In  Part I of this article, we looked at the different destinations for international MBA programmes. Today, we provide four stories to highlight and accentuate the strengths and weaknesses of each nation. 

• Don't miss! MBA programmes in the US and UK

Case 1

Sandeep Agarwal was a successful doctor in India. When he was 42, he decided he wanted to change his life. So he took his GMAT and scored an amazing 770. He was deciding between the US, UK and Canada and applied to B-schools in all these countries. He did not apply to Australian Business School for personal reasons. Sandeep got admission in many B-schools, but eventually chose the US. He got admission in Northwestern University (Kellogg Business School) and decided to go there to pursue his MBA. Sandeep wanted to work in the country where he pursued his MBA and hence decided against the UK. He did not want to go to Canada because of the slow economy and hence decided to attend Northwestern. Today, Sandeep is a successful financial analyst in Morgan and Stanley in New York.

Another factor to consider is the length of the MBA programme. If you have sufficient years of work experience and wish to get back to your business quickly, then you may want to consider the UK or Europe. The one-year MBA curriculum is extremely demanding and students are expected to work more than 10 hours a day to be successful in the one-year MBA programme.

Case 2

Kunal Mehta has a successful diamond business in India. He is a commerce graduate and worked in his family business for five years before deciding he needed an MBA degree. He felt his business knowledge was extremely restricted and hence he needed formal business skills to expand and diversify his family business. An MBA was the ideal choice for Kunal. However, Kunal wanted an MBA degree which was 'quick' because he wanted to get back to his business as soon as possible. Also, he did not have a 16th year of education (the bachelor of commerce degree is a three year degree, hence Kunal had 15 years of education. Most US and Canadian B-schools require students to have 16 years of education). The best option for Kunal was to pursue an MBA degree in the UK or Australia (both the countries require only 15 years of education). Since Kunal wanted a shorter MBA duration, he eventually chose the UK. He completed his MBA degree in general management in one year and is now back in India diversifying his family business.

• Can I work while studying in the US?

Case 3

Raj Talreja did not have sufficient funding to pursue his MBA degree. He completed his bachelor of engineering degree and worked as a software engineer for three years. Raj now wanted a managerial position and he felt an MBA would help him get there. Money was a very strong criterion for Raj and he had to choose an MBA programme that did not empty his wallet. Raj decided against a one-year MBA as he has no prior business knowledge; he realised that a two-year curriculum would give him a better understanding of business. Hence, he decided to apply to Canada and Australia. Raj got into top B-schools in both the countries but was not keen on Australia because of the difficulty in getting jobs once you graduate. He chose Canada as his destination. Canadian B-schools were not very expensive and he could work in Canada after pursuing his MBA degree. Today, Raj is a Canadian citizen and works for a large multinational software firm.

Carefully study the course content of business schools before making your decision, as some students prefer the case-study methodology as compared to group exercises. US and Canadian business schools tend to lean towards the case-study approach whereas UK and Australian B-schools tend to lay more emphasis on real-life situations and group activities.

Case 4

Nitish Shah worked in his steel factory. He had a successful business but regretted not having enough business skills to globalise the business. He decided an MBA would be ideal for him. Nitish was a science graduate and had completed his bachelor of science degree. He wanted an MBA programme that was two years in duration. He also wanted an MBA programme that would use real-life examples as a teaching method. Nitish was not in favour of the case study approach so he decided that he would not apply to the US or Canada. The UK was out because Nitish wanted a two-year MBA curriculum. When he looked at Australian B-schools, he realised Australia was the best bet for him. Nitish completed his MBA degree at the University of Sydney and has now expanded his steel business to various parts of Asia.

• Financing your international degree

With an increasing demand for international managers, the global future of the MBA looks bright. As Andrew MacDonald, head of APESMA Management Education, Australia puts it, "Management is where the dollars are, and an MBA is the key to getting into management".

Don't let your age deter you from applying to B-Schools -- whether you're in your mid-twenties, thirties or forties and want to change your career, go for it. The most difficult part of an MBA is deciding to go ahead with the MBA.

Once you have carefully evaluated all your options, done a thorough research on your career goals and aspirations and looked into your wallet, you are ready to board the MBA train to your dream destination.

Part I -- Why an MBA is important

Karan Gupta is an international education consultant and can be contacted at kgc@karangupta.com
For more information visit www.karangupta.com or www.report-ed.com.