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careerchange1
Joined: 11 Mar 2011
Last visit: 23 Jun 2011
Posts: 1
Concentration: International Business
Schools:Haas, Stanford, INSEAD, Harvard
17 Mar 2011, 11:34
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Hi,
I am a 40-year old female who has been running her own small business for just short of a decade and it's not for me. Although I have been successful in what I do, it does not resonate with me to continue on this course of action as I am currently lonely and uninspired (at work that is). I want to attend MBA school so that I can become a part of a team again, be empassioned about projects, collaborate with brilliant people and be excited to come to the office. My desire is to work internationally and the chances for that in my current field are limited at best. I am a chiropractic physician, so I have the dual role of employer/employee and lately have only been interested in performing the business management part of my work. I realize that there are some big obstacles here with having a background of alternative care and self-employment, never mind being 40, but I am completely committed to making this change.
I expecting to take the GMAT at the end of June 2011 (will register by the end of the weekend) and need to know what my chances are of getting in to any of the top schools. I assume that nothing less than a 700 on the GMAT would be acceptable, so I am aiming as high as possible. My preferences for schools are Stanford, Berkeley and INSEAD. I would also like to apply to Harvard, however, that would be a harder region to convince my husband to live.
I graduated with honors from my undergraduate program and was close to that in my doctorate program. As I assumed that would be my last degree, I focused more on running clubs and being a member of the student body instead of getting A's. I have completed post-doctoral education programs and received professional accolades for my work. I'm not sure what other information would be appropriate to present.
Is this a crazy dream or do I have a shot of getting in? Brutally honest feedback appreciated.
Thank you!
PS: any advice on who to ask for reference letters as I have not had a direct supervisor in a long, long time.
I am a 40-year old female who has been running her own small business for just short of a decade and it's not for me. Although I have been successful in what I do, it does not resonate with me to continue on this course of action as I am currently lonely and uninspired (at work that is). I want to attend MBA school so that I can become a part of a team again, be empassioned about projects, collaborate with brilliant people and be excited to come to the office. My desire is to work internationally and the chances for that in my current field are limited at best. I am a chiropractic physician, so I have the dual role of employer/employee and lately have only been interested in performing the business management part of my work. I realize that there are some big obstacles here with having a background of alternative care and self-employment, never mind being 40, but I am completely committed to making this change.
I expecting to take the GMAT at the end of June 2011 (will register by the end of the weekend) and need to know what my chances are of getting in to any of the top schools. I assume that nothing less than a 700 on the GMAT would be acceptable, so I am aiming as high as possible. My preferences for schools are Stanford, Berkeley and INSEAD. I would also like to apply to Harvard, however, that would be a harder region to convince my husband to live.
I graduated with honors from my undergraduate program and was close to that in my doctorate program. As I assumed that would be my last degree, I focused more on running clubs and being a member of the student body instead of getting A's. I have completed post-doctoral education programs and received professional accolades for my work. I'm not sure what other information would be appropriate to present.
Is this a crazy dream or do I have a shot of getting in? Brutally honest feedback appreciated.
Thank you!
PS: any advice on who to ask for reference letters as I have not had a direct supervisor in a long, long time.
17 Mar 2011, 21:28
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To be honest, you're a wild card candidate -- whether you get in will be even more a subjective thing that will vary from one individual adcom to another (i.e it's less about the school, and more about who happens to read your case).
While I can understand how you're feeling about your career, I'm not sure if going to school full-time with people who are 10-15 years younger than you are will be the best thing; 10-15 years difference may not mean a whole lot between say a 40 and 55 year old, but most 40 year olds will feel out of place in a sea of twentysomethings. That's really something only you can answer, as it will vary from one person to the next. What you should do (if you haven't already) is to visit a few schools NOW while class is still in session (until early May), and get a feel for what it feels like to be around a bunch of current MBA students. You may feel it's what you want, or you may feel out of place.
In any case, if you are sure you want to apply, go for it - because you're such a unique candidate, you might as well just choose whatever schools you'd love to attend, and just do your best on the application.
Another alternative is to do an executive MBA or part-time program, where there will be more people at your stage in life and whom you'll have more in common with (especially an exec MBA program). In fact, assuming your GMATs are solid (high 600s, ideally 700+), you should have no problems getting into any of the top exec MBA programs - whether it's Stanford Sloan (Stanford claims it doesn't have an exec MBA, but their 1-year Sloan program is basically an exec program), Haas exec or part-time, Wharton exec MBA (in the Bay Area), and so forth.
While I can understand how you're feeling about your career, I'm not sure if going to school full-time with people who are 10-15 years younger than you are will be the best thing; 10-15 years difference may not mean a whole lot between say a 40 and 55 year old, but most 40 year olds will feel out of place in a sea of twentysomethings. That's really something only you can answer, as it will vary from one person to the next. What you should do (if you haven't already) is to visit a few schools NOW while class is still in session (until early May), and get a feel for what it feels like to be around a bunch of current MBA students. You may feel it's what you want, or you may feel out of place.
In any case, if you are sure you want to apply, go for it - because you're such a unique candidate, you might as well just choose whatever schools you'd love to attend, and just do your best on the application.
Another alternative is to do an executive MBA or part-time program, where there will be more people at your stage in life and whom you'll have more in common with (especially an exec MBA program). In fact, assuming your GMATs are solid (high 600s, ideally 700+), you should have no problems getting into any of the top exec MBA programs - whether it's Stanford Sloan (Stanford claims it doesn't have an exec MBA, but their 1-year Sloan program is basically an exec program), Haas exec or part-time, Wharton exec MBA (in the Bay Area), and so forth.
