Fisher College of Business MBA Program – A Great Option for Veterans (With Admissions Staff Interview)

When I was making the decision to either stay in or leave the Army, I was drawn towards coming back to Ohio. I was born and raised here, and the variety of businesses located throughout the state seemed like great opportunities for a transition to the corporate world. While I looked at several of these companies, I always considered going back to school to get a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) as an enticing option. An MBA Program would give me a head-start on finding a career I was passionate about, allow me to use my GI Bill benefits, and also give me a great education in the process.

Since I was eligible for the 100% Post-9/11 GI Bill, I started to research the best schools in Ohio for an MBA. While there are plenty of MBA ranking structures out there, the Fisher College of Business (FCOB) at The Ohio State University was by far the best option in the state on all of them. Even after making the final decision on going back for my MBA and looking at other schools around the country, the FCOB Full Time MBA still offered unbelievable value and unparalleled opportunity for military Veterans. The FCOB offers a Military GRE / GMAT waiver (with undergrad GPA requirements), waived application fee, automatic in-state tuition for Veterans, scholarships specifically for the Veteran population, a purpose-driven small class size, the opportunity to travel the world on a Global Applied Project, the ability to take non-business specific classes within larger The Ohio State University campus, and a great football team as an added bonus. Many Fortune 500 businesses recruit directly at Fisher and the FCOB Office of Career Management has a multitude of resources to find Veterans local, regional, and national career opportunities.

As I continued to research more information about the FCOB, I found several websites that provided great analysis and ranking tools for deciding on which MBA program is the right choice for a transitioning Veteran. While there are a multitude of resources out there, these were some of the ones that helped me make the call to the admissions team at Fisher.

Military Times Best Business Schools for Veterans

Military MBA Top 50 Programs with Cost to Veteran

Military MBA - Fisher College of Business

MBA Veterans - Fisher College of Business

While the published information on the web and campus recruiters will tell you all of the great things that their respective MBA programs have to offer, I have noticed one thing that always remains the same – Veterans will not sugar-coat their experiences in the various MBA programs. If you are looking at which schools to apply to this year, make sure to contact the associated Veterans club early in your decision-making process to get their unfiltered first-hand experience. Luckily for me, an undergraduate classmate of mine was in the Fisher program and also a part of the Fisher Veterans Association. He provided great insight into all of the pros and cons of the program and continues to connect me with other Veterans in his class, as well as Veteran graduates of the Program, to answer my questions.

Lastly, one of the deciding factors on why I applied to the Fisher College of Business MBA program was the phenomenal support of the admissions staff. They quickly answered my multiple long lists of questions and provided continual help and feedback throughout the application process. A year since applying to the FCOB, the admissions staff continues to be a great source of information and assistance. I reached out to them during their busy late summer schedule for an interview armed with some questions I had as a Veteran applying for my MBA, and they gladly agreed to help. They also suffered having their photo taken with me for this article. Sarah, Julee, and the whole staff at the Fisher College of Business will go out of their way to ensure you are making the right decision in your MBA goals.

For more information on the Fisher College of Business, check out the interview below and FCOB’s Veteran Website to learn about benefits, scholarships, outcomes, and rankings! As an added bonus, check out why Columbus, Ohio is the most underrated city in the world.

Fisher College of Business Admissions Team Interview

1. I have seen the Fisher College of Business listed several times as a top school for transitioning Veterans to receive their MBA. What makes the FCOB such a great school for Veterans?

Fisher is an excellent community for Veterans, because The Ohio State University is very military friendly as well. At Ohio State, there are over 1,800 current veterans, Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserve members. 

In the Graduate Business programs, we have a dedicated Fisher Veterans Association that provides our military students with an excellent network of like-minded individuals who also stay in touch with the military community throughout the Columbus area.

Additionally, we have wonderful resources for MBA student. For example: a dedicated Career Consultant with experience working with military students, scholarships specifically for military veterans and Active Duty, and a GMAT waiver for qualified candidates who will be applying for the Full-Time MBA program.

2. What can you tell Veterans to ease anxiety with applying to "B-School?"

We understand that your path is not traditional but you won’t be alone in the transition. The diversity and culture of the program allows for non-traditional/non-business students to thrive. In fact, it surprises applicants to know that our students do not necessarily have business backgrounds before entering the MBA program. There are no academic prerequisites, and we actually find that your military training does a great job of teaching you the soft skills that are easily transferable to a business setting.

3. What has made Veterans' profiles stand out in the admissions process?

As I mentioned, your leadership experience in the military prepares you well for the admissions process as well as the business world post-graduation. Your international experience, global mindset, teamwork and collaboration skills are certainly topics to tell the Admissions Committee more about in an application essay or in an interview. These life-changing experiences add depth to your character as well as to your application!

4. Where have you seen Veterans struggle in telling a compelling story in their admissions packet?

I think military candidates have a more compelling story than they are willing to give themselves credit for. There is certainly a sense of humility with many military candidates, so don’t be afraid to give yourself some credit too. Focus on telling the story of how and when you decided that business school was the right next step for you. Any Admissions Committee respects the reflection and soul-searching that takes place before a business school application. Another minor area that can trip up Veterans in the application process is forgetting to define some of your military acronyms! While we try to do our best to understand some military jargon, it’s always best to remember that your audience may not be familiar with some of the short hand. 

5. Has it been hard to "translate" veteran lingo and terms on resumes and essays?

I think translating military jargon is a bigger challenge on your resume than essays. My best suggestion for all candidates is to have someone outside of your industry look over their resume. See if that ‘non-industry’ or ‘non-military’ person can read your resume and tell you what you do. If they can, great! If they can’t, try to remove specific jargon and acronyms. This will also be important for post-MBA/civilian employment.

When it comes to the essays, make sure you are speaking to the committee in a way they would understand and know they might not have a military background. Depending on the essay prompt, there is often an opportunity to use your veteran experience to help tell your story, show your leadership and the applicability to business and your career goals.

6. What has been the biggest benefit of having a diverse Veteran population in the MBA program?

Fisher has a wonderfully diverse MBA program, and our Veteran population adds to that diverse culture. Additionally, your experiences are a great contribution in the classroom that lend another global perspective.

7. How can Veterans continue to give back while in the MBA program?

Participation in the Fisher Veterans Association is a great way to give back to the next class of military students by helping them as they helped you. 

Fisher also has other community service student organizations: Fisher Serves, Net Impact, and Fisher Board Fellows to name a few.

Finally, you can help in the recruitment of other military candidates!

8. How important are the video essays in the admissions process? What can make Veteran videos stand out amongst the vast amount of admissions packets you receive every year?

Fisher actually has a new video platform that will take away some of the pressure for a technologically creative video. This new platform will essentially be a series of 3 oral interview questions that will ask you to reflect on previous experiences or hypothetical future scenarios.

What can make you stand out is fairly simple: Practice! Our platform allows you to practice, and we encourage you to do so. Additionally, small things like centering your face in the middle of the screen, making sure there is enough light to see your face, and speaking clearly go a long way in conveying your professionalism.

9. I have seen a lot of Veterans interested in Entrepreneurship over the last year. Does FCOB offer anything to help Veterans start their own business post-MBA?

We have a new Technology Entrepreneurship specialization for students interested in starting their own businesses. The specialization actually helps you to get field experience, network with venture capitalists, compete in business plan competitions, connect with mentors, and continue gaining real-world learning.

10. What careers have you seen Veterans fill post-MBA?

Our Veterans certainly have diverse career paths post-MBA and are not pigeon-holed into just one option. However, we tend to see military MBAs have the passion, former training, as well as a natural skill for Operations and Logistics, so those jobs tend to be popular for Veterans with a variety of different employers all over the country.

11. Who can Veterans contact if they are interested in learning more about what the FCOB has to offer?

You are welcome to connect directly with our Fisher Veterans Association, or with Julee Conrad ([email protected]) or Sarah Campbell ([email protected]) in Admissions.

Please share! Have any questions about going back for your MBA or the Fisher College of Business? Look me up on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected].