Advice for my peace of mind!

[CPA2011]

I'm currently 24 years old and have 21 months experience (18 full-time, 3 internship) in public accounting. I haven't started preparing for the GMAT yet, and applications for fall 2012 are coming due in the next 2-3 months. Needless to say, I could POSSIBLY study hardcore after work for 4-6 weeks, take the GMAT, throw together my essays, make my final school selections and go ahead and apply for fall 2012. However, i'm SURE that my GMAT would be lower than my potential and I'm also sure that my work experience will be far more impressive over the next year than it has been thus far. The only reason I would try to get in Fall 2012 is 1) i'm impatient and 2) my wife doesn't want me to wait the extra 12 months to apply for fall 2013.

Could I get some support for one decision or the other? I feel like in reality, it's best that I wait another year, prepare extensively for the GMAT, get another year of good experience, and apply at the age of 25 with 30 months of experience to my selected schools. I'm shooting for Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, and possibly UNC if my GMAT is superb. Is 18 months full-time experience just simply too little for these schools, assuming I don't have an astoundingly high GMAT score? I guess it's just hard to believe that so many schools require applications so early! I'll be applying in 12 months, but won't be starting school for 24 months. That's SO much lag time!

[PrepMBA.AlexLeventhal]

It sounds like you have answered your own questions well. Your story will be better with more experience and a higher GMAT. Keep in mind that accounting is not a huge MBA selection pool for some top schools, so that puts even more weight behind the argument of applying when you are "ripe".

Good Luck!

Alex

[CPA2011]

It sounds like you have answered your own questions well. Your story will be better with more experience and a higher GMAT. Keep in mind that accounting is not a huge MBA selection pool for some top schools, so that puts even more weight behind the argument of applying when you are "ripe".

Good Luck!

Alex

Thanks for the response. Are the average work experience stats that I see "upon acceptance" or "upon program entrance"? Meaning, if I have 18 months experience and I'm applying 10 months before the program beings, does that mean they're looking at me as having 28 months experience?

[Kaneisha Grayson]

Hi CPA2011,

The avg. years of work experience you are seeing are to be interpreted as "upon acceptance."

Furthermore, it sounds like it would benefit you to discuss with your wife her reasons for her impatience. Going to business school is going to drastically affect her life as well, so you want her 100% on board with your plans.

I too think that you should wait until you feel best prepared--which is next year's cycle.

Good luck!
Kaneisha

[PrepMBA.AlexLeventhal]

In general, most of the data you see will capture how much work experience you have when the school accepts you. Keep in mind the average starting age of b schoolers is 27-28. A smaller pool gets accepted with less work experience, but those applicants have some stand out aspects of their application to warrant the early start.

Alex