Michigan Ross: An MBA Guide for Veterans

The University of Michigan's Ross School of Business combines a top-15 MBA with an active, student-led Armed Forces Association and an alumni network that reaches worldwide. This profile was shared directly by the Armed Forces Association at Ross to help veterans considering business school understand what the experience really looks like.

"Ross is more than just a business school. Aside from a world class education that provides world class opportunities, the community at the University is what drove me to choose Michigan over other schools."

Which military backgrounds thrive

Michigan encourages students of any military background to apply, and the Armed Forces Association (AFA) reports that they thrive once they arrive. Every service is represented in the student body. Veterans tend to concentrate in three industries in particular: investment banking, consulting, and general management.

Your first six months

The Armed Forces Association is the main source of support during the move to Ann Arbor. The club helps incoming students figure out housing and puts them in contact with people who make the transition easier, including the VFW and the University's veteran relations department. Students who grew up in Michigan report that the relocation itself can be quite simple.

Key resources for veterans

Veterans at Ross rely on three resources: the University Program Office, the Armed Forces Association, and the University's veteran relations department.

Where veteran alumni land

Ross veterans land across Fortune 500 companies, MBB consulting, and investment banking, and more recently in defense startups.

Geographic reach

The Michigan alumni network is global, and the veteran community within it is willing to help any veteran student.

Financial planning and funding

The AFA's advice is to plan financially the way you did in the military, keeping to the principle of living "one pay grade below your means." Ann Arbor helps here too. It is affordable compared with most major metros, so your money goes a bit further than it would in a larger city.

Traditions and community

• The AFA military ball. Held every spring, a month after the MBA Formal.
• Football gamedays. The AFA sponsors numerous football gameday events and tailgates.
• A veteran recruiting conference. Each September the AFA hosts a recruiting conference specifically for veterans, drawing numerous Fortune 500 companies and consulting firms.

Connect with the program

• Program: Ross School of Business, University of Michigan
• Prospective student contact: Dan Youker, Director of Prospective Students, Armed Forces Association (youker@umich.edu)
• Student contact: Sawyer Hess, Co-President, Armed Forces Association (sawyerhe@umich.edu)