My chances and my timeline?

[JP72]

Hi-

Thanks in advance for your time and advice, much appreciated!

Here is my situation in a nutshell- I am a 35 year old who left school 8 years ago as an undergraduate to start my own music production business, which did very well. In the ensuing 8 years I ran my own tutoring company, taught AP level at a private high school, and continued my own music business. I also travelled the world playing music, composed scores for film and tv, and released a nice collection of albums with international labels. Before leaving school, I was a premed biology major with a 3.35 GPA.

I have now returned to finish my BS in biology, which I will complete in June '09. After this, I want to apply to top business schools to combine my real-world business knowledge, my science background, and my creativity so I can come out and have the opportunity to do something meaningful and lucrative.

I took a practice GMAT and got a 720 on my first try(I have tutored standardized tests for 10 years so I'm good at them).

Here are my downsides, I had one very bad quarter right before I left school 8 years ago in which I failed to withdraw by the deadline and received one F and two 'W''s for withdraw. Not counting that quarter my GPA is 3.58. I'm confident that at the end of June I can have a cumulative GPA of 3.5. I still have some high unit labs to take and I'm doing very well in my summer session now. My other downside might be my age and the fact that I am only now just finishing my bachelor's degree although I've had lots of work and entrepeneurial experience in between.

So my questions are: Given the above personal info and my numbers (3.5 GPA in science and 700+ GMAT), do you think I'd be competitive at a top 10 MBA program? What should be my timeline for taking the real GMAT and applying? (Should I apply before I finish my BS degree or wait until the next round? Obviously, being 35, I'd like to get things going) What could I be doing in the meantime while I finish school that would help my application? Are there any MBA programs specifically that you think I'd be a good fit for?

Sorry for the long-winded post but I wanted to cover it all.

Best,
JP

[VP_MBA_Guru]

Hi JP,
Thanks for your post - sounds like you have had a fantastic experience over the past years.

I think your biggest challenge is age. The average age of MBA students is around 27, so your age will be a red flag to AdCom. Also, while your experience is interesting, AdCom might question your diverse career path (although you can argue you were a successful entrepreneur).

Therefore your essays will be very important.. in linking all of your pre-MBA experiences. Moreover, you need to come up with a compelling post-MBA career goals and how know how the MBA (along with your previous experience) will help you achieve these goals.

NP

[VP_MBA_Guru]

JP -
Sorry for the additional post. Dont worry too much about your 'bad quarter.' Most schools have an optional essay where you can discuss any weaknesses/areas of concern in your application. Make sure you address this issue here (but be brief!).

In terms of getting into a top 10 program. Its hard to say. I think your age and career path will have a negative impact on your application. And since this year is shaping up to be a very competitive year for B-school admissions, its going to be hard (well, really for all applicants too).

You might want to diversify your school selection - maybe 1-2 top 10 programs and 2-3 top 25 programs.

Let us know if you have any other questions -

NP