So I begin the journey again

[mbaorbust3]

I started this journey 3 years ago and I wish I had stuck with it the first time around but my dad passed away 2 years ago and my mother almost died in a car crash so I did get a bit off track. I did end up taking the GMAT once a few weeks after my dad's funeral and scored a 360. I've always been terrible at standardized exams (with the circumstances making things worse) and I'm not sure how I'll fair this time around. All I know is I've been doing my job for 10 years and I absolutely hate it. I know I need to go back to school as a lot has changed since I last went, but at 34 I really don't know if I can get into a decent program. I still have my old books from Manhattan GMAT and some newer material from MG from a friend. I really do hope I can do this, I promised my dad I would and I've always been a man of my word. Any suggestions would be great.

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Hi mbaorbust3,

Based on what you've described, it's understandable that you were side-lined a bit from your path to an MBA. The GMAT is almost exactly the same though (although now there's a section called Integrated Reasoning instead of the Issue Essay), so you might still be familiar with some of the material that is tested.

It sounds like you're concerned about your age, but you shouldn't be. Although you might be a bit older than the average applicant (depending on the schools and programs you apply to), you'll have more experience than the average applicant, so you might be able to turn that to your advantage.

What schools are you hoping to apply to? And when are you planning to apply? That list will help you to do some research and give you an idea of the range of GMAT scores that would be considered competitive. If what you say is true (you're really not a great Test-Taker), then you should consider taking a GMAT Course (instead of just reading through some books on your own).

If you have any additional questions, then you can feel free to contact me directly.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

[mbaorbust3]

Hey Rich,

Yes, I'm very concerned about my age, I work in financial services where age is a big factor especially in S&T (where I would like to go). I plan to apply for fall of 2015, but this will depend on the outcome of the GMAT. My reach schools are U Chicago, CBS, UPenn. My chances might be better at NYU, Umich, and Duke, but those 6 school are my target schools for now. I've been warned CBS tends to favors younger applicants. Also, I've had a lot of colleagues that have flat out tell me I'm too old for an MBA. They advised going the EMBA or part-time MBA route, but both are not the great options when you're trying to make a lateral career move (IE: lack of internship, etc).

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Hi mbaorbust3,

Whatever admissions "issues" you might face will still be predicated on a competitive GMAT score, so we need to start with the GMAT. The schools that you listed are all highly competitive (and highly ranked), so you'll likely need a 650+ (although that's not really a 'minimum' - plenty of applicants get accepted every year to top schools with scores under 650).

Have you taken a FULL-LENGTH practice CAT test recently? If not, then it would be a good idea so that we can get a sense of your baseline score and your current strengths and weaknesses. Most Test Takers "screw up" their first CATs, so don't worry about that - just do your best.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich