How to find out if MBA is the right thing for him/her to do?

I want to make sure MBA is the right thing for me to do Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny. Think moar.

This strikes as quite hard to generalize about. One point to consider is that "MBA" isn't one thing -- not only is there a difference b/w MBA and part-time MBA programs (and I assume FEMBAs, not to be confused with FEMAs), but there is a huge difference in the quality of the programs. Here's one aspect: a great deal of an MBA degree's value has to do with credentialing and signaling. So what you get out of it may be radically different depending on the institution you attend. As the above suggests, I would be especially wary of inferring anything from another person's "intuition." Usually the intuition is founded on something and the decision isn't just a leap of faith; if it is, disregard it.

Over next 10-15 years, I see myself in very strong leadership position (in business field) impacting lives of thousands of people in a positive way and making a difference in the world. Sure, but that's not a plan. What do you see yourself doing the day after you graduate? HR? Strategic consulting? Accounting? You can get to "leadership, impact, difference" through a million paths. Some benefit from an MBA, some don't.

My advice is not to get an MBA and also to think more specifically about your short-term goals. My experience has been that most MBAs learn more in their first six months in a workplace/office job than they do in their entire student days. Instead, just build your career in the way you want and are capable of, continue to learn the business world directly, and go from there. There is nothing to match hands-on experience: business and management, like life, cannot be learned through books. Leading 10 people through a software project is good experience, but it's a world apart from managing a company, being a COO or CFO, managing a sales-force, or heading marketing, PR, etc. Find the industry and the aspect of that industry you do best in and work with it. I don't see an MBA giving you the skills or background you need. The theory and practice of business management are worlds apart. Focus on the real-world of the latter. In a tight economy, your experience counts more than your degrees.

**-SOME MORE SPECIFIC INFO FROM ORIGINAL POSTER-** I really appreciate all the feedback. Some more specific info in response to answers above: 1) About specific school: I want to do FEMBA (fully employed) from UCLA Anderson, they says it's world rank 2 in fully employed programs, stands out with their GAP (international hands-on experience) program. 2) About specific field: I'm always thrilled about entrepreneurship. But I don't want to limit myself to anything specific yet, I might not be aware of all the possibilities. I want to take time to check out different paths, as I take my core classes. 3) I'm working as a .net software programmer with 7 years of experience in web development. Lastly, please keep them (opinions, thoughts) coming. More the brainstorming, more it will help me (and many others in the same boat) to take right decisions. Thanks a tons!

I want to commend you on being really smart to think this through. I met all these baby-faced people who have no clue why they want to go to business school but just want to go to a "top" school. They're completely infatuated with the names but aren't at all sure what skills they want or what industry they want to go into. It's fair, of course, because I'm sure if they did get into a name brand b-school, they'd be set with some kind of job. But it's good to do your research and talk to a lot of people who have MBAs before you decide to invest the money.

Or is intuition plus some basic fact check plus strong desire enough to dive right in? ^ This was how it was for me. I am a big supporter of education, and specifically graduate school. That said, I don't think it's the kind of endeavor one should undertake if they are not sure. I knew before I even graduated college that I wanted to get an MBA, and it has done great things for my career. The classmates that knew they wanted it and had an idea of what they wanted to get out of it have found more success (and faster) that those that went because they thought it sort of made sense or they weren't sure what else to do. I see the same thing from those that go to law school or other graduate programs for those reasons. YMMV. As someone who did a part-time MBA (FEMBA?) - it is not for the faint of heart. I think you need to KNOW that this is what you want, otherwise making it through will be hell. I wanted to quit so many times and if I hadn't been as invested/determined, perhaps I would have. You don't need to know exactly where you want to be at the end, but it helps to be sure that this is the degree you need in order to get somewhere close to where you might like to be. FWIW, an MBA doesn't teach you to be a leader, no matter what the marketing material says. Good luck with your decision.

You won't know the MBA was the right decision until you've done it. You can think it's the right way to go, but it's impossible to anticipate your entire career. I did use my time in B-school to figure out some career path choices. It's a really good place to safely learn some things outside of your core skills. I would never have taken a job in Finance, but b-school taught me that my aptitude for Finance is just fine. In the past, I wouldn't have challenged our financial analysts; now I do that. That said, it's a huge investment. Even with scholarships (thank you!!!), the investment of time and the opportunity costs are huge. The ROI can be great too. My MBA opened plenty of doors that I didn't know where closed. It allowed my to accelerate my career and compensation in a way that I couldn't have duplicated by other means. Considering your skills, the program and the thinking you've done - I'd advise you to go for it.