Schools that are older applicant friendly?

Wharton's average age is pretty high. Harvard and Stanford skew pretty low. I don't know much other than that. I will say, however, that you GMAT is great and your GPA (for engineering) is really solid. Your ethnic background can also only help. You look like you have a strong profile even though you will be on the older end of the applicant pool. Cast a wide net (wider than four) and some schools will probably bite. Its the same thing I'm having to do since I am a very young applicant.

Thanks, guys, for your encouraging responses! Good luck leverandon and refurb with your own apps.

riverripper, nice to have the insider view too. I noticed in the Kellogg Ambassadors thread that's linked in your sig that you include the 2010 class profile which says the age range is 26-31. Is that the middle 80%? Or are the 35+ year-olds you see 2nd years or part-time students? I just hope that other schools aren't considering going the H/S route.

Anyway ... I'll keep looking at more schools. UCLA Andersen is another possibility since I'm a California resident.

Kellogg's numbers are for the middle 80%. I know several people in their mid-late 30s in my class (1st year) and these are all FT people. Since you want to do a career change a FT definitely makes more sense than a PT or EMBA. However, your age pushes you more towards the EMBA territory. Make sure you make it clear why you need the FT MBA not just the degree.

On can always look at average numbers, though they don't tell the whole truth they are a good guidance.

I met a guy at MIT Sloan with 38 (I may be wrong, but it was around that), and I know one here at Chicago Booth with 36 - talking about FT programs. That said, both are willing to open their own business.

I believe that up to 33 people would have a shot to many places, though historically, H/S are the ones that things get harder - but we have terry's example here that with 30 one can break into Stanford GSB.

About the schools you mentioned I believe that Columbia would be the hardest (CBS also seem to be moving a little bit towards younger applicants from what I've hard from some friends of mine who are there), but all of them, especially this year, will be hard.

I think the best advice you can get is to apply to as many schools as possible. When you start reaching the older ages, there are less spots for you in each year's class. It's just a statistical issue.

Of course you need to have a strong application (and a strong why MBA now answer), but you will do yourself a big favor by applying to as many schools as you can (so long as the applications are strong, of course).