Getting into INSEAD at age of 33

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Getting into INSEAD at age of 33

by BrazilWarrior1983 » Sat Jan 02, 2016 5:50 pm
Dear all, I am currently finishing my preparations to apply for the INSEAD MBA and I would like to check my odds considering my advanced age.

I am turning 33 in February, Brazilian, Senior Manager in Accenture Brazil with considerable international experience. I don't have my GMAT score yet, but I'm considering applying for Round 1. My main motivation is to move from Supply Chain consulting to a strategy consulting firm in Brazil.

I know that INSEAD, IMD, IE and LBS are more tolerable with "old" applicants than US schools.

Considering that I will achieve a reasonable GMAT score, what are my chances to get into INSEAD considering my age?

Many thanks in advance guys.

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by Indradeep » Sun Jan 03, 2016 3:58 pm
Hi,
I would not worry too much about your age being against you - 33 is pushing it a bit but there is so much more you can bring to the class (particularly given your current background in consulting) that other "younger" members of the cohort will not be able to bring in. It is also true, the schools you have mentioned (Insead and IMD mainly) are more "tolerant" of age compared to most of the US B schools. I personally think that having age on your side, you will be able to take so much out of the program as well.
Having said that, there are a few things I think you could also consider:
1. Do you really want to go for a full time program or a part time, executive program?
2. The career choice, however is slightly more trickier - even if you are able to get into a B School of your choice, a subsequent career move is more challenging. Moving from SC/procurement consulting to strategy consulting (there are very few pure strat. consulting firms) might not necessarily be that tough for you without an MBA - why don't you try getting into Strategy&Ops in Accenture, big 4 accounting firms or get in an internal Strategy role (for a large corporate)? Maybe start with strategic sourcing and then move into Business Development and then into Strategy and Products?

Hope this helps
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by Michael@VeritasPrep » Mon Jan 18, 2016 10:54 am
You can still get into INSEAD at 33. However, are you sure you want to do the full time program? Would an executive program fit you better? Something to look into, but a big part of school is the network you will develop. If the average age of your classmates is much lower than your's you will be at different points in your career and your network might not be as helpful.