30 Years Old ... too old to apply ?

[ewilliamsh]

Hi,

My name is Eduardo, I am 28 years and I am from Mexico. Currently Im running my own startup ( We provide IT Consulting Services and products around open source platforms ). I really want to do an MBA and I was thinking to apply this year to enter on 2013 ; .. the thing is that I feel is not the right time to leave my business since:

- I would rather to dedicate one more year to better standardize processes , prepare my replacement and in general leave a more mature business.
- Plus , I know if I wait one more year I would need to decrease the level or debt I would probably need.

BUT if i do that I will be 30 when entering ( may be still 29 while Applying ) so THE QUESTION IS, .. what do you think about this ?? . My will would be to wait , but if that means to miss the MBA opportunity I will definitely reconsider it. , .. how big would the impact of waiting one more year on the probabilities of getting accepted ?? ( everything else being equal ).

[Jon@Admissionado]

If its better for your business, I would say: stay. Your application would be SO much stronger with a stronger business, that it would clearly and easily outweigh any slight advantage conferred by one year of age difference.

[PrepMBA.AlexLeventhal]

This is a tough one, and I would have to know more about your business experience to give a full response, but I will say that waiting that extra year for some top MBA programs can be significant. If you look at the frequency with which a 30 year old will get into some programs, it can be much lower vs a 28 or 29 year old. This will matter less of course at some of the "age friendly" US programs or at some of the Euro MBAs.

[myEssayReview]

Applying at the age of 29 will not hurt because you will be adding more value to your application in terms of accomplishments in business in this one year.

[ewilliamsh]

Which would be the "Age Friendly" MBA´s ? ¿ MIT, HAAS ?
... Definitely not Stanford and Harvard right ?

[PrepMBA.AlexLeventhal]

Yes, schools like Harvard and Stanford would not be as easy whereas MIT, Duke and Darden can tend to be friendlier to the post 30. There are also accelerated MBAs (like Cornell) and programs like the MIT Sloan Fellows Program (one year full time eMBA). Check the requirements of some of these specialty programs, as they can be different vs a traditional MBA.

[Jon@Admissionado]

But again, up until 30-31 you are well within range for all and any programs, even if schools like HBS famously tend one or two years towards the youngies (keep in mind that the average is also skewed a bit by the 2+2 program)

[chairman14]

Dude, 30 is not too old. Just look at the school profiles and see you are in the age range in all programs. If you're good you can get admitted at 30 easily.

[PrepMBA.AlexLeventhal]

All should keep in mind that there is a difference between age range and age frequency distribution. If a school says for example the range goes up to 38, the critical question is how many are accepted at that age.