The hunt

As I began my research into the right Masters degree I realised I still didn't quite find the right course for me in the regular Masters stream. I searched through numerous brochures and web-sites reading up on the course content and curriculum. But still nothing that truly popped out and said- "You need to be here".

Queen of the World (aka my Mom) then suggested looking into MBA programs. I immediately dismmissed it. I didn't want to go into finance. Even though I owned my own business I didn't think that 1. an MBA was for me as my thoughts on MBAs were that it was for people who wanted to get into the high flying finance world and 2. I didn't do my undergrad in any kind of math related program so I wouldn't get in anyway.

However, 27 years of dealing with a husband and daughter with similar head strong personalities taught my mom how to deal with my ignorant dismissiveness. She introduced me to MBA graduates who had not done their undergrad in finance or math related programs. Once I spoke to them and numerous others I found out that in fact I knew more people did their MBA after doing their Bachelor's and subsequent work experience that had nothing to do with Finance!

These people had pre-MBA lives in industries such as music, television, literature, computers etc. Thats when I started to curb my Masters research into the hunt for the right MBA.

Fabulous schools popped up in my search, schools in France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland. However, many of them were actually geared towards people who wanted to go into Finance. Sure they all had streams that would allow you to branch out and so I did research them thoroughly, but they still didn't quite fit. They all promised "career assistance" boasting impressive percentages of graduates that got jobs after graduation. Most of these are considered even better than some Ivy League schools on an international level. Yes there are schools considered better than the Ivy even though the American marketing strategy has been quite successful in touting them to be the best in the world. Also anyone who watched Rick Mercer's Talking to Americans will probably not have the best view of Harvard and the fact that Dubya Bush went there can't have helped their reputation any. But I digress, these great European institutions also demanded not just your first born, but probably your second as well! 40K Euros...50K Euros...60K Euros...and so on!

I started to get a bit disuaded, but then then suddenly, one school stuck out. the MIP Business school at Politecnico Di Milano not only responded to all my querries promptly, but did so without ever making me feel like I was just another number and never made me feel like like I wasn't worth them (yes people there are schools out there that will give you that sense sometimes and sometimes even before they get to know you!).

They are the #2 business school in Italy, Bocconi being #1. So ofcourse I looked and Bocconi and it reminded me of University of Toronto. Not a bad thing- great for a majority of people- but not for me.

I was a Ryerson University graduate. I needed a school much like how Ryerson nurtured me. A place that was fresh and open to new ideas. A place that would allow for practical work and a place that had and brought in great seated and visiting professors. The University of Toronto type schools were always too stiff for my liking.

So I began to read more about MIP. The more I read, and the more I spoke to them the more I really wanted to go there. This school also had the earliest deadline with their courses starting in May. This worked to my benefit, because once I decided this was my #1 choice I figured if I didn't get in here I would apply to some of the back ups I had in Spain and Switzerland.

And so in July of 2008 began the application process and the preparation for the dreaded....GMAT exam.