MBA and ROTC Program

¶ … ROTC

Describe career aspirations and how successful completion of the MBA program will relate to my goals as a military officer / ROTC. What do I expect to learn, and how will I apply that knowledge? What specific benefits do I anticipate?

My military experience has and always will be the most important influence in my life. Being a soldier taught me what true leadership entails. Through my participation in the military, I have learned that leadership is not simply telling others what to do, but setting an example others can follow. It has taught me to motivate others in a profound and powerful way. It has taught me the value of having a sense of mission in the leadership I offer. When a leader is clear about the direction in which he or she is heading; the reasons for the mission; and the goals of the enterprise, this invests the orders the leader gives with a determination and purpose which others can sense.

However, as much as I have learned about leadership through the practical experience of my service, I also desire to more critically understand what types of motivational approaches are effective to use as a leader. I wish to study the examples of previous leaders and become more selective in how I use different strategies to achieve different leadership objectives. An MBA program will give me an intellectual, academic foundation for what I have only been able to appreciate instinctively as a leader thus far.

I have served for nine years and gained a great deal of practical leadership experience. Now, I wish to prepare myself to take my skills and career to the next level. With these goals in mind, I have decided to apply to the Masters of Business Administration and Reserve Officers' Training Corps Program. Graduate school will enable me to more effectively synthesize and apply what I have accomplished and give me a new intellectual framework to use what I have learned thus far to more effectively serve my country.

Educational Preparation: Analyze your educational preparation as well as your experience in light of your expectations and the criteria the MBA program. Assess my performance in both areas as well as your potential for completing the requirements of this program. Identify areas of possible difficulty or concern.

My military service has, without a doubt, the most formative and life-altering aspect of my education. It has been both my school in a literal sense and a school 'of life,' and showed me what is most important in the world. I recognize that balancing life, school, and service will be extremely challenging, but I faced a similar challenge while I was an undergraduate and forced to perform at a high level in my classes while still undergoing the rigors of ROTC. Graduate studies will be even more demanding, and I have more commitments -- but I also have an even greater sense of responsibility and dedication to my work.

I am a more effective time manager than I was when I was younger, and have a deeper appreciation of what the military has given to my life. This experience will sharpen my sense of discipline and well as my intellect. It will teach me the invaluable skills of management that are critical for success in a leadership position in the military and in the business career I hope to have later in life. I know the sacrifice will be worth it after graduation, when I have passed the greatest test of my life and achieved my ultimate goal, to become an officer in the United States Army.