Please express an opinion

[dimming]

Hello Stacy,
I would very much appreciate a qualified opinion from you on my strengths and weaknesses. My intention is to apply to a top 10 MBA program in the USA.

These are some of the relevant facts:
Studies:
- undergraduate: management; GPA: 3.7 (second in my year)
- master: small business; GPA: 3.9
- PhD: international economics; GPA: N/A
All from the top university in the field of economics - in an Eastern European country.
- CFA: level 2 candidate

GMAT:
680 (48q; 35v; 6awa)

work experience:
- teaching fellow for 5 years at the above mentioned university
- 2 years in consulting (run of the mill company in my country)

publications:
- a number of articles in academic journals;
- a book (considered an important contribution to my country's economic literature)

extracurricular activities:
- some church programs;
- tutoring;
- teaching English to less privileged

international exposure outside of work:
- moved to China and started to learn Chinese, as a first step towards my plan to open an English teaching business in this country.

Reason for an MBA: as mentioned above - I need the practical skills to develop a sound business, after going pretty deep into the theoretical realm with the PhD.

I would especially appreciate your opinion on the relevance of the PhD+publications in the MBA file. I've read opinions stating it is a bad thing to have the PhD (diplomas hunter?) and others that say it can be an advantage.

Thank you for your time and thoughts.

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear dimming,

How you present your rationale for an MBA is the key for someone with the amount of education you have. Why do you need the MBA in addition to your PhD and other master's degree to achieve your goals? How will your past experience and education, when combined with the MBA, enable you to pursue your goals and succeed in this path? If you already have a master's degree in small business, then how is an MBA different and what do you need from the program that you don't already have? For any applicant with graduate work, these are the kinds of questions that will come up and that you need to address in your essays. If you present a solid rationale for the MBA in relation to your past experience and future goals, then you will overcome the concern on being viewed as a "degree collector."

Good luck,
Lisa