Initial Planning Underway....

Hello everyone!

Quick bio: BBA from a no-name state school. Retail management/logistics management post BBA. Currently serving as an Officer in the Army. Will have a MS in Operations Management and MS in Geological Engineering (highly suggested by the Army...so why not?). Mediocre undergraduate GPA (solid major and last 60), 3.9 graduate GPA currently. 10+ years of experience between civilian and military career.

Here is what I am starting to plan: MBA options. I am hoping that in 2017, I can be stationed close enough to gain access to a solid EMBA or PMBA-type program for a reasonable school. Right now, I am trying to find ways to open up the following schools: Northwestern, Notre Dame, Chicago, Carnegie Melon, Texas, Washington, UNC, Duke, Penn, MIT. These seem to be all the solid B-schools which are near potential assignments that seem to be coming on my move-cycle. There is also the potential that I might be near enough (based on schedule) to pull a metro NYC area program as well. Emory may end up being an option as well.

My desired end-state: it is not exactly defined. I am considering making the move back to the private sector to move into consulting, but I can see where something like corporate finance or another financial career could be extremely interesting. I just want something where I can utilize my analytical skill set, operational knowledge, and my managerial skills. I will be a bit older, but also have a broad base of experience to draw from which may help when looking at more complex issues. I am not 100% decided on whether or not I will move from the military, and part of that will hedge on how confident I am in my MBA and the placement. While I will not get rich here, I have a great career that I do enjoy, and that will provide a reasonable living. However, I also know that I have a limited time to earn to set up a solid retirement, that I will be forced to retire from the military when I am still probably going to want to work (be hard to find a job at that age), and I would love something that can challenge me daily more than this does. I also like the idea of improving my earning potential so that I can provide my family with a life they enjoy and can experience things. Lastly, it would be nice to be somewhere long enough to buy a home and settle in a bit.

I am not one of those targeting any particular area for a post-MBA job. I would like a reasonable cost of living, but I know how to make things work around the NYC metro, so I am not concerned about that.

I would love to hear anyone's suggestions on how to start working through this or any prat-falls that you see coming my way that I need to be aware of. I am confident in my ability to succeed, but all the research in the world on these topics never seems to yield the same results as seeking the wisdom of those who have been there and are around it all daily.

Thank you for your time.