Applying to business school on a military timeline (Part 2 of 3)

The following is an incredible guide produced by one of MtB newest consultants, who recently graduated from HBS where he served as the Armed Forces Alumni Association (AFAA) Co-President, and previously as the Club's VP for Admissions. Eric volunteered his time to write a comprehensive long term application strategy for those of you thinking of applying to business school this year, or in the years to come.

The guide is broken into parts:

Part 1: Long Term Planning (6-18 months before applying)

Part 2: Application Prep (< 6 months before applying)
Part 3: Execution Mode (Making it all happen)

---

PART 2: Application Prep (<6 months before applying)

September 2013-March 2014: Visit Target Schools

Work through the each school’s admissions website to sign up for any Q&A sessions, tours, and class visits they may offer.  Do not show up on campus without checking with someone beforehand—some schools do not hold classes every day of the week, and you also do not want to schedule a visit during a heavy exam or recruiting period.  If you cannot schedule an official class visit, ask current students (particularly veterans) if they can get you into class for an informal visit.  If you cannot visit a school due to operational or financial considerations, see if their admissions department sponsors any informational sessions in your area—most adcoms travel quite a bit prior to the application season.  Most schools also offer podcasts, webinars, or Skype sessions these days, all of which can be helpful if you’re deployed or stationed overseas.

January-May 2014: GMAT Prep

These few months will likely be the most painful of your application process.  However, if you do them correctly and rigorously, you’ll only have to go through them once.  Start with the full-length practice exam available at MBA.com to help you assess your current level of preparedness.  Unless you’ve been doing a lot of math and academic reading since finishing undergrad, you’ll probably find that you need to do quite a bit of studying.  Three to five hours a week for a few months should be enough for most people, but your mileage may vary.  There are plenty of good self-study programs out there (Manhattan, Princeton Review, etc.) or you can sign up for an intensive, in-person course if that route is a better fit for your learning style.  Make sure to take at least one or two full-length tests under realistic testing conditions before your actual test date.  Give this blog post a read for another perspective on the GMAT.

February-June 2014: Identify and Contact Recommenders

Most schools require two or three recommendation letters, usually from prior supervisors but sometimes from peers.  Recommendations are an underrated part of your application—they’re the only third-party evaluation of your performance and potential, and the only portion of the application that isn’t 100% within your control.  It’s no stretch to say that recommendations can make or break your candidacy.  Lukewarm endorsements or generic “he/she did a great job” recommendations will not help you get into a top school.

Key criteria for recommenders:

They know you on a personal basis as well as a professional one, and preferably worked with you for a year or more.  Don’t pick a general or an admiral who only met you in passing a few times—adcoms are not impressed by rank and title.  Someone who does not have significant personal experience with you will not be able to write a good recommendation letter.

They’re willing to write enthusiastically about you.  Don’t ask for a recommendation from someone who resents your decision to leave the military or who isn’t willing to put the time and thought into writing a strong recommendation.  If you plan to have the same person write recommendations for multiple schools, keep in mind that most schools ask different questions of recommenders.  A generic recommendation on unit letterhead will not suffice.

They understand your reasons for wanting to go to business school and what you want to do afterwards.

They understand the importance of submitting their recommendation by the given deadline, and won’t get offended if you badger them on a daily basis to ensure that they submit it on time.

 Ideally, they have experience writing recommendations for business school or law school.

See this link for more information about your recommendation letters.

June-August 2014: Take the GMAT

The sooner you can get the GMAT out of the way, the sooner you’ll be able to devote your full attention to your application essays. There’s no hard and fast rule as to what score you need—sure, I met a handful of people who got into HBS with mid-600 scores, but I didn’t meet all the people with mid-600 GMATs who didn’tget in.  I typically tell people that a 700+ with a roughly even split between verbal and quant is good enough to “check the box” for your GMAT score.  Obviously higher is better in terms of acting as a tiebreaker or helping you get scholarship offers (particularly for public schools) but eventually you reach a point of diminishing returns if you’re devoting a few months trying to boost your 710 to a 730.  That time would likely be better spent polishing your essays.  This link may be useful if you find yourself in limbo after your first GMAT.



Ready to get things done? We'll be releasing the 3rd part of this guide shortly...

---

Written by Eric (eric@MilitaryToBusiness.com), a former Marine Infantry Officer from the HBS Class of 2013.