Ask Stacy Blackman

I've recently taken the GMAT. I thought I had all my ducks in a row prior to the testing, but my recent GMAT test just threw me a little curveball.

I'm currently residing outside of Allentown, PA, and had full intentions of going to a local university (Kutztown University) for an MBA, starting in 2007. My company, a respected Engineering & product-based company out of Reading, is willing to foot my entire educational bill, so long as I only go to school part time, and continue to work full-time, This would be nothing new for me, as I worked an entry Electical Engineering position part-time through my undergrad work, beginning in my second-semester of my Sophomore year and continuing all the way through graduation day.

However, I recently scored a 760 on my GMAT (thanks, in part, to your site here), and after taking a step back and evaluating my profile, I see that I have what many top schools are looking for - working part time throughout my Undergrad work, Graduating Summa Cum Laude in Computer & Electrical Engineering (Top 5% of graduating class @ University of Pittsburgh, class of 2004), and achieving a 99th percentile GMAT score, on top of 3 to 4 years professional experience (depending on when I apply / enroll / etc).

I'm now reevaluating my MBA decisions. And now, I'm looking for some (or any) advice on where to go at this crossroad in my life. I could stay at my current job (which I'm happy with, but will probably not stick with after receiving my MBA, unless they really surprise me with a big pay raise / promotion / etc...) and go to Kutztown University (local) or Lehigh University (a little further of a commute for me, but a little more well-respected University). Or I could quit my position altogether and go to a top school - ie, one of the Wharton's or Kellogg's of the MBA world (assuming i get in, of course).

Obviously, leaving school $100k - $200k in student debt isn't very appealing either, especially if the benefits of a top-ranked MBA program don't far surpass the benfits of (an essentially) free MBA education at Lehigh.

Right now, I'm just looking for advice on anything and everything - how good Lehigh really is, how Lehigh stacks up to a Wharton-caliber school, and ultimately, any advice on making my decison.

I'm in the information-gathering stage right now, and if I'm forced to postpone any enrollment until (gasp) 2008, so be it, so long as I make the right decision, and not one I'm going to regret.

Thanks in advance for any advice given.

Brett