I have dual citizenship, US and French, and I actually grew up in Northern California but moved to France for my undergrad. Now I'm living in Paris and working in marketing. I am thinking about doing my MBA next year. I have a couple of options:

- stay in Paris and do a part-time MBA at a school like HEC Paris or ENPC. I would be able to retain my job for the duration. It would take me longer though.
- go somewhere else in Europe. I could consider going to another business school in France (EMLyon) or perhaps England (Manchester or Oxford or Cambridge, schools like this.)
- the third option is to go back to the US and study for two years. From what understand I wouldn't have to pay fees for international students since I am a citizen. For some schools in California, since I went to high school in the state I would be eligible for in-state tuition. I don't think this really applies to the schools I would apply to, though: Berkeley or UCLA, mainly. New York is also an option for me.

So I am wondering if that's not the best option. I would of course return to Paris after I graduate (or maybe after two years of working in the US). Companies here, I've found, really value international experience, especially in the US. The problem is that I would lose out on any networking opportunities here during my MBA. But this is more in the long term (say 2 years of an MBA + 2-3 years of working, that's 4-5 years out, and by that time I would hope to be in a better position to look for jobs here again.)

What should I do?? Help!!

French businesses don't work like US businesses, so a US management education will give you some rough edges. While some firms, US firms in particular, might value that I am not sure that they would value that enough with even higher pay enough to justify the much greater cost, and opportunity cost, of an MBA in the USA.

If you want to stay in France, then a trans-Atlantic double degree like Sorbonne-Georgia State or ENPC-Temple is certainly a great value way to get both perspectives. Depending on where you did your undergrad, then HEC, ESSEC and ESCP Europe are much stronger choices in Paris for extending your business network. They are all strong for marketing, and a specialised masters is also a popular option in France. The SMIB at ESSEC might interest you, and ESCP has a great masters in marketing. HEC also has many exchange programmes in the USA, if you want to study full-time.

International students in the US pay the same fees as everyone else: citizenship brings no tuition discount in any of the top MBAs. Neither would you meet the California rules for in-state tuition.

Oh, that Sorbonne Georgia State program looks really interesting!!

No, I would exactly meet the rules for instate tuition, however, at schools like UCSD, since I attended high school in California for three or more years, I can qualify for a waiver from nonresident tuition. I have yet to find other schools where this applies, but I honestly haven't really looked that closely yet.

Is that the criterion for in-state tuition? There are the same 3 criteria all across California: https://students.ucsd.edu/finances/fees/residence/criteria.html

[Edited by Duncan on Jun 04, 2015]

Yes, but as I stated above I would qualify for a waiver. See "Graduate of a California high school" here:

https://students.ucsd.edu/finances/fees/residence/exemptions.html

Oh! Well, that is very cool. I am pleasantly surprised. More here: http://www.ucop.edu/student-affairs/policies/universitywide-program-policies-and-guidelines/AB540.html

Thanks for this. Looks like it's UC wide, which would be good for me at Haas. I'm more interested in that school than UCSD.