MBA @ age of 33 is it good decision.

Question

Hi,

I am a Networking engineer (CCIE certified) having about 10 years of telecom experience. I am currently working as a Business Analyst for Cloud (SDN/NFV). I am about 33 and die to do my MBA from top B schools.... But my doubt is at age of about 33, will there be any issues in recruiting me...? Pls help out... I am very very keen of doing only one Year residential Program (No Part Time), Friends I also need your help to Know which Colleges are good for me in India,US,Canada and UK.

I gave GMAT recently Scored Very less - 630 I will give my next attempt in 2 month from now.

pls advice..

Friendly,
Dilip

bb · Answer

Hello and welcome to GMAT Club!

If you are applying at 33/34 and then matriculating at 35, it is very hard to get into a top Full Time program in the US. Europe is more possible and feasable but I would not pursue a US program and instead focus on either programs that do offer options for older applicants. There are a few 1-year programs such as Stanford Sloan program, and many others, and of course the EMBA programs. Of course, you will need to improve your GMAT for the top mba program application. However, the biggest aspect you will need to address is WHY MBA in your application and your journey since all of these programs do not really contemplate or assume switching jobs, industries, etc and more of an enhancement of your career.

P.S. If you are dying to get an MBA, i feel it would be right for you to research schools.

ndewilde · Answer

I'd agree. Would focus on executive MBA programs instead.

treetree · Answer

would there be a big diff between an executive program and a normal program?

bb · Answer

Yes. For one, it is significantly EASIER to get into an EMBA. Competition is less intense there, and many programs will even waive the GMAT requirement if you have a glowing resume.

EMBA's tend to meet on weekends or sometimes only one weekend a month (depends on the program). They tend to be for folks in more senior positions, have smaller classes, and professors that don't like baby-sitting 25-year-olds. At the same time, the EMBA has no recruiting component to it - there is no internships, no on campus recruiting, few networking events, etc. You are not expected to recruit since you already have a job or at least you are supposed to. (Kellogg is the only exception here since they invite PT and EMBA students to their on campus recruiting events.). EMBA are usually more expensive than FT programs (since companies often pay for it) and often entail travel, off-site weekends, etc. EMBA is probably tough for internationals but I have seen a guy from Brazil enrolling in Anderson EMBA a few months ago.

I feel EMBA is a great option due to lower entrance requirements/less competition, smaller class, and great opportunities to network with your classmates; it also allows you to keep working, and thus produce income/earn a salary. The main weakness is that it does not really allow you to switch industries or role since there is no internship or dipping your toe in the water. It also does not force you to quit your job and search for another one, thus you are likely to recruit less aggressively if your life depended on it like it would in FT.

treetree · Answer

Thanks for the great comparison. Very insightful inddeed!

bb · Answer

Glad it helped

Another weakness I guess is that you can’t be a full time student. Many like the idea of taking time off work and focusing on their personal development and frankly taking some time what to next with their career. Full Time is still the ultimate MBA experience. Posted from my mobile device

ArjunLeo · Answer

I think, he is looking for full time MBA programs -"I am very very keen of doing only one Year residential Program (No Part Time)"

Below are the few B-Schools in India offering 1-yr Executive MBA Programs for experienced Professionals IIM Ahmedabad PGPX IIM Bangalore EPGP IIM Kolkata PGPEX XLRI PGDM (GMP) ISB PGP

utopian25 · Answer

What is the likelihood of getting an admit in ISB at age of 33. Given one has 10+ years of work exp.

Posted from my mobile device

bb · Answer

It would probably help if you took a minute to clarify which program.... though, regardless, I don’t know much about ISB. Why don’t you go the ISB forum and post there. You may want to include a bit more details than just how long you had a job.... 10 years of being a waiter at a restaurant or selling sunglasses on the street likely won’t cut it. Take a minute next time to put some thought into your post. Thank you.

MBADecoder · Answer

Hi Aditya,

I can be of some help here.

ISB launched the PGP PRO program last year, for applicants with 5 to 12 years of work experience. Since then, they have been reducing the number of senior applicants in their PGP class. 
While it may still be worthwhile to apply to the PGP class, because they still do accept worthy senior applicants, I'd strongly advise you to also apply to other MBAs offered by the IIMA, B and C, to spread your risk.
While your 33years of age and 10+ years of experience may not be such a huge determiner of your chances, your execution of the application will definitely impact the outcome. At your age and Work exp., adcoms (of every b-school) would want to see:
1. your leadership experience
2. your impact on your organization, your big perspective thinking
3. purpose in professional life (goals)
4. and a real need for MBA, given your goals.
5. Assurance that you can manage your post MBA job using your own network.

Hope this makes sense to you.

ashkul123 · Answer

I went to IIMB EPGP at 35 years and I can vouch for the program. Having said that . an MBA is what you make of it (in know its a hackneyed phrase ) but it is true. People with different experience level focus on different things. For e.g someone with 5 years average work ex will put a lot more weight on GPA as compared to someone with higher experience. I personally didn't care about my GPA and picked some really abstract subjects and 2 years out, I am very happy about that.

The rewards of doing a full time MBA are definitely there and in India, you can't go wrong with IIMA , IIMB or ISB - though with ISB , it only makes sense if you have less experience.

Couple of things - no one cares about your GPA when you have this much experience as, typically you will be considered for Senior Manager to AVP / VP roles , so you pre-MBA work experience will matter a lot.

You will start seeing the real benefit of going to IIMs a couple of years out and you wont believe the kind of doors it can open for you at a fraction of cost but it will also depend on how actively you are managing your career. I have a few classmates who aren't really happy with the way their career has progressed

A degree from IIM will get you a foot in the door (provided there is a role fitment) , beyond that its a function of how well you perform in interview and negotiate.

I gave up a chance to live and study in Paris (got into HEC and even paid the commitment fee) but decided to join IIMB after cost benefit analysis and have no regrets

If you have a specific question regarding the program or in general , feel free to ask

saikat05041991 · Answer

Hi,

I have a work experience of 4.8 yrs. I have worked as a cs executive for 16 mnths in IBM , and then as a risk analyst for 3.5 yrs, in amazon.My work hasnt been of a technical backgrnd i must say. I have scores 80 percent in class 10, 67 in class 12 and a 70 percent in my grad. I always wanted to do an mba from a good college, and hence the wait for so long. I am preparing for my gmat too and i target a score of 700. What are my options? I want to make a shift to a career in consulting.

Posted from my mobile device

VPGMAT · Answer

This looked like my story except I will be a couple of years younger when I matriculate next year. I even have the HEC admit.

Though I am yet to start the 1 year MBA but the points put out here by ashkul123 is pretty much what alumni and current students of both IIMA and HEC have said. At 30 plus age, assuming a decade of experience, the choices have to be made. You cannot compare yourself with someone who is 3-5 years work-ex as they are eyeing for the first level management and you will be eyeing for a middle level management role. bb is right in saying that European schools do provide lot of opportunities for "older candidates" but you will need yo provide a lot more reasons for doing MBA at this stage of life. Moreover, the b-school also have to sell their executive programs , so if you come to normal MBA , who will take up their executive program? This is one reason why b-school actually don't want more experienced folks apart from the placement issues that may skew the overall placement reports.

ARINGO · Answer

Hi Dilip,

We at ARINGO have a dedicated EMBA team and we would love to assist you. I would suggest looking into 1-year full time EMBA (Executive Master of Administration) programs. These programs are specifically designed for people in similar situations to the one that you find yourself in. They are built for those who already have experience working in the field, but are interested in taking their formal education a step further. The programs take into consideration that the students may be employed full-time and therefor create the schedule with this in mind. Classes are usually held at night or on weekends.
Often during the administration process, less emphasis is put on grades, and more on work experience. More often than not, a sponsorship letter or statement of support from your organization or current place of work is required. In fact, not every EMBA program even demand GMAT scores. However, this is subjective to the university.
Whilst I do not know what you are looking for in a university, there are many exceptional EMBA programs around the world. The Indian Institute of Management Bangalore offers a 12 month program, as do Durham University in England, MIT Sloan Fellows, Stanford MSx, Foster JEMBA and USC IBear in the US and HEC Montréal École de Gestion in Canada.

For more info, I suggest you read our article about MBA over 30, do some more research and then contact our EMBA Specialist team. You can do this via our contact form: https://aringo.com/mba-process-registration

I hope this has helped you and wish you luck.

wilfordlee · Answer

I will be 36 years old when I start this fall. Having spoken to two people who have received their MBA from Rutgers and NYU, my age will not be an issue and neither should yours. I'm ex-military and there are quite a few individuals in my age range going for their MBA.

JDF · Answer

Stop worrying about age and start working on your GMAT. A 630 GMAT is a much bigger issue than your age. What was your quant/verbal split? Are you a native English speaker?

Posted from my mobile device

bapandebnath864@gmail.com · Answer

Does the age of 33 consider full time an MBA program?

ARINGO · Answer

bapandebnath864 hi, My name is Shimri and I head the strategy team at ARINGO. We work every year with many 30+ MBA candidates at 33 (and with ~10 years of experience) you are probably on borderline between "regular" full-time MBA programs (so, for example: Columbia MBA, INSEAD MBA) and special programs for senior candidates (for example: Stanford MSx, MIT Sloan Fellows) Where should you apply to? It depends on your profile, your aspirations, your timing of application, your GMAT/GRE/EA score, do you want a 1-year program or 2 etc. (and just for the anecdote, I worked last year with a 37-year-old, 710 GMAT, engineer, on Kellogg and Wharton MBAs (he got into both) and with a 57-year-old on MIT Sloan Fellows (151 EA, got in of course!) Feel free to send me your profile for a review (Shimriw@ARINGO.com) and good luck!

rianaamy · Answer

Hi BB

How about applying at 32 or 33 and enrolling at 33 and 34? Is that an issue for the top US full MBA?

Amy

Posted from my mobile device

MBA @ age of 33 is it good decision.

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards