.kaptest.com/mbapodcaster
Scroll down the page to "attend free event"
For 10% off every one of Kaplan’s GMAT comprehensive options use code MBAPOD10 when registering

5. MBA Math: http://www.mbamath.com/podcast.htm
$10 off MBA Math's pre-MBA math prep course. Hit the ground running before you come to campus and/or show the admission's committee that you have the right quant skills under your belt especially if you're weak on GMAT Math.

Let us know if we missed anyone!

And here are our shows about the GMAT:
1. Test Taking Tips from Test Prep Masters: http://www.mbapodcaster.com/MBA_MoreInfo/gmat-test-taking-tips.asp?iEpisode=77

2. Comparing GMAT Test Prep Companies: http://www.mbapodcaster.com/MBA_MoreInfo/GMATComparison.asp?iEpisode=54

3. The GMAT, Everything You Need to Know: http://www.mbapodcaster.com/MBA_MoreInfo/Everything-about-GMAT.asp?iEpisode=4

4. GMAT Not Required: http://www.mbapodcaster.com/MBA_MoreInfo/GMATnotRequired.asp?iEpisode=37

5. Dealing With a Low GMAT Score: http://www.mbapodcaster.com/MBA_MoreInfo/low-gmat-score.asp?iEpisode=85

6. Conquering the GMAT (Video): http://www.mbapodcaster.com/mba-videos/Conquering-The-GMAT.asp?iEpisode=87

U. of Chicago GSB: Listen to a Day in the Life on Campus

We visited Chicago GSB to shadow a current student, speak with the Dean, the admission's director and other people on campus to bring listeners a "day in the life" perspective. Listen to the show on iTunes, or on our site, and get a behind the scenes look at life and times on campus:
http://www.mbapodcaster.com/DayInLife/CHICAGO_DayInLife.asp

Guest List:

• Jen LaBelle, MBA Student
• Allan Friedman, Communications Director
• Stacy Cole, Deputy Dean
• Julie Morton, Associate Dean for Career Services
• Rose Martinelli, Associate Dean for Student Recruitment and Admissions
• John Lawrence Etame, MBA Student and Member of the Chicago African Business Group
• Jeffrey Anderson, Associate Dean for LEAD Program

We are the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. Since 1898, we have produced ideas and leaders that shape the world of business. Our rigorous, discipline-based approach to business education transforms our students into confident, effective, respected business leaders prepared to face the toughest challenges. As part of the world-renowned University of Chicago, we share the university’s core values that shape our distinctive intellectual culture. At Chicago GSB, we constantly question, test ideas, and seek proof. This extraordinarily effective approach to business leads to new ideas and innovative solutions. Six of our faculty members have won Nobel Prizes for these ideas - a record no other business school has matched.

We are proud to claim an unmatched faculty, degree and open enrollment programs offered on three continents, a global body of nearly 39,000 accomplished alumni, and strong and growing corporate relationships that provide a wealth of lifelong career opportunities. As the second-oldest business school in the world we are consistently ranked among the top business schools in surveys with an enrollment of 1,100 full-time MBA students, 1,400 evening and weekend MBA students, 480 executive MBA students and 120 PhD students. Visit University of Chicago Graduate School of Business website here.

Getting A Rejection Letter: What To Do?

There's been an uptick of MBA applications in recent years and this means more competition. As more candidates are vying for the same number of seats at business schools, more applicants are unfortunately getting rejected. Some schools encourage you to reapply while others don't. This time, we'll learn from admissions officers about the re-application process, where you can find feedback, and how you can recover from rejection and re-energize your application to get accepted next time.

Listen to our most recent show on Re-Applying to Business School After Being Rejected.

Guests include:

* Caroline Diarte Edwards, Director of Admissions, Marketing, External relations for MBA programs, INSEAD
* Monica Farrell, Assistant Director for MBA Admissions, USC Marshall School of Business
* Beth Flye, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, Full-time MBA program, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
* Tina Mabley, Director of MBA Admissions, McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin

Do you have experience with re-applying to business school? Let us know!