From my experience getting my MBA from Darden in 2008 and then starting my own businesses by 2010. The number one benefit was how it helped to build my professi

From my experience getting my MBA from Darden in 2008 and then starting my own businesses by 2010. The number one benefit was how it helped to build my professional network. Before, I was a shop floor manager in a few fabrication facilities in WV and Southwest VA in rural areas. Without my MBA experience, I'd never have a chance to meet people working at major Wall Street banks. I didn't have any finance industry experience. Fast forward into my summer break between 1st and 2nd year, I received an offer from Bear Stearns to work in NYC. I didn't take that job. Instead, I took an offer to work in Newport Beach, CA as a management consultant. Hard decision, right? NYC or the beach in Orange County - I chose the beach. These are options that never would have happened without my MBA. Now as an entrepreneur, if I want to go raise funds, I have a network to help with introductions. Also, studying for my MBA at Darden changed my thought patterns in making decisons under conditions of uncertainty. Courses in quantitative decision analysis and option valuation introduced me to monte-carlo methods and real option analysis. Now, I don't often break out a black scholes model to help me make decisions. But, I gained a fundamental understanding of how to analyse uncertain situations and find decision points to cut downside and increase upside. This has helped me to stay in business working for myself for 10 years now.