shankar356193 wrote:
Thank You.. Iam planning to apply only after completing 2 years of work ex. But significant growth in career in 2 years is quite a long shot as you might understand. Iam looking for schools like illinois and krannert where the avg. students age is relatively less compared to the top 15 schools. and also i would be a little more comfortable that way iam guessing.. any insights ?
It's really tough for me to judge which schools might be appropriate for you without knowing more about you (GMAT, GPA, work progression, preferences, etc). Plently of people get into top 15 programs with two years of experience, but the ones you mentioned certainly aren't bad schools, either.
Personally, I wasn't super rankings-sensitive in my applications, but I also didn't apply to any schools out of the top 20 because I was a little concerned about the career prospects at lower-tiered schools and the general ROI from both a financial and personal standpoint. Lower-ranked schools typically cost the same or close to what a top program would, but the salaries are often much lower and there's less on-campus recruiting. However, if you're looking to stay in the Illinois/Indiana area, those may provide wonderful placement (I really don't know enough to speak to either program). If it's a regional thing, though, maybe consider adding Kellogg or Booth to the mix for a stretch option?
As far as the “comfort” factor: I didn’t feel much younger or dramatically less experienced than most people at the schools I applied to. For me, feeling comfortable at a particular school had much less to do with age, and much more to do with the community and type of students. I gravitated towards the smaller, more collaborative programs and was turned off by the larger and more competitive programs I visited.
Also, there’s something to be said about going outside your comfort zone a bit. Do I feel intimated by many of my future classmates at Yale? You bet. But in a good way! Everyone I met has amazing and diverse accomplishments, and I’m sure they will teach me a lot over the next two years.