Will Bishop
University of Wisconsin‑Madison, Wisconsin School of Business
MBA Graduation Year: 2017
Specialization: Corporate Finance and Investment Banking
Hometown: Madison, WI
Internship: KPMG Strategy Consulting; Houston, TX
Before Wisconsin School of Business: U.S. Army Infantry Officer
Will Bishop is a highly decorated Army veteran who was looking to parlay his extensive military leadership experience into a consulting career. Will chose the Wisconsin MBA for the value, career specialization, and connections it would provide for his post-military career—and discovered Wisconsin’s close-knight, collaborative MBA community.
Coming out of the Army, I realized that I had a lot of marketable leadership experience, but felt like I needed to build up my business acumen to get the career I wanted. The Wisconsin MBA is a great way to expand my skills and a great jumping off point for a civilian career.
The format of the Wisconsin MBA allowed me to specialize my education from the outset of the program. Starting with my first semester I was able pick classes that cater to my interests. With small class sizes at Wisconsin, people actively share their experiences. It gives a more holistic view of study topics.
The experience with the other MBA students is pretty awesome—in and out of the classroom. We have a lot of student-led activities, like Badger football game tailgates and the Thursday night MBA get togethers that are great ways to hang out with classmates in a more social atmosphere.
Getting involved in some of the many leadership opportunities has been another great way to get to know my classmates and network with people who have similar career goals. I am the co-president of the MBA Consulting Club and of the MBA Veterans Club. In the MBA Veterans Club, our primary goal is to help with the transition from the military back into school and to help prospective students through the application process. In the MBA Consulting Club, we focus a lot on prepping for interviews.
A big thing that sets the Wisconsin MBA apart is the involvement of industry-connected alumni. Alumni give valuable presentations, like one I really enjoyed in which a management consultant gave us examples of project deliverables and explained how the industry works from the inside. It is a close-knit community and the alumni truly do care about giving advice and helping with specific job searches.
The Wisconsin MBA is a great way to make a career transition. I am getting exceptional career preparation and making valuable industry contacts. And my classmates will be part of a strong, lifelong network.
—Will Bishop