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I am 49 years old and enrolled at Chicago Booth as a graduate student at large in my first class. I was denied admission after enrollment and attending class as a graduate student at large. My undergrad GPA was 3.36 in electrical engineering and I have 25 hours of MBA credit at Northern IL. University with a 3.7 GPA. My score on the GMAT was 630 with a 48Q and a 31V. The test environment was very noisy and distracting and I had to guess on the last six questions in both sections. I was scoring in the low seven hundreds consistently on practice tests before D-Day and have the capability to improve my mediocre score. I have 12 years supervisory and management experience at Nucor Steel. What are my odds at getting in at Booth or Kellogg as a part-timer or the weekend program compared to the executive programs ? I have always been a very determined individual that never gives up on anything that I desire. I am in the planning stages for the second go-around What are my best options

Dear Phantomrider,

Thanks for your post!

Before I offer any advice, I would like for you to clarify a few things - since I am not sure I follow you 100%:

1) Did you apply to the full-time or part-time/weekend program at Chicago Booth? In what round did you apply? Were you interviewed?

2) In order to take a class at Booth, did you simply register as a student in the Unviersity at large and then sign up for it as a part of non-degree coursework? Did you complete the class? What grade did you receive in the class you took? Did you get to know the professor?

3) Have you stopped by the Booth admissions office and spoken with Rose or any members of her team about your case?

4) Are you presently employed full time? Is your current employer Nucor Steel, or was that just a 12-year experience you were pointing to as evidence of past leadership, etc?

5) Why are you interested in getting an MBA? To rise up within the ranks at your current employer? To make a career shift?

6) Have you only taken the GMAT the one time? Will you be taking it again?

On the surface, it would seem to me that your GMAT result and age are clearly not helping your odds with the full-time or part-time offerings. I'm not so sure that the credit hours towards an MBA are of much use either (they may raise more questions than answers - not to mention that N. Illinois isn't going to be viewed as top-tier). Of course, I'd need to know a lot more about your profile (and the answers to the questions above) to give you more in-depth feedback.

As to your final question, the EMBA offerings tend to be a bit easier to get into, but none of these programs are terribly easy when it comes to the admissions process.

Best of luck,

Graham

1.Applied to the part-time program
2.I had to forego application submission to the winter program due to shoulder surgery and the inability to take the GMAT. They invited me to apply for admission at the Unversity of Chicago so that I could get started while applying for admisssion to a program. I am in the eighth week of my first class and right at the 90th percentile. I know the professor fairly well.
3. In my denial letter it says that they don't offer feedback on admission decisions. Is this an option?
4. I am employed full time. I have taken on a new positon working as a project engineer working on energy solutions.
5. I want to rise up in the ranks within my company or shift careers into the energy field.
6. I am going to take it again After this class I'm am going to concentrate on preparing for the second go around.

As far as questions about the previous MBA. I recieved my undergrad degree while working full time and attending school. My wife requested that I take a break from school so that she could attend school and so I could make up for lsot time with my son. He is in college now, and Northern Il. wasn't what I was looking for so I am pursuing my goals elsewhere. I am an extremely motivated and determined individual that doesn't give up on anything that is achievable and desirable

Thanks for the input