Deciding on Grad School - All Help is Appreciated!

Hi everyone,

BLUF: No formal RE experience. Trying to decide what path to take to break in and also torn b/w DEV and Finance. I am dead set on RE btw.

Accepted into USC MBA, Columbia MSRED, UNC MBA, Gtown MBA, and W/L at Cornell MBA (still trying but they seem to W/L everyone). I have also been trying to find direct job opportunities in REIB and REDEV but it appears to be going nowhere (is this a bad job market?). I want to live in either NYC, LA, or DC. I visited NYC in UG frequently but that's it. Grew up in small town and stationed in crappy crapholes so any of the 3 would be a dream come true and am equal b/w them. Ideally, I would like to start my own firm in the "near" future and have been told numerous times by alumni that finding an owner/operator where I could learn more from the get go would be ideal but I have also read that exit ops in a small shop vs a big firm would be less than ideal.

So with that all said, if I am looking to start my own dev or pere fund w/n the next 10 yrs what would you guys recommend? Should I transition to a job directly in a fast growing market like Nashville or Austin? Or should I head to grad school in a Tier 1 market to find a decent job, gain WE, and then start my own?

About Me: Eng. Degree @ Military Academy, transitioning officer, WE is defense related (so obv no firms will care but don't regret as this was dream as kid)

Few Notes: Tuition, living expenses, and chronic knee pain are 100% funded so cost is not a concern (thanks guys) also keep the roasts light lol I'm sure I wrote some contradicting things