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Stanford’s Graduate School of Business (GSB) is routinely at the top of all the MBA rankings. The Stanford GSB is an exceptional opportunity for veterans leaving the military to level-up their career after the uniform. As a good note, the GSB is located in Knight Center of Management, named after alum Phil Knight, founder of Nike (read the excellent memoir of that adventure here) and former Army officer.
Location
The top business schools are mostly located on the East Coast. There are a spattering in the middle of the country, and then a few of the top ones out on the West Coast. So if you are looking to stay on the West Coast after graduation, the GSB is a great choice. But beyond the West Coast the name brand carries weight around the world.
And if you have an interest in working in Silicon Valley or getting into Big Tech, the GSB and Haas are unmatched options. One of the reasons attributed to the entrepreneurial success of the Bay Area is the location of Stanford and the high-quality education the school provides across all departments.
Broader Stanford access
Beyond just the Knight Center, being on Stanford’s campus puts you in the same location as some of the best and brightest. You can bet that students across the campus are also going to be leaders in their fields of endeavor. This can create opportunities to learn, but also to find cross-functional business partners.
Especially if you are considering doing a dual-degree, such as paring your MBA with a JD, MPP, or Master’s in Computer Science, Stanford is an opportunity to get both top-notch degrees on the same campus.
Entrepreneurship
Ever used TRX bands at your prison gym on deployment? Those were created by former SEAL and GSB grad (’03) Randy Hetrick. Randy showed how veterans can make excellent entrepreneurs.
The GSB really is known as THE place for student entrepreneurship. Being in Silicon Valley and closeby to some of the biggest Venture Capital firms makes the GSB an obvious hub for companies to get started.
Beyond the location, the GSB probably has the most entrepreneurial class offerings of any of the MBA programs. Even if you aren’t planning to launch your own startup, the experience can help you provide entrepreneurial thinking to any problem. Honestly, I could probably do a whole post just on the entrepreneurial resources available to students at the GSB.
Essays
In the Military to MBA series, I directly mention GSB’s essays as ones you should think about before you start writing any essays — even if you aren’t applying to the GSB. Their famous question, “What matters to you most and why?” is a great place to start thinking about the next phase of your life after the military.
Key stats about the GSB (Class of 2021):
- Rankings: 2019- Forbes (2), Economist (8), US News and World Report (Tied for #1 with Wharton)
- Class size: 417
- Average GPA: 3.7
- Average GMAT: 734
- Average GRE: 165 V/ 165 Q
Stanford GSB Veteran-Specific Information
- Waived application fee for active duty and veterans
- Yellow Ribbon program match of $21,000 per academic year
- Stanford has one of the smallest populations of veterans, with only 3% of the class coming from the military. But according to veterans at GSB, they are trying to get this number closer to 4-5% and the Dean of the school is encouraging of the goal.
Stanford GSB has multiple options of interest for veterans and one can find out more information by contacting the Stanford GSB Veteran’s Club here. The flagship program is the full-time program, but they also offer a 1-year MSx program for mid-career professionals. If you are leaving the military later in life or just don’t want to take two years to get a degree, then the MSx can be a great option. And if you are active duty, there are special partnerships with this program. Every year, the program has one seat reserved just for a senior NCO from SOCOM.
There is also the truly unique Post-9/11 Veterans Ignite Program for entrepreneurship and innovation. This 1-month program is run by the Stanford GSB specifically for veterans who served after 9/11. While there is also an Ignite program open to non-veterans, the veteran-specific program comes at a significantly reduced cost and provides aspiring veteran entrepreneurs a space to share their entrepreneurial journey with like-minded veterans.
Related:
Military to MBA (Part 1/7): Is It for You?