I'm about to apply to business schools, and was just curious to see where people think the jobs will be after the two years it would take to complete a program. Will this downturn be over? Should I look at programs that focus on consulting, health care administration, investment banking, or what? I'm at a crossroads, and am not sure what to do.

Anybody have any opinions? Or in a similar situation and about to apply to bschool?

IMO the best bet is Asia(in this i mean mainly china), south America(mainly Brazil - see here:http://www.find-mba.com/article/362/mba-programs-in-emerging-markets-brazil) and maybe also eastern Europe.

as for the economical situation - one can't really know, but i have a feeling that in two years everything would be back to normal(at least in the first and second world countries).

as for the focus - a safe bet would be energy and corporate social responsibility. read these:

http://www.find-mba.com/article/314/can-an-mba-spark-a-career-in-the-energy-industry

http://www.find-mba.com/article/191/more-mba-programs-focusing-on-socially-responsible-business

hope this helps,

Andy