The people from militia or those who have served in military and forces find it relatively easier to get into the top notch business schools, despite their moderate below 600 GMAT scores. The reason behind their success is apparently simple: these are the people who have braved the oddest situations, are used to thinking on their feet, have been taking calculated risks and informed decisions for a substantial part of their life and most importantly, know how to work in a team and how to lead a team. Aren’t these precisely the virtues these business schools look for in an applicant and try to hone the same during the two years study program?

After retiring from their services, many war veterans are heading towards business schools and are welcomed with open arms. The best MBA institutes for them in the elite M7 category currently are the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, University of Michigan Ross School of Business, Cornell University’s Johnson School of Management, Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business, and the Duke University Fuqua School of Business. These are the best value business schools for the former military personnel because they have provision of tuition waiver up to 100 percent.

The G.I. Bill, passed after the 9/11 incident, provides financial assistant to service members in terms of housing and education. Under the provisions of the Bill and the Yellow Ribbon Program, business schools can voluntarily offer to waive a part of their tuition fee, which will be matched up by the federal government. Therefore, in a way, the entire tuition fee stands waived, incentive enough for the war veterans to pursue business education and live a handsome life.

With most of their MBA cost covered (living expenses and some other expenses are not covered but this means only $10,000 to $40,000 in debt, which can be very well repaid after placement),  the now retired military personnel can look forward to a tryst with their destiny in the corporate sector. Business schools on their part are more than happy to have them in their elite group of students for they bring with them the years of experience on the battlefield and earn deferential respect from the batch members.

Weekend is around the corner, and activities on the GMAT preparation front and application essay composition front are bound to get more intense. Therefore, we thought of lightening up the mood a bit through an interesting infographic that traces the history of the best business schools around the world.

Paris was the center of Renaissance, the knowledge and art movement and therefore, it is not surprising to find that ESCP in Paris was amongst the earliest business schools founded, as early as 1816. In those, teaching of economics, law, politics and military stratagem took precedence over business education. Indeed, business education only dealt with knowledge of commerce and accounting but with the passage of time, newer business schools opened up with increasing focus on making the business immune to or adapt to the revolutions, wars and fights for independence taking place around the world.

The best institutions like Harvard Business School, Tuck School of Business, The Stern School of Business, Read more…