The High-Value Students Universities Are Overlooking
What if the most valuable students on your campus never applied because you weren’t actively recruiting them?
Imagine individuals who have excelled in high-pressure, intricate environments across the globe, demonstrating resilience and leadership under challenging conditions. Supported financially from the outset, they are well-positioned to complete their degrees and bring valuable perspectives shaped by real-world experiences.
Their presence enriches classroom discussions through maturity and depth. These often-overlooked contributors to higher education are Veterans.
Leadership Skills That Set Them Apart
A case study on Veterans enrolled in Fordham's Executive MBA program found that their presence created "a richer discussion environment, bringing perspectives that added leadership, decisiveness, and a practical approach to strategy." Faculty further noted that veterans' real-world decision-making under pressure elevated the learning experience for the entire class.¹
Military Veterans have been in high-stakes, life-or-death leadership situations few civilian students will ever experience. They have taken charge, made critical decisions quickly, and managed situations in which lives were in their hands.
These aren't theoretical leadership skills developed in campus organizations; these are battle-tested capabilities that translate directly into academic and professional success.
Global Experience That Money Can’t Buy
Leadership is just one dimension of what Veterans bring to campus. Ask employers what they value most in today’s global economy and you’ll hear: graduates who’ve experienced global operations, cross-cultural communication, and international perspectives.
Universities pour millions into international study-abroad programs to give students global experience. However, Veterans do not just study international relations and cross-cultural dynamics - they live it every day during their service.
Military Veterans enter college with three to four times the average amount of geopolitical experience than non-veterans.³ They work with coalition forces from around 40 different countries per deployment, gaining unmatched cultural fluency and geopolitical understanding that enriches classroom discussion and grounds theory in lived experience.
Closing Thought
The universities that understand the leadership and global experience veterans bring already know the academic and cultural advantages are undeniable.
But the benefits don’t stop there.
Check out next week’s blog post for part 2 where we’ll explore how Veterans improve retention rates, enhance campus culture, and deliver measurable financial advantages to the universities that actively recruit them.
References
Radigan, J. (2023). A Case Study on Veterans and the Executive MBA: Measuring Professional Outcomes. Journal of Academy of Business and Economics.
Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF). (2019). Advancing Veteran Success in Higher Education: Case Studies of Student Veteran Support Programs. Syracuse University.
RAND Corporation. (2018). Assessing the Experiences of Military-Connected Students in Higher Education.
