Dear GMAT clubbers,
This thread pertains to aged applicants (>30) and what strategies they can adopt to enhance their chances of acceptance, into a regular (top 20) MBA program. Following are my views on the issue. will add more as I gain more insight into the issue.
1.Stop shying away from the fact whether 31 is old or not. For US B schools, anything above 30 is old.
2. Select, schools that are old applicant friendly (of course the schools should meet your other criterion and should be in reach on the basis of GMAT/GPA). In my opinion, Tuck, Duke, Michigan, Yale, Wharton, Kellogg , Cornel and Tepper are old applicant friendly. However, a stellar GMAT/GPA won’t help you as it will help a younger applicant. A 700 to 720 GMAT (balanced) and 3.5 GPA should do for most B schools in the elite cluster. Stanford and HBS are out, unless you are the only olypic gold medallist from your country.
3. Consider European B schools such as Insead, Judge, Oxford, LBS, HEC, and ESADE etc. ingeneral european B schools with their 1 year MBA are more friendly to older(aged?
) applicants.
4. If you belong to any of the category: army service. Doctors, non-profit, government, or an esoteric background, chances brighten for you.
5. Your work ex has to be top notch and your essay should reflect your maturity. However, herein lies the catch, if you are so successful, and have substantial achievements without an MBA, why do you need it now? Hence, why now is more critical for old age applicants than the routine why MBA?
6. Your essays should upfront answer the question. why MBA and why not an executive MBA?
7. Your essays should also try to allay the doubts that adcom may have on placing you.
8. Key lies, in making adcom curioys enough via your essays to give an interview invit. From their on it could be anybody`s game
Pls correct me if I am wrong .More suggestions are solicited
Best
Devil