Age, Jobs...questions!

I disagree with kb798. While some schools (e.g. HBS) do seem to have a strong preference for younger applicants, at many schools the average and median age is 28, so while being 31 at entry is on the older side of the spectrum it's not unheard of. I know of several people in my class, who aren't military or doctors or anything like that, who were 30 or higher at entry (or turned 30 shortly thereafter). Bottom line is if you think a FT program is the right move for you, and can clearly explain why you need an MBA at this stage in your career than you should go for it. You can always apply to an EMBA later on since the age range for that is higher.

In terms of your question about careers for a new parent, seems like the three paths you mentioned are all pretty heavy workloads. Consulting especially would be difficult as not only are the hours tough but there's a significant amount of travel involved with most projects so you won't be around much during the week to help out. So if you do choose to pursue these fields your partner better be on board that they'd have to pick up a good amount of the kid-related workload.

Great reply - cheers.

I did go onto the websites and see the age ranges but wanted a view from these ranks!

I need to think about some things along this MBA journey but I guess this takes me onto my next question...

If I looked to stay in the Corp Finance world, an MBA is still a requirement per se - to move up the ladder I'll need an MBA - I'm already at the level where jobs are starting to ask for it would 'prefer' it. What's my selling point to a top program for staying in my current field aside from the above. I can use the traditional tirade of answers they likely get of being immersed with people from different backgrounds and experiences but what makes them want me when my goal is to go back into the field I am in with the MBA just being a tool to get me higher?

if you want to stay where you are, then you should consider PT vs. FT. if your company sponsors you, it's a strong, compelling reason for any PT mba program to take you in.

if you're looking to get the brand name, then it comes down to domain expertise in your field, how you can contribute to the class, how diverse you are in terms of interests, and clarity in future goals. i understand that it's challenging to come up with a strong case to take you in if you don't feel like you have the "wow" factor. however, everybody is different and no two people are alike. this where thinking deep and reaching far into yourself comes into play when crafting your application package together.

also, most people don't do what they say they will in their essays. some flat out lie, some play the gray area.

As you can see I have some ideas but am definitely not 100% sure.

Business schools tend to want someone with a strong vision of where they are going.

Conclusion...I might have to lie on my essays. I know I want an MBA as it will help me in both situations but that kind of response won't get me into business school.

I have a lot of friends who were in their early 30s when starting school. They did very well recruiting for corporate rolls since these companies tend to value experience more than banks and MC firms do. Getting into HF or PE without prior experience is very tough for anyone. However, if you want to have a family MC might be a lot harder on you than a corporate job. I travel a lot for work in my current roll and couldnt imagine how hard it would be if I had kids.

Guys - thanks a lot for your help.

My plan is to concentrate on the GMAT and get that done and then turn my attention to really deciding on whether I should do a full-time MBA or Exec MBA. I will apply for full-time to start with and see where that takes me!

Thanks again for all your help. Back to my GMAT questions!