Going from RE Development -> MSRED -> Distressed/NPL HF (RE focus)

Hi,

This is a follow-up post to one I made over in the real estate forum. I did not get much in the way of response, so I wanted to try over here.

I was accepted to a top MSRED program (MIT/Columbia/Cornell). I have a few years of work experience at a boutique development shop doing some pretty unusual/interesting developments in the US and Japan. I recently read Moyer after a friend recommended it and I'm extremely interested in looking at a career in distressed/special sit. I have some awesome experience in all aspects of development, but lack deep financial skills. The MSRED program gives me access to B school at the university and a number of really solid electives relevant to distressed debt plus that rigorous financial and valuation knowledge of RE which I need, and of course a strong network. So, is it possible for me to use the MSRED to move to a distressed fund in a major city? I'm specifically interested in distressed RE, and NPL on Real Assets of all kinds, but I think my skills would also be useful for any distressed business with significant RE assets.