Kelley School Will Hold MBA Spot for Returning Military Personnel
Military personnel want to be as marketable as possible to best succeed in their post-service careers, but many find that they need to further their education before entering the private sector. Now, through a novel partnership, undergraduate ROTC members can earn their acceptance into a top 20 MBA program before they even begin their service.
Undergraduates enrolled in Indiana University’s Army ROTC program will have the opportunity to apply and be accepted as MBA candidates to the Kelley School of Business as part of the school’s early admit process. Accepted students’ spots will be held for them until they complete their service obligation to the Army.
“Taking GMATs and applying to business school can be daunting for returning veterans,” says LTC Michael Ogden, Commander and Professor of Military Science at Indiana University.
“The Kelley School has taken an important leadership step in guaranteeing qualified, accepted ROTC cadets a place in the MBA program. This will go a long way toward helping veterans transfer the skills developed in the military to a business career.”
The first cohort of this pilot program is currently underway with about a dozen students; the deadline for early-admit applications was in early July and acceptance letters will go out later in the summer.
“IU’s ROTC students ”“ and military personnel in general ”“ demonstrate the leadership and management skills that we look for in our regular MBA candidates. These are the same skills valued by employers in major industries,” says Ray Luther, associate director of the Kelley School’s Graduate Career Services and former Army officer.
“This program is a natural extension of the Kelley School’s tradition of producing quality MBA graduates, but will also provide the business world with young leaders with management and leadership experience it often takes decades to acquire.”
