Hi, and thanks for writing! You are right that your age could be a concern - the average # of years of work experience for a full-time program is about 3-7 years. With more experience than that, you'd have to make it especially clear in your application why NOW is the right time for an MBA program. That said, incoming students your age certainly are not unheard of, and you would add a unique perspective from the class (especially being from Brazil).
Regarding the schools you've listed - they are all very competitive, but if you're able to achieve a GMAT score above 720 and make a strong case for why you wish to pursue an MBA at this time and what drives your interest in management consulting, these programs aren't out of the question. Even better if you're involved in any activities outside of work (in volunteerism, hobbies you're passionate about, etc.) that you can highlight in your application, to show that you're a multidimensional candidate.
Hope that helps a bit! I encourage you to sign up for a free consultation so we can discuss your profile in more depth:
https://www.mbamission.com/consult/?dis ... admissionsThanks and hope to connect soon!
Henry Lisboa
I want to start preparing for the GMAT now and give myself about 8 months to study for it. However, I don't think it is worth pursuing an MBA at all if it's not in the top 20 or so schools. I'd like to get an idea of what my chances are to get in. Some basic stats;
Personal: 33 years old.
Undergrad: BBA, 3.3 GPA from a respected (not great) private college in Brazil.
GMAT: Not taken yet, but from previous standardized tests and with time to prepare I think I could hit 720+ (aiming for 780-800 verbal and 680-700 math).
Work experience: 12 years, 7 of them as a manager in Real Estate development. I’ve been promoted on average once every 2 years
Goals: Change career to management consulting at a major firm (i.e. BCG, McKinsey, etc...)
I'm basically considering the programs below:
Tier 1: LBS, Wharton, Ross, Insead
Tier 2: Columbia, NYU, LBS, IESE
I'm worried I'm old. Also, it took me longer to graduate because I started college when I was 28, and almost all of my work experience went before graduation, even being very relevant.
Are these b-schools realistic for me or should I give up and move on?