My daughter, a high school senior, is running out of time to select a
undergraduate degree.  Her ultimate goal is an MBA in International
Business from a respected graduate program.  Question is:  What is the
best undergradute course of study, a business major or is any
undergraduate degree ok?  Do chemestry majors , for example, get
accepted into good MBA programs?

Dear Joe, 

It is not only a question of whether chemistry majors get accepted to
MBA - acceptance to MBA depends on much more than just your college
major (grades, letters of recommendation, GMAT, experience and an
interview). People who have taken chemistry have been known to be
accepted to MBA.

For example, the University of Chicago is currently ranked high on MBA
ranking charts. It profiles the entering class so:
"# Undergraduate Major:

    * Liberal Arts and all others: 35%
    * Finance/Business Administration: 23%
    * Economics: 20%
    * Engineering: 22% " 
<http://gsb.uchicago.edu/fulltime/admissions/fastfacts.aspx#classprofile> 

That is, while 43% of the candidates took business/finance/economics
related subjects; 57% haven't.

The question is something else - what discipline would she benefit
from towards an MBA; would like/be interested in, so she would get
good grades; and would provide her with solid education for her
professional goals. The answers, in my opinion, do not rest in
chemistry. If she's so interested in chemistry, let her study that and
become a chemist; or go further with this degree into pharmacy,
medicine, chemical/environmental engineering; or MBA in pharmaceutical
business.

But she's currently interested in international business, right? Not
in pharma companies. You have to remember, that some of these
engineering/liberal arts graduates, who do MBA, do it because of their
jobs (they've reached management positions or would like to in an
organisation); or because only after college, they realised what they
want to do.

For international business, perhaps it would be better to concentrate
on one of the following, not necessarily only as a major - also
choosing what other courses she takes is important:
- economics
- government/international relations/international studies/political science
- languages - to take and excel in as many languages as possible. 

I would have taken business, economics or finance as a major; and
political science and a major business language as a minor (or
something that is already focused on one particular area in
international business: Asian Studies / EU Studies / Latin American
Studies/ etc.).

She should also take things in proportion. People change from the time
they're 18. Perhaps at the end of her studies she would like to do
something else. After all, many of these engineering majors who
probably hoped to become engineers, but after school found themselves
more interested in management. College is there to widen the horizons,
to help her find her route in life, and if she wouldn't take business
courses, how would she even know if she likes the topic, or only the
fantasy of becoming a businesswoman?

I hope this answers your question. Please contact me if you need any
clarification on this answer before you rate it.

Thanks.  A complete and well thought out answer.   I especially
appreciate the opinion and personal experience accompanying the facts.