Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with mba

work in Africa

Dino Nino — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 09:13:50 -0800

I am currently finishing my MBA in Canada and interested in working in Africa. Any ideas where i could search for jobs as a marketing consultant, project management or business development

How to find out if MBA is the right thing for him/her to do?

tvjoshi — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 09:48:15 -0800

How to find out if MBA is the right thing for him/her to do? I'm contemplating to do fully employed MBA (FEMBA). Doing full time MBA is out of question for me. Lot of former MBA students advise to find out whether this is the right thing for you to do, before you get in. At the same time, when I listened to former MBA students' interviews, lot of them tend to say they were not sure what their MBA is going to provide them 'exactly' or what career path they are going to take after finishing their MBAs. Many of them found themselves in entirely different career path (as a delightful surprise), then they thought ever possible. They didn't know what's coming, what would be ROI, why 'exactly' are they going through FEMBA, except that something inside them told them strongly that this is the right thing to do. For many people, this intuition was so strong, that it helped them make the leap and they were not disappointed.

I'm in the same boat right now. So I want to know how do you find out if MBA is the right thing for you to do? Or is intuition plus some basic fact check plus strong desire enough to dive right in?

When I say basic fact check what I mean is - I've been into and thrived in leadership positions throughout my career, leading small teams of software projects from 4 to 15. I have found creating a very strong place for myself as a team lead in very short span of time, wherever I went. I enjoy the zest, the speed, the struggle to get things done. I enjoy interacting with people. I really want to learn the mechanics, the science of how business, economics, market dynamics works. Over next 10-15 years, I see myself in very strong leadership position (in business field) impacting lives of thousands of people in a positive way and making a difference in the world.

I want to make sure MBA is the right thing for me to do, to accomplish above. I don't want to make $90K investment for a wrong career path. Even if I may find an employer who reimburses my tuition fees, it's huge time and effort investment to go through FEMBA, on my part as well as my family's part.

So again, my question is - How does one find out if MBA is the right thing for him/her to do?

Guide books for MBA Candidates

Anonymous — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 06:45:39 -0800

I need suggestions for a good MBA program guidebook, and anything else that will help me be a good MBA candidate. I am looking into applying to full-time business school for admittance in fall of 2010 (will probably focus on general management or operations). I would like a book on business school programs to jumpstart my search. I've tried looking online, but it's all too much- I need an organized place to start from. I want information on classes, curriculum, professors, special programs. The book I got at the library ("The Business School Buzz Book") is utterly worthless- students saying the same thing about every school. I want clues that will help me begin to diffentiate between programs as I decide where to visit and apply to.

Also, anything else that you think might be helpful in preparing me for the application process (I'm all set for GMAT help)- books, things I should study, anything that will help make me a more attractive candidate. I have time, and I want to make the best of it.

Stumped on Essay

tessalations999 — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:59:55 -0800

What should i write about for an admissions essay? I am applying to Business school, and one of the essays is "describe your greatest passion."
Should i write about a concrete activity, or is it ok to write a more abstract essay? If i answer the question truthfully, it will be more abstract, kind of tying together all the activities that i am passionate about. But i feel like they want something more concrete. I am just not sure what exactly they are asking. Any advice?

Thank you so much!

Advice/approaches/hacks for mba students

acehigh — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 09:28:34 -0800

I'm beginning an mba program this fall and I'd like to hear the things other mefiers wish they'd known when they started the mba experience. More details inside... I'm a 30 year old male; the mba program is in Austin. I'm from Austin so housing and day-to-day aspects of life are already well-established; I'm more interested in learning what worked well and what didn't work well in your approach to grades and career development while in business school.

Specifically, I'm curious about:

-mba-relevant study tips
-advice on "working smarter" as opposed to "working harder"
-Some people describe business school as one big party/networking experience. In retrospect, do you wish you had studied more or networked more?
-As opposed to knowing exactly which job/industry I want to be in when the program ends, I feel like I could end up happy in a variety of roles/industries. I'm especially interested in hearing from those who weren't sure about a career path when school began or those who changed paths while in school. (If it helps, my background is in tech startups (client services/project management) and entertainment (writer). I'd be fine getting back in tech startups, but I'm also interested in renewable energy companies and open to new and unfamiliar industries right now.)

Should I try to make my life more busy?

beachhead2 — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:11:42 -0800

Is managing a demanding full time job and two children, plus an evening MBA program worth the hassle? I am lucky enough to have a full-time, stay at home dad for a husband. We live away from family, so have little to depend on but ourselves. My kids are 4 and 2 1/2 right now. I wouldn't start until January 2009. I am 35, which I realize isn't too old, but it isn't young either.

I have a demanding 50-55 hour a week job, where I am on call 24-7 (Luckily, I don't get called often!) My company will pay for 75% of a standard, 3-year evening MBA (no quick Executive MBA), as long as I maintain a B average. Once my MBA is complete, if I quit within 12 months, I would have to pay 100% of reimbursed tuition back. If I quit within 24 months - 50%. After 36 months - no payment needed. I have no intention of quitting yet, but it is relevant.

I have worked in a food plant, in production management for 11 years, in increasing capacities. I am quite apt at managing priorities and love my job. I find myself struggling at times with more strategic type, long term things. I am also not good at financial planning, which becomes a bigger part of my job every year.

I am looking for experiences with full-time jobs, full-time mothering (or fathering) and part time schoolin'. Is it worth the hassle? How much time am I really looking at with classes, group projects, studying? Am I going to regret missing evenings at home with the family?

Along those lines, will I kill the people in my work groups? Are MBA programs full of pretentious butt heads?

I am located in Southern New Hampshire. I would be looking at Boston schools. Any thoughts/ experiences with MBA programs in Boston?

How well-regarded and useful is the Certified Business Manager (CBM) credential?

MrToad — Tue, 27 May 2008 09:24:47 -0800

How well-regarded and useful is the Certified Business Manager (CBM) credential? I've been looking at information on the Certified Business Manager credential (created and administered by the Association of Professionals in Business Management) and would like to get some feedback from those who have it, have knowledge of it, etc.

How well-regarded is it? How useful is the material covered? Does it help either in regard to getting a job or in terms of advancement?

Basically, I'm not finding tons of info about it (which may already answer my questions) other than about the credential itself. I'd like to get some real world feedback on it.

A few background details... I currently work at a Director level in logistics/operations/quality. I'm thinking along the lines of ultimately maybe working toward a COO-type position. Going for a MBA *is* a consideration, but it may be a bit further down the road. I see that the CBM can count for some credits toward a MBA, so that's where I'm kind of headed with this. This is all just brainstorming at this point, so that's why I'm soliciting some feedback.

Any light anyone could shed would be greatly appreciated.

Help me get out of an IT contracting loop!

PetiePal — Tue, 20 May 2008 12:03:58 -0800

I'm 26 years old and stuck in a IT-contracting loop. Would an MBA, Masters or going back to get certified in certain hardware/software help me out? What kinds of opportunities could they open up? I've just turned 26 this past April and I've been out of college for 4 years this spring. I graduated from a good university with dual majors in Information Technology and Management. I've worked for such companies as American International Group, Nokia, Pfizer, Merck and Louis Vuitton. My positions have varied:

-Help Desk analyst
-Help Desk Manager
-Systems administrator
-Operations administration
-Project Manager
-Documentation Specialist/Policy Developer
-Change Control Consultant
-Technical Trainer
-Technical Writer
-LAN Group consultant

I currently do not have any technical certifications. I think something important to distinguish myself is that I'm not just a nerd in a cubicle who sits there and codes all day. (In fact I don't code at all I rather dislike it very much!) I think I'm really adept at creating the bridge between highly-technical (non social) people and managers who are not technical at all. I'm fast to adapt to emerging technologies and my creative problem-solving has helped me a lot throughout my career so far. I've also demonstrated a strong ability to motivate people I manage and bring projects in on time.

I'm a people person and I really enjoy working either in groups, managing projects or being involved with strategic planning related to technology within a company. I've been stuck in contracts lately that last anywhere from 3 months to at most a year. I don't particularly love the jobs that I've been getting and I feel like I'm just treading water when I should be really advancing myself in my career. I'm actually just ending a contract of 3 months.

The IT industry as a whole is very rocky lately with all of the outsourcing and companies downsizing/offshoring tasks to cut costs. I have been considering getting an MBA as that would "open up a lot of doors" I'm told. I've also considered going back for a Master's degree, (in what I have no idea... Technology? Business like the MBA?), so that I might be qualified for higher level jobs and earn myself some more stability. I have good experience under my belt but I feel I'm not specialized at all. It almost seems like specializing in one thing can be dangerous and really limit you as well.

My main question is...what can you do with an MBA? What about Masters degrees in other fields? What kinds of opportunities can they lead to? Are certifications where it's at? Is it better to study by book and take the exams or take a structured training course? Is it true that unless the company you're working is first and foremost a technology company your purpose to the company will always be viewed as something "outside" to them? (For instance IT within an insurance or pharmaceutical as opposed to IBM/Google/Verizon) What kinds of certifications are good and have lucrative careers? Storage specialists? Cisco CCNA/CCNP engineers? Bear in mind I'm not a coder so C+, C#, Java, HTML etc is not for me.

Does anyone know how intensive the PMP certification is? I've been thinking since I like the project management experience I've had thus far that might be a good choice- since with it you can manage not only IT projects but pretty much anything!

I feel like I really need to make some big decisions and put my nose to the grindstone because I'm never going to survive on contracting alone or earn enough to support myself and possibly a family one day. All advice and insight is most appreciated.

Can one get into a top business school with a very low GPA?

Anonymous — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:47:57 -0800

Can one get into a top business school with a very low GPA? Is it possible to get into a top business school with a very low GPA?

If so, how?

I know that for law school, if you're able to score over 170 on the LSAT, you have a good chance of admission to a top 20 school even with a GPA below 2.5, and regardless of anything else you have going for you (or not).

Is there any similar factor in business school admissions that offsets the GPA to the same extent?

If there is no *single* factor, is there a *combination* of factors that can make admission to a top school possible for a low GPA applicant?

Or is it impossible/extremely unlikely no matter what?

Making a career in theater, sans stage

ictow — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 10:48:24 -0800

I think I'd like to make a career in the management side of (preferably non-profit) theater. How should I go about doing that? I'm moving to Chicago in the fall, a town baptized in the birthing fluids of improv. It seems like every improviser who moves there is trying to grab some of the spotlight. But I'd rather be in the office making sure we can afford the spotlight, and maybe figuring out new ways people can use the spotlight. I see that Columbia College has 2 programs that highlight exactly what I'm interested in (Arts in Youth and Community Development or Performing Arts Management), but I'm dubious as to how useful those would be in pursuing a career. I've currently got a B.A. in English with plenty of debt, so I'm only interested in more school insofar as it will equal steady income to slowly (oh god how slowly) pay my loans back. I'm thinking maybe I should try instead to get an MBA and just make arts/ non-profit management my focus, or if that's putting too much faith in the "education = career felicity" equation.

My gut tells me to take a "start from the bottom" approach, but luck plays such an enormous role in that it makes me nervous.

So. Enough exposition. Is it better (read: faster and less costly) to try to get a bottom-rung job and rise up the ranks, or would it behoove me to go to school? If I need to go to school, any recommendations as to programs in Chicago? Heck, I'll even take recommendations outside of Chicago. I'm young-- toss me to the wind.

What should I do after college?

rybreadmed — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 18:05:07 -0800

What do I do with my life after college? I want to do something I don't hate, and might even like. I want YOUR suggestions and ideas. I'm in my late 20s and am a bit less than a year away from receiving a BS in mechanical engineering from a not-very-prestigious state university in Los Angeles County. I already possess a BA in creative writing and an MBA in finance. I went back to school for the BSME a couple of years ago. My grades are quite good (mostly A's, with a couple of B's every so often--nothing below a B). Next quarter, I'll be attending a very prestigious engineering school (also in the LA area) for a class on an exchange program (I'll get credit at my own institution for work done at the prestigious engineering school). I've also been working at an engineering firm doing actual engineering work.

So I ask you: What do I do next? I enjoy finance and engineering (and creative writing, but that won't put food on the table). I've thought about going to school to study quantitative finance, but more school? Another masters? Do I want to be in school forever? Do I get an engineering job? The idea of JUST doing engineering work kind of bores me.

Do I try to find a consulting job? Consulting sounds exciting, but do they hire engineers fresh out of school? And my undergraduate institution for my BSME isn't prestigious. From what I hear, McKinsey and Boston Consulting Group hire from schools everyone's heard of (such as the prestigious school I'll be attending next quarter).

Also, it has been said that my participation in this exchange program would help my chances of getting into their graduate school. From this particular institution, I wouldn't mind another year or so of school for a Master's, but there's no guarantee of getting in (or even succeeding in their exchange program).

I ask you (yes--YOU!) for your ideas. I want to hear things I haven't thought of. I want to make a pretty good amount of money. A lot of money would be great. I don't want to work 80 or 90 hours per week unless there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Also, I want to see my girlfriend for more than an hour a week. No, I don't want to join the Peace Corps. No, I don't want to move to Qatar to take part in their huge economic boom. No, I don't want to join the military (as suggested by the idiot career adviser at my school's career center).

mba application tips?

tessalations999 — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 05:05:45 -0800

I am applying to business school for an MBA at a top school. I only have experience working at a non-profit, and some social service experience. I have grad school experience in Social Work. Any suggestions/ ideas of how to market my experience? What are some tips for being a successful applicant? Thank you! Also, there is a MPA degree at my school as well. I am not sure i fully understand the difference of an MPA versus an MBA. Anyone have experience with this? Thank you so much for your help!!

Becoming a Strategy Consultant.

Zé Pequeno — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 10:57:01 -0800

I'm almost finished with my Masters in International Business and have started sending out job applications to a number of companies, nearly all of which are involved in strategic consultancy. The top companies, quite understandably, are fiercely competitive. I know I have what it takes, but I want the best chance possible of showing them that too. I've sent out applications to some of the most well known and respected companies across Europe and I've even received some invitations to attend interviews. These interviews are infamous amongst business school students for being especially tough and often rather obscure. For example, in one book, a would-be McKinsey employee is asked to calculate the weight of a jumbo jet; another was asked to estimate the number of firemen in New York City. Obviously, they are not interested in an accurate answer (if you were, by some strange quirk, able to answer such questions, they'd probably not want you anyway) but they do want to see some innovative, clever patterns of thought.

What I want to know is, how can I best prepare myself for this kind of grueling? Sat down in the comfort of my own home, I was able to think of many possible responses to such questions but I'm not sure I could do it in an interview situation.

I'm also interested in suggestions with regard to improving general numeracy. I am rather good at working out arithmetic in my head but, to my detriment, didn't listen well enough at school so some of the things you just HAVE TO LEARN passed me by. A great deal of toil here at business school has helped me catch up a lot, but still.

I look forward to your suggestions! Feel free to contact me through private message.

Should I get my Master's in Accounting instead of MBA?

icollectpurses — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 23:46:40 -0800

I am contemplating on pursuing a Master's degree in Accounting. I am hoping to eventually be a CFO of a public company one day, and it seems having a CPA is better than spending additional year or two getting an MBA in Finance or something. I'd very much appreciate any feedback on this! With the recent change in CPA requirement, I can't take the CPA exam after a few CPA courses. Instead, I think it might be better for me to get a Master's in Accounting to prepare myself for the exam than take college level courses. My question is if the MSA (Master's in Accounting) + the certification(CPA) + law degree is the same as MBA + law degree?

I think MBAs are overrated and I see more and more people with CPA becoming CFOs of public company. I am not sure if that trend will change as Sarbane Oxley evolves, but with the evolution of capital markets, I actually think CPAs will be of even higher demand than now.
On the other hand, I see some people that have all three degrees...MSA, JD, AND MBA, why is that? For management aspect of education? I am sure the school attended makes difference as well, but I am considering top tier schools.

Can I get into an MBA program?

Anonymous — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 06:01:21 -0800

What type of people apply to a top ten MBA program? Are there $9,000-a-year college admissions consultants for this, too? I do not work for a top (e.g., McKinsey, Sotheby's, Lehman Bros.) firm on the coasts, or go to a top ten undergrad program. Are these a necessity for admissions?

I scored high (740) on my first GMAT practice test, graduated top five percent of my class with a 3.8. I went to a "more selective" (U.S. News) school, that is probably too small to be ranked. I work in St. Louis regional company and have done very well there (24, several highly successful projects, I was recently made director-level to give a perspective).

I feel as if the only thing different from me and the people I know going to the few programs I wish to go to (Stanford, Chicago, NYU-Stern, Columbia) have crazy pedigrees. Is that how it works? I have heard that schools past the top tier drop off in quality rapidly.

Any recommendations on the college admissions consultants? I hear they are expensive, but effective in placement for undergrads. I assume such a service exists for grad school placement.

I am trying to keep this short, I apologize in advance that it came off as rather crass.

How do I find a new job while working on my MBA?

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 21:27:06 -0800

I need a new job and have very odd and hard to explain experience, resume thoughts, job hunt thoughts? I work for a small software company. While technically I am VP of Marketing and Business Development I feel like this doesn't mean much as I have no staff. I have worked for them for two years and this is the most typically business job I have had.

I also have worked as a daily consultant type for a another company doing product development, product positioning, etc. Essentially professional brain storming.

Before that I worked for a theme park for ten years in entertainment production.

I have an undergrad in motion pictures and am currently getting my evening MBA from a prestigious school in the Northeast.

The company I work for is likely going under because the guy in charge of raising VC hasn't been able to raise much for various reasons.

So I have experience in marketing, video, theater, etc...

What should I put on my resume for the current job? Isn't VP or even director of marketing a bit odd when I have no staff? I had a ton of ideas but most were not able to be implemented due to finance.

How can I leverage my not done for another 2 years MBA?

I don't usually deal well with very corporate environments and enjoy having as much autonomy as possible.

This is in the Boston area.

I need you for a consult

barrakuda — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 11:44:49 -0800

In follow up to my highly unsuccessful question from last week (which btw you are still very welcome to answer), what do you actually do when you work in "consulting" and how do you get there? I am specifically interested in non-IT consulting and would like to know:

1) What does your job consist of, i.e. what is it specifically that you do?
2) What are the education/knowledge/skill requirements to perform this job?
3) How did you get hired (would be interested mostly in stories from European offices but all are welcome to contribute)

How to get in?

barrakuda — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 15:17:28 -0800

I am interested in hearing the experiences on applying to MBA programs in Europe (specifically to IESE, IMD, INSEAD, LBS and Oxford/Said) and [the US]. I am interested in experiences, strategies that worked, things to know and expect - comments welcome from those who got in and those who didn't. I am possibly thinking about applying to these schools and would like to know what it is that I need to get in. Although I'm mostly interested in the abovementioned European schools - for posterity, you're welcome to share your experiences with applying to top US programs.

Bonus question, for those who did their MBA in any of the Euro schools. What were your impressions?

Where should I live in the US while I go to business school?

weiler63 — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 21:55:54 -0800

Where should I live in the US while I go to business school? I'm taking my GMATs for the third and final time (take a test prep class, my score has risen almost 200 points) and now I have a decision facing me.

Do I stay here in San Diego, where I completed my undergrad, or look for another home for the next 3 years (or longer).

I'm looking for places with "B" business schools and up combined with great weather, great activities and that "it" feeling, where when you visit for the first time, you get drawn in.

I'm past my "drink 15 beers, throw up and drink 15 more" phase, but I'm not quite at that wine snob phase, if that helps guide your recommendations.

Some early candidates include Albuquerque, NM and Austin, TX, I haven't been to either, although I have friends who've come from both. Its gonna take a special place to pull me away from San Diego (I'm a sucker for whale's vaginas) but give me your best shot. Thanks --AW

Help me figure out what type of careers are possible!

PetiePal — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 11:20:47 -0800

Explain to me what career paths for an MBA, Masters and technical certifications can lead to. I'm a 25 year old IT professional in NJ. I graduated in 2004 from Syracuse University with a bachelor of science in Information Technology/Management. Since then I've worked for companies such as AIG, Pfizer, Merck, Nokia and a small hedge fund. My last few positions were contracts as opposed to full-time due to the scarcity of jobs in these fields. I've done a little bit of everything from lowly help desk, managing small scale projects, vendor relationships, IT managing info systems, change control and technical writing.

I'm starting to consider continuing my education with graduate school or an MBA. I find the biggest problem with most programs or masters degrees is that you never really are presented with a clear idea of what careers opportunities each afford you.

I've never been a fan of (or that good for that matter) programming. I'm really much more of a people person that someone who's stuck in a cubicle all day programming.

Some of the things I really enjoy:

-project management
-writing
-interacting with people
-video game culture
-Developing new ideas
-Stocks/stock market
-vendor relations
-managing teams/people

What can you do with an MBA? A Masters in Technology? What kinds of fields, jobs or career paths do each of these afford?

The idea of being a CTO for a company really appeals to me. Being the person who makes strategic decisions of the technological direction and implementations of a company always seemed like a very interesting job path. What is the path to being a CTO?

I feel like I'm 25 and I'm nowhere farther really than I was when I graduated 3 years ago. I have "real-world" experience but it's not enough to find a solid full-time job than I can be happy in and grow career-wise.

Also any recommendations on programs/schools in NJ?

How do I sign back up for B-School spam?

rorycberger — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 14:45:51 -0800

A couple years ago, I took the GMAT and thus got subscribed (to be fair, I think I opted in) to get on a bunch of schools' marketing lists. I seem to have fallen off of that list, despite the fact that right now I am starting to seriously look into MBA programs. How do I get back on the "please spam me" list for B-Schools?

Should I borrow $80K to finance my business school education?

kakes — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 17:51:08 -0800

Right now, I plan to start business school in the fall. It's a top five program, and in all likelihood, my salary after school will be about twice what I make now. That said, I'll be borrowing about $80K to cover the costs in the short-term. Is this a good idea? I'm excited about b-school in general but perhaps not to the extent that I'm willing to incur a debt that will burden me for decades to come.

Finding a graduate program that's not a traditional MBA

lsemel — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 08:16:00 -0800

I was thinking going back for an MBA, but realize I may be looking for something different. My background is in Internet, technology and media, and I have a degree in computer science. I'm also good at design. I've started technology businesses on my own, but I want to make a change and open up new directions. My interests lie more in the area of innovation, new product development/design, consulting and entrepreneurship. From the research I've done, most of the MBA programs are pretty similar, and geared to people who want to work on Wall Street or in large corporations. While I'm not particularly interested in these areas, I definitely want to learn about business as pertains to my areas of interest, and make new connections. Are there any graduate programs (MBA or otherwise) more tailored more toward my interests?

Business Models Help

mooders — Wed, 30 May 2007 03:51:14 -0800

MBAFilter: Where can I find an overview of different business models, their merits and downsides? I am an MBA student (but still one of the good guys, honest). In the course of reading vast swathes of literature I often find myself pondering why certain companies chose, or continue to adhere to, one business model over another. For example, why did newspaper website A choose a subscriber model, when newspaper website B chose open access? Why would a manufacturer persist with a manufacturer-intermediary-consumer model? Why not go direct to the consumer?

What I would ideally love, is a book or website which lists and discusses the many types of business models and their relative merits, dependencies (e.g. requires early-adopter mindset from customers), issues, historic or current examples and so forth.

I don't know whether such a thing exists, but if it does, I am sure the HiveMind knows where!

Thanks in advance!

I need MBA advice to make sure I don't waste two years and $100k

Mr Bunnsy — Thu, 17 May 2007 19:16:03 -0800

Is an MBA worth it for me, or am I just trying to keep up with friends who all seem to have letters after their names now that we're hitting our late 20s? My dream job is international marketing, particularly working for companies or brands that are expanding between Asia and the English-speaking world. It would involve a good bit of travel and be based in a major city.

My current job is nominally marketing manager, but it's a small company and I do a good deal of operations, web and graphics work, client service, you name it. I'm 27 and female, if it matters, and my degree was in Economics with a barely 3.0 GPA from a decent state school. My grades were a lot better in my last two years (dean's list) and I'm certain I can ace the GMAT with some more studying. I do very well on standardized tests and had a near-perfect SAT... somewhat of an idiot savant that way.

I've been researching schools for months but I still don't have a good idea of how I stack up vs other applicants, and whether I have a shot at a good school. I would want to go full-time and really take advantage of the resources and networking the school offers. But my goal is not astronomical salary or prestige, just an interesting job that allows me to travel to cool places, pays enough for the ensuing school loans on top of a decent lifestyle, and doesn't make me wear a suit every day. I think eventually I'd like to start my own (or with a partner) company.

Sorry this is so long-winded. My real questions are:
- Do I have a shot of getting into a top school (US or abroad) and how to increase my chances.

- Is it worth going even if I do get into a good school, or is the opportunity cost too high? Could I get where I want to be without an MBA? (Most of the jobs ads that look interesting to me do require one.)

- Should I be conversant in an Asian language if I want to specialize in Asia? My college Japanese is almost gone and to pick it up again it I'd need a few months of serious, and probably full-time study.

- Are MBA programs full of pretentious asses who are much more interested in money than knowledge or doing cool things, and will make me feel out of place and homicidal within months? How do I find one with genuinely smart and interested students?

Thank you in advance!