Wht's the right way to get in touch with curr students in top MBA schools in US. I need more info abt the pgms

I did my MS(CS) a couple of years ago and I am currently working as a developer/lead. I am planning to do MBA in future and am exploring the type of MBA and the school to aim for. Specifically, I need info about the criteria to choose the type of MBA, admission processes, funds/tuition management. Thanks in advance for any guidance or information.

Well, Harvard is pretty much regarded as the top MBA program, but from my experience, some of the smaller, less-regarded schools have a lot to offer (while others are pretty poor). For what it's worth, I got my MBA at the University of South Florida, and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and breadth of the program.

I think your idea of talking to students is wise. The ratings of programs are really not as important as you might think. I mean, if you get a Harvard, Chicago, Virginia, Stanford, Wharton, etc MBA, it will help you a lot, but most of the mid-range schools are all considered about equal by the people doing the hiring. Your average businessman doesn't know the difference between an MBA from Notre Dame or USF or Kansas or Babson. So, either it's a TOP program (which are really hard to get into) or a quality mid-range program, which don't differ much in reputation.

U.S News and World Report is kinda the standard for rating MBA programs, and that will give you a starting place. But don't be crushed if you don't get in to a top program. There are dozens of high quality programs around the country that have little recognition nationally.

Admissions are generally early: you'll need to apply by January for Fall admissions to the best schools, but you may be able to apply later to mid-range schools.

If you can negotiate for an assistantship, you can get your tuition paid for and a stipend to cover your living expenses too. Alternately, with your computer skills, you might consider taking a full-time job with a college that offers free tuition to employees. Or, you might just check with your current employer to see if they have a program to pay tuition for employees. You might be surprised.

As for the "type" of MBA, I don't think that will matter much. Most MBA programs are pretty similar. The only real differences are Part-time/Full-time, which is a decision that would be determined by your own personal needs; and Traditional MBA/Executive MBA. Executive MBA is really designed for rich people who don't have any time but want to pay lots of tuition, so it doesn't sound like your style. If you have to ask about money, you're not the Executive MBA type. ;-)

Your next step is to take the GMAT exam and get a good score. They used to have sample tests available online to test yourself. I'm not sure if they still do that, but I put their website below for you.

Best of luck to you.

Figure out which schools are best (there are tons of rankings -- US News, WSJ, and Financial Times to name a few) and then start looking them up on the internet. Look for student organizations that you're interested in -- most MBA schools have them and most orgs probably have a website with their officers listed. Contact those people and ask away! I'm finishing up my MBA now (UT Austin) and I've had people send me e-mails after seeing my name on a website and I always take the time to answer their questions.