Hi there,

Let's address the 800lb gorilla in the room first - your age will be a red flag for most of the top ranked programs. Keep that in mind.

To your question about work experience - unemployment isn't that uncommon. I don't want to lie so I will say this: 1.5 years is definitely on the longer end. More often we see 3 - 6 months which is closer to average. 1.5 years will raise an eyebrow. However, what unemployment comes down to is what you did during that 1.5 years. Did you just look for a job? Or did you start a company? Did you find odds and ends jobs or take on clients if you're in an industry that supports it.

After you come up with a strategy for addressing your unemployment period, you need to develop a story around "why an MBA". At 36 most schools will scrutinize this about your application. With 11 years of work experience and a close to 2 year gap, why should they let you into their program when there's a younger applicant out there who may be equally or more qualified?

In your case, there are a lot of things moving together and that's the most detailed response I can provide given what you've shared.

If you'd like to discuss this in more detail, you can either reach out to me directly or post your reply here.

I hope I can help!

Bhavik