This will be an entrepreneurial role and I am looking forward to applying the practical grounding in business that I've acquired. 'A one-year MBA fits ideally'Jason Kliewer, 28, is an American investment banker who has worked in London on cross-border mergers and acquisitions. He elected to study for an MBA at Cambridge University's Judge Institute of ManagementI was looking for a school with a greater international spread among the student body than I knew I would find in the States At the Judge, we have students from 31 countries. The average age is closer to 30, whereas in the States, it is normally around 25. This was another attraction, as I wanted to learn with people who had at least five years' business experience. Also, for someone in my position who does not plan to change careers, a one-year intensive MBA course ideally fits the bill.I am now in the midst of a month's consulting project with Standard Chartered Bank in London. A former NHS physician, he decided to study for an MBA after becoming involved with a start-up healthcare research companyI had come to enjoy business and saw it as my future career path.

However, I was making a lot of mistakes that cost me time and money and knew I had much to learn about strategy. Having previously worked in the States and enjoyed the can-do approach, I wanted to study at an American business school with a strong focus on leadership and entrepreneurship Wharton stands out in that respect. I also felt it would be important to build contacts in a country which has so much influence on the world economy.Wharton is one of the most international schools in the US in terms of nationalities. The faculty is also very diverse and the teaching staff enjoys an easy, open relationship with students.

The school's informal feel is, however, combined with an in-depth rigour. Although MBA students are based in Paris, they have the opportunity to follow a short seminar programme in each of ESCP-EAP's national centres. "Apart from the lower cost factor, this will allow you to make useful contacts among European-based alumni," says Peter Calladine.There is also the language aspect to consider. Although the MBA is almost invariably taught in English, living among non-English speakers for a year brings the opportunity to acquire at least a working knowledge of another European language and local culture. At IESE Business School in Barcelona, the MBA is taught in English and Spanish, with Spanish tuition available to beginners as part of the programme. ESCP-EAP European School of Management is unusual in providing a pan-European MBA experience via its network of campuses in Paris, Madrid, Berlin and Oxford (soon to move to London).