Hey guys,
I am a current Army Infantry Officer (detailed from M.I.) thinking about some of my options a few years down the road and am looking for some advice. I have read a few of the posts concerning military officer transitions to investment banks and they have been really helpful. I am considering applying to both MBA programs and the veterans initiative programs that some of the BB's run.
Anyways, I commissioned out of an ROTC program from a non-target run of the mill state school. With that being said, I did very well there, graduating with a 3.85 GPA and a B.S. in Economics. But obviously my concern is the lack of "prestige" that my school holds. It seems that most of the vets at top MBA programs are service academy grads. Furthermore, even though I did major in Economics, I did not take any more math classes than necessary (business calculus). I am looking for suggestions on how to mitigate my perceived lack of quantitative ability and my less prestigious undergraduate institution. Also, any general advice on how I can use the next 2-3 years to prepare for MBA applications would be greatly appreciated especially from veterans who have made the transition themselves. I have not yet taken the GMAT. I plan to begin studying in a few weeks after my PCS.
A few things I am considering doing:
-Taking an online financial modeling course
-Taking some additional undergraduate calc. courses and then beginning a quantitative focused masters such as financial engineering or a certificate program. I have been looking at University of Washington's which is completely online and has a pretty good reputation. Obviously, the huge downside is cost.
-CFA- I have read the merger and inquisitions article strongly recommending against this as a bad usage of time and because of its little relation to investment banking. I am merely throwing it out there as it would demonstrate quantitative skills .
Basically, I know I need to crush the GMAT and network. What else should I do in the next 2-3 years given my background? Thanks!