cheetarah1980 wrote:
Eh, I don't know. I matriculated at 32 which is only a year younger than you would be. There aren't a lot of 30+ applicants so I don't know if there is any statistically significant evidence that your chances go down. I'd say that if your stats are in line and you have a good answer to Why MBA and why now? then you should have a shot. All of the schools you're looking at are really selective so age is really the least of your worries. JMO,
Good point here. There is a CW that goes "it's harder for older candidates to get in" but very often that's a specious argument based on a false chain of logic built from the extrapolation of stats of folks who actually attend Bschool.
That having been said, there are a few important things, for older candidates:
1. Doing an MBA at this specific point in time still needs to make SENSE! Meaning age can influence just how effective your MBA is in reaching your goals. So if you are 33 and your goal is to join McKinsey for the first time after your MBA, then I may look at your profile with a sceptical eye, but if you were the same age, and your goal is to consolidate your mid-sized start up firm and gain knowledge and contact to propel it into hugeness, then that's a lot more reasonable.
2. Fit - You still also need to fit into the class. So really, a 37-year old might feel like "What the heck am I doing here with all these kiddies?" is he were in a class of 25 year olds, plus the differences in experience are huge and that is why for older candidates, one year programs and EMBAs make more sense often.
3. There is no cutoff point - It may get a bit harder as you get older, but there is no actual year where you say to yourself "now it's too late", you still need to take into consideration the above two points though