Connecting with Military Veterans
The Yale School of Management held its first-ever Military Open House on October 2, designed for current and former military members who are interested in attending SOM.
The day was such a resounding success, the Admissions Department had already decided to make it an annual event even before the lunch break.
The day started out with comments by Dean Snyder to give the attendees a sense of his vision for SOM. He was followed by Sarah Biggerstaff, who discussed the Leadership Development Practicum, a program that seemed to gain a lot of attention from the attendees due to their extensive previous leadership experience.
Some of the other highlights of the day also included a tour of Yale campus, an informal lunchtime Q&A session with students, an overview of the core curriculum, a financial aid briefing focused on GI Bill benefits, an admissions panel, and a CDO panel. We rounded out the day with a closing ceremony in the atrium and a happy hour in town.
The feedback I received from attendees both during and after the event has been astoundingly positive. Every event put on that day did a great job of showcasing the things that make SOM great, such as our social impact, our global programs, and our sense of community. The student Q&A panel was especially helpful in getting out info that isn’t necessarily online or in a PowerPoint presentation.
There are twice as many veterans in the MBA Class of 2017 there are in the Class of 2016. I’m sure this event, along with SOM’s announcement that it’s doubled a financial aid benefit for veterans, will make the Class of 2018 the biggest yet.
I’m proud to be part of SOM at a time when it is obviously putting a lot of effort into increasing its veteran recruiting, and, after I graduate, I can’t wait to see more and more veterans come from SOM into the workforce every year.