Hi - We are happy to offer you a candid assessment. There is so much I want to share with you.
First and foremost, your age is NOT an issue. Please be careful about blogs and such. There is so much white noise/so many opinions out there. It is true that the average age at the top schools is 26-29. Remember, that is the average age range. You are not considered an older applicant until you have 10+ years experience (it is based on experience, not your age). And being an older applicant is not inherently disadvantageous. As long as you can demonstrate that your additional years of experience have molded you into a more mature, aware, and directed person who will have a great deal to offer in your school community, you are fine.
Second, please stop trying to raise your GMAT score. A 750 is excellent. Admissions committees refer to the GMAT score for one reason: to ensure that the applicant will be ready to tackle the rigorous coursework in b-school. You are sending that message VERY clearly.
Third, your gap is not an issues at all. You were fortifying your mind and experiencing the world! Admissions committees fully value learning that an applicant has that zest for life and learning. It is this type of experience that adds color/distinction to your profile and could help to distinguish you from your competition which - yes - is the biggest group f applicant s (Indian, male, IT professionals).
Fourth, though we haven't talked with you to learn in what other ways we could help you bring color, dimension and distinction to your profile, based on what you have shared here, I believe you should be able to get traction at schools in the top 20. Right now, I have no idea what your goals are. I don't know how you have progressed in your career to illustrate that each year of work has indeed been additive. But you appear to have the ingredients at a foundational level to be taken seriously at a top 20 school.
I hope this is helpful to you. It's intentionally not detailed because there are so many foundational issues I wanted to address with you that I believe, without getting into your details, you should see that applying would not be futile.
Kathryn Lucas, Founder
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