I'll be 29 at matriculation. Will top b-schools consider me?

Question

Hi guys,

I am a private equity professional working in India and currently 27 years old. I graduated from an IIT which is one of the premier engineering institutes in India and worked at a mega PE fund in the past (likes of Blackstone, KKR). I have applied to Harvard/Stanford/Wharton twice in the past but somehow was always dinged (GMAT: 760, GPA:3.4). While this year looks tough for me to apply to b-schools again but in case I apply for the class matriculating in 2019, do you think it will be too late for me to start my MBA at the age of 29? I want to understand how much I am hurting my chances of admission by waiting for another year and starting MBA at 29 years age with 8 years of work experience. I am targeting only top 5 schools for now - HBS, Stanford, Wharton, Booth, Columbia as only those will add real value to my profile and help me move up in the larger private equity funds. However, I also want to have some reasonable shot at landing into a good tech (I am a comp. sci. grad) and then decide at that point whether I want to come back to my current employer or take up the other opportunity.

I am very confused right now about what to do. Need some advice please. Thanks!!

99Colleges · Answer

Hi akashsinghal,

Applying at 29 is fine. Your work experience then won’t be too off from the usual median workex of around 5 years at most schools. You’ve the professional experience to make it to your target schools. In fact, PE makes a good chunk of the incoming class at some of these schools. You’ll also have plenty of opportunities to recruit for tech industry at these schools, and if you’ve already worked in a tech role earlier, nothing like it. On another note, you may even consider applying this year (I know you’ll have your reasons for not doing so), keeping in mind how much things can change in the tech industry in a year (in case, it turns out to be an option). Otherwise, applying next year is not going to harm your odds.

IvyGroupeCEO · Answer

Hi Akash,

The most important thing is to apply when YOU feel you are ready. I have worked with clients who were successful gaining admission to the top schools after a couple of years of work experience and others who had 9-10 years of professional experience. You need to feel ready with respect to the timing and as to when you will be able to put your best foot forward. I hope this helps!

If you'd like to schedule a free consultation, feel free to reach out at [email protected] or https://www.ivygroupe.com/contact.

Best,
Shaifali
(HBS Grad/MBA Admissions Expert)

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Ivy Groupe, Founder/CEO
Boutique MBA Admissions Consulting

Website: https://www.ivygroupe.com
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Admissionado · Answer

Well look dude IIT + PE mega fund + 760 is a great start! Now, as to why you got dinged... since all of your numbers are good, I would conjecture that it is your story/application that needs works.I can't tell for sure without reading the applications, but really you have a great profile! I would so try again. 29 is NOT too old at ALL. Especially as an Indian candidate (who tend to be older). It's totally normal. Plus, the difficulty might have been in getting into PE at this late stage r.e. your own goals, but since you're already in...

So if you are still hot for it, APPLY! And if these are the only five school that will add real value, then go with it. (Although I would keep an open mind.. schools like Yale, Sloan and NYU can also also land you awesome in industry jobs. I hope this helps! And feel free to drop us a line for a more full-on Free Consultation: https://bit.ly/mbafcGC Best, JF

VeritasPrepDozie · Answer

Great profile and I don't think 29 is too old at all. You've already been dinged twice from HSW so you may want to broaden your list slightly. I think Booth and Columbia make sense given your career goals. I would also consider opening things up to Kellogg and Stern.

One other note, given the strength of your profile on paper, you may want to reevaluate your story/essays/application. Also, you may want to consider an admissions consultant to help you especially if you plan to give H/S/W another shot

ABatExpertsGlobal · Answer

Hi  akashsinghal ,

We are a bit late in responding to you but we hope this reaches you in time still ☺

No, 29 is not too late for you to start your MBA. You have a fine GMAT score, and IIT is always a good brand to have on your resume. Thus, you now need to focus on presenting your strengths in the best possible way.

Yes, your work experience will be slightly on the higher side, as compared to the class average. However, you could definitely use this to your advantage by including a large number of talking points in terms of your promotions and achievements, in your essays.

At this point, we recommend that you re visit your previous essays to focus on what you can do better. Remember, it is imperative that you showcase a strong alignment among your professional experience, short-term goals, and long-term aspirations. Further, your application must also focus on aspects, which differentiate you from other candidates ☺

If you are able to take care of the aforesaid, you stand a good chance at making it to your dream schools ☺

Should you feel the need for a detailed discussion, do not hesitate to reach out to us! ☺

All the best!

StratusDonna · Answer

ARINGO · Answer

You are really not too old, so I would not worry about that part, especially as your profile looks pretty impressive otherwise. I also suspect that the essays may be the reason you got dinged, so you should consider having a professional take a look at them. Feel free to be in touch here if you’d like to have ARINGO review your previous applications:  https://aringo.com/mba-process-registration/

But really, I hope you have gotten enough replies regarding the age issue not to worry about it anymore by now!

JL

ravigupta2912 · Answer

Hi Guys, small question since I’m in a similar boat age wise (I’m 28 but will be 29 in Dec 2021).

Chartered Accountant (equivalent to CPA)
Graduate from Delhi Uni
4 years in PwC, promotion, consistently high appraisals, significant achievements at work, incl bringing in new clients and work.
GMAT - scheduled for April 1 (been scoring around 730 on mocks).

Future goals - consulting (MBB).

I often feel that if I apply for 2022 programs, which will end in 2023, I mean I will be 30 by the time of matriculation. Sometimes puts me in doubt if I would be too old?

Would be grateful to hear your thoughts purely on the age factor.

Posted from my mobile device

ARINGO · Answer

Hi Ravigupta2912, Thanks for sharing your profile and MBA aspirations. My name is Priyanka, Client Manager at ARINGO. With the given limited information, from what I see- you have a very interesting profile! Age- You are not that old for MBA as you think. 😊 With pretty much everything else in place, you need not worry too much about it. Academics/GMAT – CA with bachelors from DU is fine. Also if you are able to achieve a ~730 on GMAT, it will make the case stronger for top schools. Work Experience –Working 4 years in a global brand with multiple promotions and achievements is impressive. You need to make an impactful resume by quantifying the achievements/career trajectory. Extracurricular activities/Volunteer Work – Schools look for an all-rounder profile. Make sure you have some talking points on these. 😊 Your career goals - Your career goals look fine but will be able to give more insights once you share your CV and provide more details about your profile. All in all sounds like you have a good profile! If you send me your CV once you are done with the exam on PRIYANKAK@ARINGO.com, I would love to connect you with our CEO who will be happy to help further with a detailed review and perhaps work together on some amazing apps. All the best.

ravigupta2912 · Answer

Thankyou Priyanka. Just wanted to a brief input on the age factor since it keeps bothering me in the back of my mind.

On a different note - I thought CA applicants would be very few or atleast quite a small % of the overall applicant pool?

Anyways, I will surely reach out post my GMAT results. Thank you again.

Posted from my mobile device

I'll be 29 at matriculation. Will top b-schools consider me?

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