<p>I'll make this brief. I graduated from a top public university with a 3.0 GPA (recently ranked at #18, 2013). I plan to take the GMAT late this year. I am currently a 1st Lieutenant working in the logistic field. I have 36 months of experience leading up to 54 personnel and received promotion to Executive Officer. My current pay rate is equivalent to GS-11. I am going to assume my GMAT will be mediocre - so roughly 650-690.</p>
<p>I am not sure if I'll remain on active duty until retirement, become a federal/civilian employee, or take my chances at the private sector in the field of supply chain, logistics, or finance (management only).</p>
<p>Given data above (please provide your input from either your own experience or opinions) for the following:</p>
<p>What are my chances at getting into a Top 50 online MBA program such as Penn State, UNC Chapel Hill, Arizona State, or Indiana University - Bloomington. All three require residencies during specific portions of their curriculum. I may have an opportunity to attend full time with pay. In that scenario, what are my chances at schools such as the University of Virginia or Georgetown University.</p>
<p>Why not look into the University of Florida’s program? I’ve heard great things about it.</p>
<p>What are your criteria for choosing a business school? Where are you looking to work?</p>
<p>If you’re looking towards supply chain/logistics, a masters in supply chain might be better suited for you. There are a lot of factors that go into B school so it’s hard to tell with the information you’ve provided. </p>
<p>The online programs are usually a bit easier to get into. UVa and Georgetown are reaches for anyone, but you seem to have a good chance based on your work experience.</p>
<p>@MissShona: I’ll check out the University of Florida too.</p>
<p>@sciencenerd: My criteria for b-school is that it holds AACSB Accreditation and at least be in the Top 50. Since my current field is logistics, I have asked several superiors about the MBA vs MS supply chain paths. The overwhelming response has been ‘go for the MBA’ because it’s more versatile. Their bottom line was that a MBA opens the door for management level positions in the private sector versus a masters. On the other hand, the government isn’t as picky; more weight is placed on the individual’s work experience and ability to obtain a DoD security clearance (different from a military clearance) than the type of degree (MBA or MS) the applicant holds.</p>
<p>I hope to have a good chance at getting into a MBA program somewhere that fits my criteria. In terms of where I see my career going if I leave the service…if given a choice between working in the private sector or as a federal/civilian employee, I would choose the private sector. As for the actual field I would pursue, it’s still up in the air really: general logistics, supply chain, or finance. The more I think about it, I have no idea why I would like to do finance.</p>