i'm 29, but want to wait another year...

[jpbug]

hi there -

i definitely want to go to b-school, but i'm worried that if i apply this year, i won't be ready in terms of getting the right application materials together. more specifically, in the past year, i've switched 3 times, and am worried about getting my current boss to write a solid reco for me. last year, i moved to nyc and joined my current company A. within 8 months, i felt unchallenged and decided to seek greener pastures at a different company B. within 3 months, at that company B, i missed company A, and returned.

i believe that my reasons for having boomeranged are solid. however, i'm sensitive to the fact that if i ask for a reco to plan for b school entry in fall 2012, my boss will write me off as a flake.

so i'm stuck wondering whether asking for recos from my previous bosses (from 2007 to 2010) would suffice. or if i should take a gamble and ask my current boss. or if i should wait another year to build that rapport with my current boss.

if i do wait another year, am i putting myself at risk of being among the older applicants for bschool? it seems there is a growing trend to recruit younger applicants.

here are my stats:
3.5 gpa from an ivy league school
a.b. in english lit
740 gmat
5+ years of solid working experience

i'm open to hearing your opinions.

thank you

[PrepMBA.AlexLeventhal]

JPBUG,

You have some very solid credentials and scores. I think that going back to your original firm is potentially defendable, and getting recs from old bosses is also fine. It is not mandatory that one must have their current direct boss as a reference--it is definitely typical/preferred and would require an explanation in the optional essay to do otherwise. Given that boss has only been managing you for 3 months, I think you can make a sound argument why you did not include him/her.

The other concern in terms of when to apply is your age. For many of the top schools, applying at 29 and entering at 30 puts you in a reduced pool. Make sure you look at your targeted schools for average age/age distribution if published. Waiting longer may only make this tougher.

[jpbug]

thanks for the helpful feedback.

do you think that age is a handicap for schools like stanford, london business school, or insead?

seems like for the latter two schools, they can skew a little older.

[PrepMBA.AlexLeventhal]

Yes you are correct. At some of the euro schools, you will find a slightly older average age. But don't worry too much about age as the probabilities at the top schools are just tough in general. So take your best shot!

Please let me know if you would like more specific help---email me at [email protected]

[Jon@Admissionado]

Hmmm.. a killer question. You do have a good profile, but I gotta admit, those changes are worrying. Now you can get around not getting your current boss's Recommendation if it's a problem, but you gotta have a good story, otherwise you may look like an indecisive fella who's just applying cause your stuck.
think about the following two things:
1. How good of a story can you present the AdCom to make them understand your choices, while alleviating their concerns about your character.
2. How good of a story you can come up with for why you are not getting a rec from your boss (or alternatively, convincing your boss, even though he doesn't want to, to give you a great rec).

Finally, I will beg to differ a bit about the age issue. Yes, being 30 is no great advantage, but it's no "Game-killer" like having a totally messy career story.