Dan Bleicher T'15, grew up in Fort Lauderdale, FL and attended the USNA, graduating with a B.S. in Political Science. Upon graduation he flew S-3 Vikings as an NFO and E-6B Mercury’s as a pilot. He also served as the Executive Assistant to the Deputy Commander, Sixth Fleet while living in Naples, Italy. Dan chose Tuck because of its tight-knit community, strong alumni network, and Hanover’s family friendly atmosphere. Dan enjoys skiing, spending time with his family, and trying the Upper Valley’s latest microbrews. He will be interning this summer at McKinsey’s Washington, DC office.
When I was applying to business schools, I knew that each one had its own culture, benefits, and yes, some even had drawbacks. Whereas my Tuck classmates were able to seek information from their colleagues at their firms and banks (many of whom were alumni of schools such as Tuck), not a single person in my Navy squadron had attended a full-time MBA program. To help make sense of the dizzying array of information available to me, I sought the candid advice and honest feedback from Veterans at every school that I was interested in possibly attending.
These former Vets helped me not only figure out if pursuing an MBA was the appropriate path, but also what steps I needed to take to get there. The road to Hanover was long, but undoubtedly worth it. In hindsight, the advice and guidance that Vets at numerous schools passed along to me were more valuable than any book or forum that I came across during the admissions process. In addition to phone conversations, they offered to review my resume, met with me when I was on campus for my interview, and had their significant others reach out to my wife after I was accepted.
Fall A came with many surprises: the pace of coursework and the time required for recruiting were the major ones. Another thing that surprised me was that by the second week of the term I was already talking to prospective T’16s who were serving in Afghanistan or onboard ships. It was time to begin paying it forward. By December the T’15 Vets had talked to dozens of activity duty military members who were contemplating an MBA or applying to Tuck.
One of the best pieces of advice that I received and now pass along: start early. Each step in the process requires thoughtful preparation. In addition to reaching out to applicants with military backgrounds, the Tuck Veterans Club has posted several common questions that we had when we were applying (they can be found here).
Along the “start early” theme, for the first time in school history, the Armed Forces Alumni Association and Tuck Admissions will host a Military Visit Day. Geared towards Veterans who are in the first stages of exploring whether an MBA is right for them, this event will take place on Monday, May 12th. Prospective MBA candidates will be able to get their questions answered about topics ranging from common mistakes Veterans make on their MBA applications to “how do companies that recruit on campus view military backgrounds?”
For more information about the Military Visit Day please click here. If you cannot make the Military Visit Day, but are interested in learning more about the value of an MBA or the Tuck experience please feel free to reach out to any of the Tuck Vets!