Profile evaluation please...

Question

Hi Stacy,

Thanks for giving the chance to be scanned by you. I really would like to apply for a top 10 MBA in US. I've been practicing my GMAT but due to my not typical profile I'm struggling with if I have a real possibility of being admitted to these. Here are the facts.

Nationality: LatinAmerican country
Gender: Male
Age: 35
GPA: 3.5 (ranked first of the class)
GMAT: 730 - 710 (practice tests)
UG degree: Engineer (major in finance)
Extracurricular activities: Teaching and Research assistant in college (Economics and finance courses). 
Current industry: Sales and Trading

I graduated just a couple of years ago because I started to study later (didn't know what to study). Previously to enter college I worked in several industries from publicity an TV series as an actor to banking as a sales representative. In this last one was where I was interested in an investment field career so I enrolled at college (evenings). During my college years me with other partners founded a private investment fund, which went pretty good until the financial crisis. When I graduated from college I've been in 2 positions in sales and trading in the largest investment banks of my country. Since then I've been out among my peers, always surpasing the predefined goals and giving new ideas.

Stacy, I would like to have your feedback on choosing which school could I target based on what I stated above and any tip you could give to me.

Best regards and thanks in advance.

jazzman · Answer

I know I'm not Stacy but I'd research average age when applying to schools. Some schools tend to look for younger people, whereas some are more forgiving for the 30+ set.

Latinapp · Answer

Thanks jazzman, I know my age is really a disadvantage according to statistics. The thing is that I'm applying later because I studied later, not for lack academic capabilities but for lack of financial support and undecision about what I really wanted to study. I didn't wanted to go to college just to sit there, pass exams and get a diploma. I wanted to be taught something stimulating to me. Finally I found it in financial markets, thus I enrolled in a program majoring in Finance and with lectures taught every evening to allow me work at day for paying the tuition and living costs (in fact the second year of study I got married and had 1 child), so I had to support a family and achieve good marks at college.

Which universities do you think could be a target to me, would you give me a few options?

Thanks and regards!

Which universities do you think could be a target to me, would you give me a few options?

Thanks and regards!

GMATLA · Answer

I think with a story like that you can definitely overcome your age. I'll leave the profile eval to the experts!

Latinapp · Answer

Well GMATLA, I am very objective about my probabilities but if I look around on my childhood friends, definitively I didn't have the typical life and didn't take the "safe" way. I am the first of my familiy in going to college and when I finished high school everything was attractive to me, but not for sitting 5 years to study. That is why I tested different kind of jobs before enrolling in a program in many different industries, but mainly in the show business field. Finally I finished trading the financial markets...what an irony!. As I stated in the previous post I worked full time and studied monday to friday from 7 to 10 pm and all saturdays for almost 5 years. In fact I set up a kind of hedge fund while I was just in my second year of college so I had to accelerate my financial knowledge thanks google hehehe.....and learned a lot from that experience, despite it failed.
My goals after MBA would be gaining more experience in the financial industry for a couple of years and then again set up my own business related to investment management.

Thanks GMATLA.

Latinapp · Answer

Guys,

What are the most friendly top programs for the atypical candidate regarding work and life experience. I mean, for what I've researched some schools, assuming good numbers on GPA and GMAT, weight more on the applicant life and not only looking for a traditional story full of successes but for a more impressive one, that do not fix with the typical straight career path (exotic applicant).
I remember the movie "21" when the main character start the movie applying to Harvard Medical School, telling a story completely different to what anybody might think of him. For those who have seen the movie, you know what it means.
Is there any top program that likes this kind of specimen?

Regards

StacyBlackman · Answer

Hi Latinapp,

Thanks for your postings.

Regarding your age, both older and younger candidates will face challenges. Older candidates will have to prove that it makes sense to return to school at this late stage of their career, and that they are not merely encountering a mid-career crisis. They will also have to demonstrate that all of their time in the work world has been well spent. They should demonstrate progression, tangible contributions, and a high level of self-awareness, confidence, and maturity. A 37-year-old applicant who has spent 15 years in the same position without showing significant growth or progression will have a hard time being admitted to a top school. But this is not because they are 37 or because of the 15 years of experience. Rather, it is because they may have not demonstrated growth during that time.

Regarding you career, if you have a high volume of job changes on your resume, you may appear to lack commitment or be unfocused. You will probably need to explain the reason for your changes and help the admissions committee to understand the motivation behind your decisions. It’s important in this situation to refrain from merely chronicling your resume. You will want to explain the “WHY?” behind the “WHAT you did.” There is no right number of jobs, or right number of years at a job. Most important is to explain why each step is a logical one in your path to the MBA and longer term goals. If there was a misstep somewhere, you can explain what happened, how you corrected course and what you learned. This can also add important dimension to your application.

Hope this was of help.

Cheers,

Conrad and the Stacy Blackman Team

Latinapp · Answer

Many thanks Conrad!!
Cheers

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