Am I Too Old for a Full-Time MBA Program? - 工管

QUESTION:

I planned on applying for my MBA last year but my GMAT score just wasnˆt
good enough and I had to re-take it. Now Iˆm 31 years old and want to start
an MBA program in 2012. Am I too old to get into a full-time top 15 program?
Is it easier to do part-time? And if so, will that look as good for employers?

ANSWER:

At age 31 it is late to get in. But itˆs not impossible. Military guys and
international students will make up most of the peeps who are at school in
their 30∥s. If you donˆt fall into either of those categories, however, you
still have a shot. And a good one at that.

First of all, consider European programs where the average ages tend to be
older. Also, there are some US programs that also have older average ages.
Tuck, Wharton and Ross are open to older applicants, as well as others. Some
other schools, like HBS and Stanford, will be virtually impossible to crack
at this point. Do some research and find out the average ages for students at
various b-schools. I know US News and World report has that information, as
do b-school forums like Beat the GMAT and GMAT Club.

Since part-time programs are SO much easier to get into, Iˆd say at age 31
that itˆs still worth trying to get into a full-time program. Thatˆs where
you meet the most folks, learn the most, tap into the best networks, etc.
Give the full-time thing one last try before digging into other programs. At
age 31 (assuming your test scores are solid now), you should be juuuust fine.

Good luck this year!

– Jon Frank
Founder Precision Essay
http://www.precisionessay.com


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