By Jeff Morris
Assistant Director, Graduate Business Career Services, Mendoza College of Business
I’m sitting in my office on a Friday afternoon in early March. It’s hard to believe but I can actually see the sun today – and snow melting. I was just reflecting on this week’s activities. The Notre Dame MBA program hosted a number of companies and organizations this week. Our students partnered with the companies and organizations and provided consulting services to them so they could solve real-world problems. One of the organizations present on campus this week was the Wounded Warrior Project. Over the course of four days representatives from the Wounded Warrior Project and Notre Dame MBA students collaborated in developing actionable ideas for a key Wounded Warrior Project initiative. As the student teams presented their ideas to the Wounded Warrior Project representatives I was proud of the work they produced. I was also proud that a good number of the MBA students who were assisting the Wounded Warriors Project were military veterans themselves.
It’s always nice to see veterans successfully transitioning to the next phase of their life. Some have separated from active service. Some are still in the Reserves. And a few are still on active duty. The trend in our MBA program is that an increasing percentage of the student body possesses some military experience. In fact, veterans in our program comprise 9% of the total student body. And 12% of our first-year students are veterans. It’s a joint effort as each branch of the United States Armed Forces is represented.
The camaraderie I experienced during my military service is the same type of camaraderie I see among the veterans in our program. It’s true that no one is shooting at us during business school. Yet I still see a tremendous level of respect and understanding among our veterans – and between them and their classmates. It’s perhaps most apparent during formal meetings of the Notre Dame MBA Veterans Club meetings. The MBA Veterans Club meets periodically throughout the academic year. It doesn’t meet as often as the Finance Club or Marketing Club. Given the nature of our veterans’ strong bonds with each other the club doesn’t need to meet that often. Outside the club structure there is some sort of informal interaction among the veterans in our program on a daily basis.
In addition, our veterans integrate well with the larger student body. One reason for this seamless integration is that the core values of the University of Notre Dame in general and the Notre Dame MBA program specifically align closely with the core values of our armed services. With significant leadership experience as young adults, our veterans display that leadership – as well as enthusiasm and class – during their time at Notre Dame. Our MBA Veterans serve in leadership positions right alongside their classmates who do not have military experience. It’s a great combination of complementary personalities and skill sets.
Most veterans correctly assume that Notre Dame is not an inexpensive business school. But some veterans probably assume incorrectly that the Notre Dame MBA costs are beyond their means. Tuition and expenses can be very reasonable when you factor in the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the Yellow Ribbon Program, and available fellowships. Most veterans are eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill. And Notre Dame is a Yellow Ribbon School (agreeing to pitch in $15,000 above what it is covered by the Post-9/11 GI Bill). That $15,000 is then matched by the VA. Some fellowships are available too. So veterans can find it financially manageable to attend the Notre Dame MBA program.
Whether you’re a recruiter looking for outstanding MBA talent or a veteran considering business school the Notre Dame MBA program is an excellent choice to further your goals and I encourage you to check us out further. I can be reached at jmorris4@nd.edu. Our MBA Veterans Club President, James Rapuzzi, can be reached at jrapuzzi@nd.edu. Additionally, our Admissions Office Military Recruiting Liaison, Mauri Slater, can be reached at mslater@nd.edu. Finally, you can always learn more about veteran life here at Notre Dame at: http://business.nd.edu/mba/student_life/military/.