Ask Stacy Blackman

Hi Stacey,

PLEASE HELP ME!

My Profile:
Graduated with a GPA of 2.56 out of 4 in 2006 from a business related degree (legal and accounting)in an Irish University .
27 years of age, will be going on 28 when beginning Masters in Sept 2013.
Have 8 months work experience in a bank from during my degree(is this too long ago to count?)
6 months in an accounting firm in 2006/2007 after degree. .did not pursue: 2 years working in an Irish cosmetics company promoted to Marketing manager (could say I was marketing manager for 2 years):1 year working abroad in a Managerial role training 20 teachers in a developing country(non- business related but lots of responsibility-does this count as work abroad): Volunteer work with amnesty international and abroad while in the above job volunteering by teaching illiterate children outside school and organising sports activities for local kids.
Suffered from depression during my degree and this inhibited my study/ scoring capabilities: can I include this in my essay and will it help me?
I want to study a Masters in International Business Management from a top university in Europe. Do I have a chance??I haven't started studying for the GMAT yet as I fear that my low college GPA will prevent me from getting into a top programme. I would love to do the SIM at St. Gallen and am also looking at Manheim and EM Lyon. Do I have a chance? Also will I be too old at 28 for such programmes? I feel utterly lost. I have lots of time to study at the moment but cannot decide to begin or not as maybe I have no chance getting into a top business school that requires gmat.
Please advise me on what to do. Do I have a chance getting in the aforementioned schools with a good gmat score considering my low gpa? How is my work/volunteer experience compared with other candidates? Am I too long out of college/old to be considered for a Masters in Management? IF I don't have a chance getting into the above school can you suggest any other good ones that will help catapult me into a good career?

Thanking you in advance.