Hi,
Your profile seems impressive based on the details provided. However you would need to quantify in detail what all you have done, what all organizations you have been a part of, what all charity work you have done etc. before an overall picture of how it fits into the MSc/MBA picture can be framed.
Please read the points below in response to the questions you have asked:
1. An MSc Degree in Management or related fields would most certainly not be frowned down upon. In fact, it most probably will add to your overall candidacy as your undergradutate degree is a BSc. (I am assuming it is not in Economics/Finance/Management/HR related fields). The MSc would in all probability signal to the admissions committee that you have a genuine interest in management and went in for a specialist masters course. P
lease remember that generally, MSc Management is more about the operations and a more theoretical approach towards management. In fact some students take MSc Level courses in management, finance etc. after their MBA studies are over. An MBA is more focussed on strategy and decisions related courses and involves more practical aspects, such as business plan building.
Finally, it is upto you - if you have a job offer and you feel it would add to your resume, and is also something you would really like to do, our advice is work for a minimum of 2 years before applying for an MBA. If you think you do not want to work right now, you can go in for your MSc and then work for a couple of years and apply then for the MBA. The latter plan would delay your getting an MBA but add experiences. How positively this MSc will help you, depends on you area of study and the institute you go to.
2. We would strongly advise against applying to a good B-School within a year of starting work. There is a chance of getting in, but not much when compared to the time you have 2-3 years of work experience under your belt. Please beware, that although B-Schools encourage students to apply early, as in straight from college or within a year or two of starting work, they are also looking at increasing application numbers (thus lowering selectivity percentage and raising the school's prestige) and getting money from student applications (if you work a year, you are considered a full grad and pay the normal application fee, barring maybe 2-3 schools).
3. Your alternatives sound good, but please note that you need to show full dedication towards the charity work if you go in for it. As far as our knowledge goes, there are very few major impact charity programs, where students/professionals can contribute much (the part you need to reflect on your admissions essays) by being part of the venture for just a year. We would suggest a minimum of 2 years or maybe mixing a year of charity with setting up a business/working.
4. It seems you are looking at a maximum of 1 year before you apply for your MBA. Even though you have 7 internships, as mentioned above, your chances would not be too much as compared to when you have 2-3 or more years of experience. Even with 7 internships, the adcom will not substitute it for full time work experience. 1 year of work ex. or straight from college students do get admitted. But the percentage of the class they make up for is 0-5% (the maximum being HBS, where the class size itself is 900, hence the percentage).
5. You mentioned your MSc is at a top 10 university. As USA institutes don't generally offer MSc in management related areas, I am guessing this is an institue in England (LSE, Imperial, Cambridge, Oxford etc.) or Europe (HEC etc.) If you can disclose the name of the university and the exact course, we could advise you better. We have a lot of mentors from the above colleges and maybe one of the can give you some suggestions regarding your career path.
Hope this helps. All the best.
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