novanative wrote:
I'll give my take by hitting various points you made.
Will being older hurt you for certain jobs?
Depends on if you want to change your complete career track. Usually not if you are trying to stay in the same area.
This is a question that probably will affect law school grads in your age more than younger law school applicants (vast majority are either in college or no older than 25 and with no more than 2-3 years WE). The NLJ Top 250 firms generally only want to hire younger associates from elite schools who can handle the 80 hour work weeks with minimal familial interruption, though some top students at lower schools get in here too. Older law applicants usually apply their degree in a related field pre-JD. For example many law students with big science backgrounds and considerable quality scientific WE can find offers as patent/IP lawyers.
For MBA's, I'd imagine that investment banking may be like this too, but I'm not interested in this field at all, so maybe someone else could chime in on this.
Elite school or a Top 30?
A top 30 school will still have great regional prospects and if it's in a major city's area, your job prospects will look good post MBA. Again, if you're trying to get into something completely new, then yes, generally speaking, the better the school, the better the prospects you have. Ultimately, grad school and college is what you make of it.
Will you be passed over for guys who went to better schools than you as an employee?
I'll say it like this. My college degree from William and Mary certainly helped me get some job offers over some other guys who didn't go to schools as good as mine. But that really only helps me for my first job, and perhaps I may get into a better b school program over some others with a similar GPA because W&M is a Public Ivy and holds good clout in the Washington area though I'm not so sure outside of the east coast.
However now after six years of WE and with me hitting the age of 28, my college degree is not going to impress any prospective employer by itself, and they want to see what qualities I bring to my employer now instead. I can't flaunt my college degree at this point in time anymore in the DC area because it isn't giving me any promotions, etc. I have to beat out the other guys with my merit, regardless of whether they're from a school as good as W&M like UVA, a school clearly better than W&M like Georgetown or Hopkins, or one of the local/regional schools like George Mason, VCU, or James Madison, all schools that produce some pretty successful guys in the local area too. A degree, any degree gives me a foot in the door for some opportunities sooner and lets you apply for some better opportunities that you can't without it. But yes, the returns for a degree because of the school name diminish the further and further away you are from graduation. I certainly see that with my college degree.
Closing thoughts
I think you should go to the school that's best for you now, considering your age is "entering" executive MBA territory. The elite school (ie - Kellogg/Wharton/Stanford) gives you the most open doors and may get you something you like sooner. The top 30 program (Georgetown/Vandy), especially if it's in an area where you'd like to work is not a bad deal either. You'll be fine if you put your time into business school and into the areas you'd like to work in, and in particular if it's not too far off from your current line of work. Good luck!
Good post.
Also thought I should say what's up and give a shoutout to a W&M grad. I grew up in CT and NY, but have a bunch of family down around DC and Virginia, and my grandfather went to W&M, and always had amazing things to say about it. Would have applied myself, and likely would have gone, if I hadn't gotten lucky and got into Hopkins ED. W&M had the nicest campus I've ever seen, without a doubt. Most of the B schools I'm applying to are in the DC area as well, seems as you're the same way. Love the area, it's a great place.
Again, nice insights with that post.