Dear maxonline,

You have the foundation for a competitive application to any school. The key is using your foundation to craft an application that makes a compelling case for your admission. Your academic profile (GMAT & GPA) is excellent, so it will be your essays, recommendations and interview that make the difference. You have solid experience, but what about your consulting experience might be different? what interesting leadership or teamwork experiences can you write about in your essays? what level of involvement do you have with Operation Smile and for how long? any other activities outside of work? You want to highlight the aspects of your background that will distinguish you from other applicants with similar profiles.

Best of luck,
Lisa

You need to verify that you meet the prerequisites for the one year programs at Kellogg and Emory as both schools are strict that all applicants meet the requirements. If you do not have a US-equivalent bachelor's degree in business, then it is highly possible you do not meet the prerequisites for those programs. I encourage you to verify your eligibility and contact the schools directly if you have any questions.

It is not too late to add another community organization or other activity to your profile. If you have the time to be highly involved by leading a project or coordinating volunteers, then it might be worthwhile to undertake over the next year.

Regards,
Lisa

Congratulations on your admission to Ivey! It is a really great program. If you believe the school satisfies your criteria for what you expect from your MBA program, then I think it is definitely worth strong consideration. If you pass on it now, you cannot expect it to be there for you in the future, and there is no guarantee you will get into schools you apply to in the future. Likewise, you should consider if the schools you would apply to are worth that risk--if they are on par with Ivey, then why would you wait a year? Why not just go to Ivey? It seems like you are concerned that Ivey is not the right fit if you are continuing to "shop" for an MBA program. Perhaps you should make a list of questions and/or concerns and contact the school? It seems like if you are truly ready now and do not want to wait, then Ivey is a great option for you to start this fall.

In the event you do pass on Ivey, your age is not going to be a negative in the admissions process. However, you should understand that Ivey will probably not grant you a deferral nor re-admit you next year if you turn the school down this year.

Good luck,
Lisa