Wes Lowenfeld

I was an Armor officer. I led soldiers, planned operations, and did well at a job with no obvious civilian translation. When I decided to leave the Army and started looking into business school, I realized I needed to connect the admissions advice I found with the decisions I was making as an officer preparing to transition.

So I figured it out the hard way. I got into NYU Stern and graduated in 2019. Along the way, I learned what works and what doesn't when you're translating a military career for a civilian admissions committee. I worked through the financial decisions that come with returning to school. And I learned what it actually takes to thrive in business school when your frame of reference is the military, not Wall Street.

The MBA did what it was supposed to do. Since Stern I've worked in strategy consulting and corporate leadership — the kind of role that wasn't on my radar when I was in uniform, and exactly the kind of door this degree opens. I live near the beach south of Boston with my wife and kids.

The MBA OPORD is the guide I wish I'd had. I wrote it for the officer sitting in a TOC or a company HQ somewhere, wondering if this whole MBA thing is worth it. The answer depends on your goals and circumstances. I want to help you work through that decision.

Beyond the book, I coach military officers one-on-one through the admissions process. I keep my client list small because I think this work is too important to mass-produce. If you want someone in your corner who's been through it, that's what I do.