Age 30/31, engineer female. What options do I have now?

[gogmat2013]

I am looking to move into Business Development in the technology sector post MBA. I work in the Engineering Division as an engineer (programmer) for a well known semiconductor firm. I would like to get a MBA to not only move into the business development groups of technology companies, but also to learn vital leadership skills that will help me manage business development groups in the future and climb up the corporate ladder.

However, at my age I am not sure what programs are good to apply to. I am 30 today and I will be 31 in 3 months. I am a woman and an Indian citizen. I have a 710 on my GMAT. I have about 9 years of experience in engineering as an individual contributor with steady promotions. I completed my undergrad degree in 2004 from UC Berkeley with a 2.88 GPA in 5 years(typical program length is 4 years).

Will part time programs provide me with the leadership skills I need to achieve my career goals? Local programs as I live in San Francisco:
UC Berkeley Hass PT program - How competitive is my profile?
UC Davis PT program - How good is this program??
Wharton Exec MBA - How competitive is my profile?

Other programs I am looking into are 1 year programs:
Cornell 1 year Accelerated MBA

Part-time programs outside the bay area:
Booth Weekend MBA
Kellog Part-time MBA
UCLA Part-time MBA

There are a vast number of programs and I do not know what programs will I be competitive at and what programs will help me achieve my career goals at my age. Will I be competitive at any full-time programs given my age and GPA?

Any help is much appreciated. I feel like I may be a bit too old to be making this transition so I am not sure what programs to consider.

[mbaMissionJenK]

Hi there,

Thanks for sharing your profile. You may have a chance at some of the mid-range part-time programs, with your 710 GMAT and the fact that they do like qualified female applicants. Additionally, the average age at part-time programs is sometimes higher than full-time (for example, at UC Davis the average age is 31!). Your GPA is a weakness for sure, though the GMAT helps that slightly, as does the fact that you are further out from school than some applicants, so you'd want to focus most on your accomplishments, results, skills & experiences during your professional experience. Likely the decision would be strongly affected by your essays and how you put forth your story of who you are, what you'll bring to the program, why you want the degree and how it's still needed in your career path, and why that school is right for you. And certainly a well-regarded part-time program is still an MBA and the focus is more on the brand of the MBA rather than the full time/part-time process (which if you think about it, is not even really mentioned on the resume).

Regarding your schools:

UC Berkeley Hass PT program - How competitive is my profile? [Rated #1 part-time program in some rankings, means more challenging to get into. Not impossible though, if you make a strong case; if really interested it could be your 'reach' school.]
UC Davis PT program - How good is this program?? [Considered a top 20 part-time program in the US. You should have good chances here.]
Wharton Exec MBA - How competitive is my profile? [Would be a reach as well, but not completely impossible. Keep in mind a good portion in the exec program are sponsored by their company, is this something you are interested in? Generally a bit more leadership/management than what I can glean from what you posted so far is expected here though for exec.]

Other programs I am looking into are 1 year programs:
Cornell 1 year Accelerated MBA

Part-time programs outside the bay area:
Booth Weekend MBA
Kellog Part-time MBA
UCLA Part-time MBA
[All of the above-- would be a stretch but not as difficult as Wharton Exec. Kellogg probably most competitive.]

You are above the average GMAT score at all of the programs, but as you know, the GPA is still a potential problem and beyond that the admissions committee will really be looking for leadership and management, and for what is unique about you that you'll bring to the program.

I encourage you to continue to research, and talk to students, alum and admissions officers at the programs, and if you are staying with your company, any managers there too for feedback. Good luck to you!