University of Utah: Marty Swofford

Marty enlisted in the Navy after graduating from high school in 2000. Over the next decade, he trained to be an intermediate-level avionics technician and learned process-improvement methodology, among other things. He was deployed aboard the USS John C. Stennis out of San Diego and the USS Theodore Roosevelt out of Norfolk, Virginia.

While at NAS Whidbey Island, Marty started squeezing in college-level correspondence courses around his full-time service. Then when at the Naval Reserve Station in Salt Lake City, he fit in full course loads at the University of Utah until he earned a BS in economics in August 2010.

The inspiration to go to graduate business school grew out of a long wait to see a doctor after a snowboarding accident in Utah. He was convinced that emergency rooms could run more efficiently. Coincidentally, the University of Utah’s Eccles School of Business was starting a program that combines an MBA with a master of healthcare administration. For Marty, the dual-degree program has been ideal for blending his military training in process improvement, interest in economics, and determination to keep others from waiting long hours in an ER. Having separated from the Navy in May 2011, he plans to complete his degrees in 2013.

What unexpected benefits have you gained from business school?

From a leadership standpoint, the military is top notch. But one thing the military’s not as great at is budget management—when you have a mission to complete, you just do it as soon as you can with whatever resources you have. Particularly in my MBA courses, I’ve learned how to make informed decisions based on hard numbers so that I can avoid knee-jerk reactions. Having the tools to make financial decisions that way was huge for me, and it’s going to be a great benefit.

Is there anything you wish you’d known as you applied for your graduate program?

One thing was just the weight a military career carries. Very few others can come in and say, “I was a branch chief” or “I was a division officer” and actually in charge of people. Schools really do value the direct leadership experience you’ve gotten in the service.

I also wish I’d known more about the benefits available to me. For example, there’s the program where the Department of Defense will pay for your GMAT and things like that. [Note: The Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) program reimburses eligible service members who take certain professional-level exams, including the GMAT. To learn more, visit DANTES.

What advice would you offer your peers about how to translate military experience for civilians in the admissions office?

Make sure your resume is accurate and robust. Tell them exactly what you did in layman’s terms. Leave out all the acronyms, obviously, but don’t be afraid to tell them, “Hey, I was a unit supervisor on an F-18 Hornet maintenance team.” The skills you’ve gained in the military mean a lot.

Also don’t be afraid to apply to a school you’re not sure you’re qualified for. I thought I didn’t have a shot to get into the U of U’s business school, which is one of the university’s most competitive programs, because I didn’t have business experience. But after talking to individuals who work for the graduate admissions program, I heard I was one of their top candidates.

Did the fact that your school used the GMAT as part of its admission requirements influence your thoughts about the program or your fellow students?

When I was searching for schools, I noticed that some said, “You’ve got your bachelor’s? You’re in.” That raised a red flag for me. I wanted to feel like, “I had to work to get in here”—and I wanted to know that my classmates were of a higher caliber and had to work, too.

After doing some research, I saw that all the major business schools in the country—whether they’re rising, like the University of Utah, or they’re established, like Harvard—required the GMAT. The schools that didn’t were nowhere near the top 10 or even top 100 schools. They just weren’t there.

And a lot of employers ask about your GMAT score when you’re coming out of grad school because they use that as a metric. If you don’t have the score because you didn’t need the test, most likely they’re not going to even bother with you.

How did you approach the GMAT exam?

I’m a procrastinator—I’ll be the first to admit it. So I literally gave myself a deadline and said, “I’m taking the exam at this time.” I think I decided in December and took the test in February. Because I gave myself such a short deadline, it forced me to study and be serious right off the bat.

What tools and strategies helped make the most of your study time?

Probably the most valuable tool was the practice exams the GMAT website offers, since they were formatted exactly like the GMAT exam. [Note: Official GMAT practice exams are available for free at mba.com: www.mba.com/the-gmat/download-free-test-preparation-software.aspx ]

I took a lot of practice exams to help me figure out, from the GMAT perspective, where I was deficient—which was the quantitative section of the test. Then I broke up the work 60/40: For 60 percent of my time I studied the quantitative stuff, and for 40 percent I refined what I knew I was good at on the writing and verbal parts. I ran with that schedule for two or three months. And I wasn’t afraid to go back and redo practice exams I’d already taken to make sure I was studying everything I needed to.

How did your military background help with the transition into an intensive educational program?

I was completely ready to view my MBA and my schoolwork as my job because that’s what I was used to doing. I was used to a regimented schedule, and scheduling my study times to do all my homework really, really helped me. The only difference for me, really, was going from shaving every day to not having to shave every day.

What’s the value-added when you combine the MBA and the master of healthcare administration with your military experience?

Again, when you have the kind of discipline that makes you say, “I’m going to get this done no matter how many hours I have to put in,” you’re light-years ahead. By combining all that discipline with a top-notch education in business, you can become, in my opinion, almost unstoppable because nothing scares you. Nothing. That focus and drive, combined with that education, are hard to duplicate.

What parting advice do you have for those in the military who are considering an MBA but don’t know if they can, or should?

If you’re trying to figure out whether you want an MBA or not, do your research. Take the time to really figure out what you want to do. Is the MBA a tool to help you to reach your goal?

If the MBA does fit with your goal, don’t be scared to apply to business school just because you don’t have a business background. Everything you’ve done correlates to business a lot more than most members of the military believe. So go ahead. It’s going to be one of the most amazing experiences of your life.