Is ISB a suitable school for applicants above 30 years of age?

Question

I see the age range of ISB class of 2020 is from 22-46 but well, that's just the range. What percentage of students at ISB are above 30 years of age? The average age is 26.6 (again, that isn't sufficient to predict the >30 years age students).

Why does it matter to a 30+ year applicant?

It does, tremendously so because let's face it, if the largest pool in the campus is way younger to you, you are an odd one out and most companies visiting the campus for placements prefer people of a certain age bracket because of they 'fit-in'.Now before people pounce upon me and tell me that there are companies who come looking for experienced people from ISB (who are above 30?) I find it so hard to believe. Maybe a couple of companies do come and recruit but for most companies, the 30+ folks will be at the other end of the bracket. y recruit from campus when you can get people in that age bracket to fill mid-level roles laterally from the market?

There will be profile shortlisting, and in cases, you might find that there's just one factor- 'age', which is not in your control that is acting against you and you see the young crowd (as you can clearly see in the profile evaluation forums, 22-27 seems to be the age group that's right for ISB. Maybe 28, 29 to some extent). For the love of God, please do not believe in people who say that your age and experience will give you an edge over that young person who is competing for the same job- No, not at least at ISB as this is not an EMBA (like the ones offered by other International MBA programs where the average age is well above 30 and there are true leadership roles)

Tldr: Can some ISB alum, throw light on what percentage of students are above 30 and if what I wrote does make some sense on an average? Please do not give one example of one guy in one batch who was above 30 and landed a great job. Average is the need of the hour

Amit989 · Answer

Additionally, please consider what you will be picking up from a cohort that is on an average 4 years less experienced than you. If you have a solid case there, then I do not see a harm.

You also need to be very specific about what companies and roles you are targeting from the pool of companies that come for recruitment. Practically think about why a company would prefer you to the younger pool. May be you have more skills but you might as well come at a higher cost to the company.

Best-
Amit

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basecamper09 · Answer

Exactly my point. So, technically a 30+ year student at ISB isn't left with much choice and it is indeed disadvantageous to be the odd one out?

Amit989 · Answer

Well that varies from case to case basis. It would be incorrect to generalise. There could be candidates (30+) with a real need of the ISB MBA. For example an aspirant who has chances of being sponsored by his/her company for the MBA, eventually pushing home for a leadership role. Another one case could be some one who is looking at a long term benefit from ISB ( eg. entrepreneurship or family business) rather than just the immediate post MBA placements.

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basecamper09 · Answer

Thanks for revert, Amit. I am talking about the most generalized case where people leave their current jobs and come to pursue an MBA looking for better prospects. Sure, the two cases you mentioned are absolutely valid and for them, age 30,40, or for that matter even 50 shouldn't matter because the core question here is, is age going to be a factor to compete with 80% of the other crowd at ISB during placements?

Are you an alumn by any chance?

procrastinator7 · Answer

I have been pondering over this for a long time now. I got mixed signals from some ISB alumni. Wouldn't hurt to get more feedback on this. I fall in the 30+ age group.

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Nikhil · Answer

Checking with  LeoN88  to see if he knew of any 30+ age applicants in this year's ISB forum?

basecamper09 · Answer

A casual stroll through the profile evaluation threads, a glance at the class profile in the placement report and stalking several Linkedin profiles, haha proved just one thing- unless you are okay being an odd one out and you have a definite career plan, throwing yourself into the sea of 23-27 year olds will hurt you badly. Having said this, this brings me to the question of actually questioning the rationale of ISB in admitting SO MANY people with 1-4 years of experience. Isn't this an MBA program for the experienced? If you filter the number of people who are within 2 years of Work ex in the 2020 batch, you'll be surprised!

procrastinator7

I have been pondering over this for a long time now. I got mixed signals from some ISB alumni. Wouldn't hurt to get more feedback on this. I fall in the 30+ age group.

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procrastinator7 · Answer

I'm not sure if I agree with that. Someone who is looking to grow vertically in their current role or organization or switch to entrepreneurship may find the ISB PGP to be useful. You can always say that part time MBA probably fits better in those scenarios but in my opinion it doesn't provide the wholesome experience like PGP. Moreover, given the program duration to be little over 12 months, ISB PGP does provide an edge compared to similar programs from other schools of the same stature. But again, I may be completely off the mark here, so would invite others to chip in.

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basecamper09 · Answer

Like I said, I am talking about people who belong the most generalized case, I am addressing the bulge of the Normal distribution- people who leave their current jobs, at 30s, take a loan and venture into this "hoping" to find a better prospect after spending some money and those who do not have any grandise plans of enterprenurship nor are they being funded by their organisations. Talking about the dart in the middle- the common applicant. Sure, what you said is 100% true. For someone who has a set plan, and feels that the degree will help age shouldn't be a concern AT ALL. You can walk in at 45 like a king and stroll out like one:)

procrastinator7 · Answer

Where did you get the data related to post-program career profiles of generalized case alum candidates? Anecdotal based on your interactions or some publication from ISB?

Is it possible that there are more candidates in 23-27 range because ISB receives fewer applications from 30+ candidates?

As I said, we need more informed people to chip in, that will help tremendously.

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basecamper09 · Answer

There's no hardcore data to prove this. Anecdotal based, hence a rider and a guesstimate which everyone must take with a pinch of salt as per their appetite:) If there were to be such detailed data, I guess this post obviates the need.

of -course we need more informed people to chip in, maybe some alumni could shed a light and tell me I am absolutely wrong and that there's no gender bias in any interactions on-campus/placements or for that matter, age is just a number- adage, I would be more than happy!

LeoN88 · Answer

Thank you workout for the A2A,

I know people with 30+ age who enrolled for the PGP program. Whether it's suitable or not is contextual- depends on your pre-MBA professional journey and post-MBA career goals (both short term and long term). If the admissions team thinks that you're better suited for PGPpro then there's a reason for it. For, PGP they want people with realistic career goals because the institution has a shared responsibility to place you in a good company/role. Generally speaking, candidates with 30+ must have absolute clarity on-

- What they are going to do post MBA? (industry+role+salary)
- How will ISB help him/her achieve/accelerate it?

Hence, sometimes it's difficult for them to get into a full-time MBA programs. It literally restricts the movement of a candidate.

Check out this post from a former Associate Director, ISB:-

Attachment:

Capture.PNG

strategy4gmat1, ISBeacon let us know your view on this please. Thank you.

Also check: <Applicable for PGP as well>

I'll see if I can get any alumnus/alumna/current student to pitch in.

workout

Checking with LeoN88 to see if he knew of any 30+ age applicants in this year's ISB forum?

basecamper09 · Answer

Thanks for your revert. I would, however, like to highlight a couple of points. The question is NOT whether an MBA post 30 is suitable or not, the question is does it make sense to be a 30+ individual and be a minority among the batch and will it impact your career outcome? (no, you do not have entrepreneurship plans nor is there a family business that you can move into nor is there any company sponsoring your MBA so that you can go back and join). All things being equal (assuming you have clarity in the career you want to make and everything is same when compared with the 90% of the batch, on Day-0, Day-1, Day-2 of the placements, can you tell that the minority 10% will not face any discrimination as compared to a majority 90%? THAT is the only question and I, logically see that there shall of course be discrimination because MOST companies who come for placements to ISB have an idea of an average student they would like to hire (age, education background etc) so that they fit-in.

Now, idealism can tell us that if you are good you'll be given an equally fair chance etc but let's talk about the real world- it's a matter of one year of time+opportunity cost+ a fees of 39LPA.

As the director says, IIMs PGPX programs STRICTLY implement the 5 year work ex rule. While ISB, though mentions work experience is needed, I see literally hundreds of people with 2 and 3 year work ex in the batch at ISB. Now why is this happening? Because CAT exam is getting tougher, and people who intend to pursue MBAs and who couldn't clear CAT after 2-3 years of work-ex are tapping at the doors of ISB, and people above 5 years of work-ex are mostly trying to switch jobs and have alternative careers (because by that time you are 28-29, very few people would be willing to take a loan and start their life after that as realistically Indian scenario, the "marriage" word will keep trumpeting. ISB, hence just opened the flood gates for people in the bracket of 2 years-5 years and it's a win-win but the very core of ISB- that it is an MBA program for the experienced, has taken a hit here because if you are telling me that 2 years is work-ex because it is so, then INSEADs, and IMDs of the world will have people with average work ex very less.

Ideally, Like PGP, ISB should start EPGP (add an E) and stick to 5+ years of work-ex and get companies to recruit this bunch of students at a slightly senir roles but guess it's too much.

MananS4G · Answer

Interesting questions and thanks for looping us in!

All questions such as the below are bound to come in the minds of any 30+ / someone with 8+ years of work-ex
-Is ISB the right fit for me?
-Will my application be considered differently?
-What are the prospects after ISB considering majority of the class is sub-5 years exp, especially since the past few years where ISB has focused on bringing in the YLP cohort

Basic principles don't change- knowing why you want an MBA, what are your post-MBA goals and how would YOU add to the class. Let us address a few specific concerns here based on our experience at ISB and working with a number of students post that
- Quality of experience where majority are between the 23-27 year age bracket
One of the advantages ISB offers is the diversity in the cohort so working, learning, teaming up with the 'younger' population adds to the experience rather than diminishes it. Both sets of groups have a lot to learn from each other and at the end of the day, they do!

- Life at ISB
With the diversity in experience (both in terms of quantity and type), life at ISB is surely be an enriching experience. The ‘back to school’ experience is a little overwhelming at start but as one goes through a couple of terms, it is a breeze and lives up to the ‘best year of my life’ tag for most. On the professional front, clubs such as the Senior Executive Club (for students with 8+ years of experience) provide an opportunity to connect, harness cross-industry knowledge and enable the club members with the right tools and techniques to lead the industry in senior leadership roles

- Placements
The number of jobs requiring 8+ years of is surely lower than other experience ranges. Also, it is a bit challenging to shift the core domain after having specialized in over 8-9+ years. However, there are a number of opportunities to grow in the same domain or shift industries but continue within the same domain. For e.g. it would be tough to move from a Tech. Consultant to handle FMCG sales but easier to become a Product Manager in an e-commerce firm. In general, 98% of the class is placed by the end of the year and a similar number can easily be assumed for the 30+ cohort

Having said that, placements shouldnt be the ONLY reason anyone should go for ISB, it is the overall experience and how your thought process changes post the MBA. The tangible benefits of a higher pay package, a higher positions, etc are there for most. It is the intangibles such as how you approach business problems, structured thought process, empathy, etc, which are invaluable and achieved by all age groups!

Hope this helps!

basecamper09 · Answer

Thanks for the clarifications:)

I am not saying all the 30+ aged people with work-ex (they might have less work ex too, if they purused a Masters already?) will be jobless at the end of the cohort. All I am saying is this- IT IS NOT GOING to be a smooth ride owing to one factor-'age' which you can't do much about. It will be a constant struggle to -'fit in'.

Let me take the case of M.techs from IITs and compare what they have to go through on IIT campuses when compared with B.Techs. Anyone from an IIT can vouch for this. It's going to be the same when you are in an institution and more so in a program where 90% of the class is category-A and you are category-B (atleast M.techs are all together in a program and all of them sail in the same boat so they have their placement managers who fight for them)

All the softer points like learning from each other, experience, bigger picture and experience do matter but if you compare it with the mental toll that one goes through after realizing that they don't 'fit in' and have to probably be at the recieving end of some "age" jokes thrown at them, haha it's going to be futile.

Why can't we agree to disagree and say that ISB as an institution, when it calls itself an MBA program for the experienced, doesn't implement that bit strictly? Look at the IIMs and their PGPX programs. NO discounts on experience! Why call it a one year MBA for experienced and then admit some 100s of students who have barely seen the corporate world? I mean if ISB compares itself to PGP programs, INSEADS and IMDs of the world, shouldn't it also admit students with equally strict criterion? or is there a business logic to this? Back of the envelope caluclations show ISB's revenue is 39LPA*1000students =390 crores! per annum. Guess you can't have THAT much revenue when you are very strict with your criterion as number of students will drop.

Anyway, thanks all for chipping in. Signing off!

procrastinator7 · Answer

You have expressed a very true concern. When ISB says it is a program for the experienced, they probably mean it for the ones between 4-7 years of experience. IIMs have clearly divided the programs between 2-year and 1-years with former for less experienced and latter for more.

ISB tends to pool both groups in to one. A friend of mine with entrepreneurial aspirations graduated from ISB at the age of 32, which worked out for him because he wasn't looking for placements. Regarding learning from cohort that was mostly younger than him in age and experience, neither has he complained nor praised. Networking helped him a great deal though, in his entrepreneurial aspirations.

Every >30 case may not be same but I get your point. I am 34+ with 10yrs of exp and planning to apply to ISB for 2021-22 to help make a role switch from Engineering to Product Management but honestly, this post made me think again. Will my learning be more if the avg experience of cohort is more than what it is at ISB?

Basecamper, did you get any further insights ?

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bb · Answer

Is ISB a suitable school for applicants above 30 years of age?

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