Vets Preview Weekend: Your look inside the Notre Dame MBA

“Get an MBA.”

That’s the first and most emphatic message that Marine Corps veteran Will Moran has for business-minded men and women leaving the military. Don’t talk yourself out of it. Don’t doubt that you belong. The MBA is a great way to transition from military life to the civilian workforce.

His second message? “Visit Notre Dame.”

He’s not saying to commit, but just come and check things out. And this month is the perfect time.

Welcome to ND MBA Vets Preview Weekend
The first ND MBA Vets Preview Weekend takes place Thursday, November 17 through Sunday, November 20. All military enlistees or veterans who have earned a bachelor’s degree and are interested in business school are invited to the free event.

Events include:

• Veteran alumni speakers

• MBA class visits

• Presentation on financial aid and the GI Bill®

• Career services overview

• Campus tour

• ND hockey match versus University of Massachusetts

• Mass at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart

• ND football game versus Virginia Tech

Read the complete schedule.

Members of the Notre Dame MBA Vets Club, who are organizing the event, are confident visitors will find a meaningful experience.

“We want service members to know about the amazing educational opportunities at Notre Dame and also how veteran friendly Notre Dame is,” says Moran, a former Marine major and helicopter pilot who graduates in May. “Mendoza has a high percentage of veterans in the MBA program, and that means something. In my cohort, 15 percent of the class are veterans. It’s a great feeling to look around the room and see others who have shared your experiences and values.”

Moran emphasizes that camaraderie is the aspect of the military that many veterans miss the most. But they can find it again at Notre Dame. “That same close-knit connection that you get in in the military is what the Notre Dame MBA feels like,” Moran says. “It’s that same family feeling based on high expectation and an institution dedicated to the greater good.”

Your futon awaits
If the ND MBA connection is like family, then accommodations for the preview weekend are just as heartfelt.

“We are offering up our spare bedrooms, couches, futons, whatever we’ve got,” says Army veteran Hans Rohr, chairman of veteran engagement for the veterans club. “There aren’t any hotel rooms available on a football weekend. And that’s fine because we want to host people in our homes. That’s our level of commitment to showing military members what Notre Dame is about.”

Additionally, he stresses, veterans club members will guide visitors to events and be on hand to talk about the process of transitioning from the military.

“I remember how much support I received when I was looking at schools,” says Rohr, a former Army captain and cavalry officer. “Notre Dame vets talked with me anytime I needed them and helped me with my resume. One guy that I had never met talked with me repeatedly over the course of my application process. I couldn’t believe it.”

But the renowned Notre Dame network is real, he says. “It’s amazing to feel how deep and serious of a commitment the network is,” he says. “People want to help you, want to talk to you, and make time for you. It’s not quite the same kind of camaraderie you have in the military, but it’s as close as I’ve felt anywhere.”

Register for the ND MBA Vets Preview Weekend. Or for more information, contact Hans Rohr, hrohr@nd.edu, or Joe Sweeney, associate director of MBA admissions, jsweene1@nd.edu.