Older (Late 30s) MBA Applicant

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Older (Late 30s) MBA Applicant

by late_30s_mba » Wed Nov 02, 2016 3:25 am
I plan to apply for my MBA at the age of 37 and join the MBA class when I'll be 38. I have 10 years of work experience. Is it too late for me to apply?

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by ApplyMBAApp » Fri Nov 04, 2016 12:25 am
It is not. We know several who have pursued MBA at this age. But here are few things you need to keep in mind and have clear answers to
1. What is the reason you are doing MBA at this age. Do you have a clear goal that you want to achieve post MBA that ties up well with your past professional experience?
2. Depending on the answer to the question above you will need to justify why a full time MBA instead of a part time or an executive MBA.

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by jeffrey.adcom » Fri Nov 04, 2016 3:15 am
Look at schools like IMD, Switzerland. With intake of candidates only with at least decade + work ex, average age is over 34.

This is a fabulous school, with a long-drawn & difficult admissions process.

Can you elaborate on your work experience? I'll let you know whether you'd be eligible at IMD or not.
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by Michelle@ARINGO » Sat Nov 05, 2016 12:36 pm
late_30s_mba wrote:I plan to apply for my MBA at the age of 37 and join the MBA class when I'll be 38. I have 10 years of work experience. Is it too late for me to apply?
Not necessarily, but it depends on your profile, what that work experience consists of and what you want to do after your MBA, among other things.
Age does not need to be as issue, especially not in European schools, where the average age tends to be higher anyway, but you will still need to fulfill all the other criteria the business schools have. If you'd like a free evaluation of that part by ARINGO (we have worked with a lot of "older" candidates who have been accepted to their top schools in the past), feel free to fill out this form: https://aringo.com/mba-process-registration/ and we will get back to you.
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by Edison@VeritasPrep » Mon Nov 07, 2016 12:00 am
As an older candidate, you would need to demonstrate more leadership experiences that you can share, and also show more focus on what you want to do post-MBA.

As mentioned above, also consider if an EMBA would be a better fit for you.

All the best!
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by Edison@VeritasPrep » Mon Nov 07, 2016 12:34 am
You may also find some of the tips from the blog entry below useful:

Applying to Business School: Tips for Older MBA Applicants

While researching potential MBA programs, many applicants find themselves older than the typical student at their target school. Thus, they ask themselves whether they should still bother to apply, and how they should distinguish themselves from younger business school applicants

As with any MBA candidate, statistics such as GPA and GMAT score do matter, however the emphasis on these quantitative aspects of the application is somewhat shifted for older candidates to the factors discussed below. Although these are important factors for candidates of any age to keep in mind, they are more critical for older ones to use to their advantage:

Display Greater Focus
If you are an older MBA applicant, the Admissions Committee will expect you to be more mature. As such, you should show greater self-awareness and display more specific direction than younger applicants do. Clearly identify why you need an MBA, what you want to pursue post-MBA, and how the specific program you are applying to will help you achieve those goals. These goals could include personal development, knowledge gaps that you need to fill, and courses you are looking forward to take.

Discussing your future goals in a focused way is especially important if you are applying to one-year programs, as you will not have as much time during these programs to feel your way around or explore. You will want to present to the Admissions Committee that you know what you need, and that you know how you will use what their program offers.

Leverage Wealth of Interesting Experiences
As an older candidate, you will likely have gone through more experiences at work, in life, and in the community. Interesting experiences could range from exciting strategic shifts to crisis management. Using the knowledge you have gained from these episodes and their aftermath as fodder for your essays not only allows you to highlight your personal qualities and how you have developed, but also to show what you can contribute to classroom discussions.

MBA programs consider the diversity of experiences, perspectives, and networks their students bring to campus to be assets. With more professional and life experiences under your belt, use these to differentiate and strengthen yourself from other, less-experienced candidates.

Play Up Leadership Abilities & Expertise
At this point, it will also help to showcase how you have been able to lead teams, accomplish goals, or mentor others. Even if your official job responsibilities do not directly involved leadership over others, you can still highlight leadership experiences at work, and at your extracurricular activities, in other ways.

You may share the realizations you have gained through your leadership experiences and how they have impacted your leadership style, as well as the motivations behind them. Relate how an MBA will further develop these and help you make an impact on the world around you. You may also identify specific valuable expertise that you can contribute and that your peers can leverage in the classroom, especially if these are in a rare field.

Doing all of the above will present you as someone who will use his or her vast experiences to enrich the experiences of their peers, and of the school community, as a whole.
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by late_30s_mba » Sat Dec 17, 2016 9:22 pm
Thank you, everyone, for your response.

My profile:

Male / 35 / India
Bachelor's in Software Systems (India)
MSc Mangement (Lancaster University, U.K.)
MA Creative Writing with Merit (Brunel University, London) (Did this after 6 years of work experience)
6 Years of Marketing Experience (Was General Manager for a medium-sized chemicals multinational)
3 years freelance and creative writer (After M.A.) - My stories have been published in major Indian publications
Currently a Senior Content Marketing Specialist at a major tech company. (since June 2016)
GMAT: Yet to give, although with mock tests and such I do expect a 700.
I plan to apply next year (September 2018 intake), which means I'll be 36 years old when I apply and 37 years old when I start the MBA.
Post MBA focus: Marketing in a tech company.

My target schools are Kellogg, Ross and Yale.

I know I'm aiming too high, but I feel that I have a unique profile (and I know I might be wrong here). Just a couple of days ago I was published in another anthology that was launched by one of India's most famous journalists and one of India's most famous female writers at a 5 star gala event. My Booker-nominated Professor from London even tweeted about the launch pointing out that I was a 'good writer and great student'.

The main reasons why my MBA plans have been delayed are:

1) I have needed to be around to care for my Father, who is suffering from Multiple System Atrophy. Now that my sister and her fiancé have shifted to the city, I can pursue an MBA.
2) Getting published takes time.

I don't mean to sound pompous, irrational and overambitious. But do I stand a chance in the 3 schools I've mentioned above?

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by money9111 » Sat Jan 14, 2017 2:42 am
It is very very very very difficult for a full-time 2 year MBA @ 37. Has it been done? I'm sure, but it's more rare than these people on here are letting on to. I would look at schools internationally like the one someone mentioned and also EMBA programs.
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