Can I do my mba in investment banking from NYU stern at the age of 30

Question

Hi,

I'm 29 now.working for sap as software consultant.I'm wanna give my gmat in march.

My dream is to become a invstment banker due to some mental depression i couldn't make it happened during my past 2 years.

My plan is to pursuing it from NYu stern or wharton.

Any suggestions/inputs.

Thanks,
Kalyan.

Businessconquerer · Answer

Of course you can.
You'll be fine. 
And good luck with your ambition.

Posted from my mobile device

AndrewN · Answer

Hello, Kalyan, and welcome to the community. There is nothing barring you from applying to either school, although you have certainly set your sights high. Check out each school's class profile--Stern  here  and Wharton  here --and assess what you would bring to the table, relative to other successful candidates. You will note that at Stern for the class of 2021, the average age was 28, but someone as old as 39 was admitted; likewise, at Wharton, the mean number of years of work experience was 5, with at least one successful candidate having 16 years of work experience under his or her belt, most likely someone at least in the mid-30s.

You have to ask yourself what you are willing to put into your work to achieve your dream. There are a lot of people clamoring for those admits, so you may have to consciously develop yourself into a more competitive student. If you plan on taking the GMAT™ in March, how are your preliminary scores? You will want to be in the mid-700s (730-750+) for sure. Do you have  relevant  work experience to what it is you hope to do, career-wise? Since you mentioned it, have you found a way to mitigate the effects of depression? Along these lines, what would you do if you were rejected from the two schools? If the answer is "Give up," then you might want to reconsider. Put everything on the line, give this effort all you have got, and see what happens. You cannot change your past, but you can certainly make decisions in any given moment that will affect subsequent developments. If you are not already studying for the GMAT™, then you need to get on that as soon as possible. You might want to write a few queries in the admissions consultant boards to see what advice such experts might have to offer. Be open to new ideas.

Good luck in your pursuits.

- Andrew

Huahua1987 · Answer

I am at Stern now. 30 is not a problem for banking recruiting.

But I wouldn't worry about the age; I would worry about the "fit". Since you mentioned about mental depression, I think you should consider whether banking is a good fit for you.

The whole recruiting process is extremely competitive and stressful. Then the real working environment is another level. I've seen people crying, seen people having mental breaking down......during just recruiting process.

If you can't handle the stress, you should think about some other careers.

AndrewN · Answer

Thank you,  Huahua1987 , for looking through an older post and providing a well-informed opinion. The community thrives on such thoughtful responses. Kudos from me.

Good luck at Stern. (I do NOT have the business mentality, that much I know about myself.)

- Andrew

bb · Answer

Can I do my mba in investment banking from NYU stern at the age of 30

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