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prakhag
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Joined: 18 Jun 2010
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Schools: IIMA (PGPX) (D) IIM B '15 (A) ISB '15 (A) INSEAD Jan '16 (D) NUS '16 (S)
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MBA: Work Experience 19 Jul 2012, 14:00
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Hi:

Would really appreciate if Accepted.com can share its inputs on my queries.

I had given my GMAT this January and secured 730. However, due to family, personal and financial priorities I do not think I would be able to apply in schools before 2014 fall. By then I will have over 8 years of experience. My years of experience certainly fall beyond work-ex brackets for almost all full time MBA programs that I've been targetting. Will this seriously hamper my prospects of getting an admit in schools? How's 8-9+ work-ex viewed by schools? I understand I can still articulate my needs pretty well in my essays to stand a chance but how do ground realities stack up? Should I be considering an EMBA instead? Does an EMBA really make a difference to your profile?

Please advise.
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MBA: Work Experience 19 Jul 2012, 21:42
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prakhag
Hi:

Would really appreciate if Accepted.com can share its inputs on my queries.

I had given my GMAT this January and secured 730. However, due to family, personal and financial priorities I do not think I would be able to apply in schools before 2014 fall. By then I will have over 8 years of experience. My years of experience certainly fall beyond work-ex brackets for almost all full time MBA programs that I've been targetting. Will this seriously hamper my prospects of getting an admit in schools? How's 8-9+ work-ex viewed by schools? I understand I can still articulate my needs pretty well in my essays to stand a chance but how do ground realities stack up? Should I be considering an EMBA instead? Does an EMBA really make a difference to your profile?

Please advise.
Show more

Prahag,

At many if not most MBA programs, 8-9 years of work experience starts to be a negative, particularly with average age at acceptance under 28. School programs and career placement are aimed at applicants with (usually) 4-6 years of experience and 8 years is the high end. It sounds like you will be just over that so I can't say your chances of acceptance are doomed to start with. Again, choose programs that are more welcoming to slightly older applicants and then make a strong case for why you need an MBA now, not just why you couldn't get it last year.

You might be interested in "Older MBA Applicants."

Regarding Executive MBAs, they are good options for more experienced MBA wannabes, however they tend not to be as effective as vehicles for career change. . You may also want to consider the Sloan Fellows Programs at MIT, Stanford, and London Business School, but for those programs you may actually be better off if you wait an additional year. Also again, career placement is not as robust at all of them.

Best,
Linda
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prakhag
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Joined: 18 Jun 2010
Last visit: 28 May 2014
Posts: 69
Own Kudos:
52
Given Kudos: 2
Schools: IIMA (PGPX) (D) IIM B '15 (A) ISB '15 (A) INSEAD Jan '16 (D) NUS '16 (S)
Posts: 69
Kudos: 52
MBA: Work Experience 19 Jul 2012, 21:54
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Accepted.com
prakhag
Hi:

Would really appreciate if Accepted.com can share its inputs on my queries.

I had given my GMAT this January and secured 730. However, due to family, personal and financial priorities I do not think I would be able to apply in schools before 2014 fall. By then I will have over 8 years of experience. My years of experience certainly fall beyond work-ex brackets for almost all full time MBA programs that I've been targetting. Will this seriously hamper my prospects of getting an admit in schools? How's 8-9+ work-ex viewed by schools? I understand I can still articulate my needs pretty well in my essays to stand a chance but how do ground realities stack up? Should I be considering an EMBA instead? Does an EMBA really make a difference to your profile?

Please advise.

Prahag,

At many if not most MBA programs, 8-9 years of work experience starts to be a negative, particularly with average age at acceptance under 28. School programs and career placement are aimed at applicants with (usually) 4-6 years of experience and 8 years is the high end. It sounds like you will be just over that so I can't say your chances of acceptance are doomed to start with. Again, choose programs that are more welcoming to slightly older applicants and then make a strong case for why you need an MBA now, not just why you couldn't get it last year.

You might be interested in "Older MBA Applicants."

Regarding Executive MBAs, they are good options for more experienced MBA wannabes, however they tend not to be as effective as vehicles for career change. . You may also want to consider the Sloan Fellows Programs at MIT, Stanford, and London Business School, but for those programs you may actually be better off if you wait an additional year. Also again, career placement is not as robust at all of them.

Best,
Linda
Show more

Thanks Linda.

As you've correctly pointed out, most European and US schools are a lot more inclined towards entertaining MBA candidates between 4 to 6 years of experience bracket, however barring a couple of schools in US I'm more focused on Asian schools (INSEAD, NUS, NTU, ISB, IIM etc). Would you say Asian schools are a little more relaxed when it comes to age and work ex criterion? At-least going by their websites and a few campus visits, average age of students hover around 28 and average work experience of 5 years.
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Accepted.com
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Joined: 20 Apr 2003
Last visit: 18 Dec 2022
Posts: 6,466
Own Kudos:
859
Given Kudos: 92
Location: Los Angeles CA
Posts: 6,466
Kudos: 859
MBA: Work Experience 19 Jul 2012, 22:04
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prakhag
Accepted.com
prakhag
Hi:

Would really appreciate if Accepted.com can share its inputs on my queries.

I had given my GMAT this January and secured 730. However, due to family, personal and financial priorities I do not think I would be able to apply in schools before 2014 fall. By then I will have over 8 years of experience. My years of experience certainly fall beyond work-ex brackets for almost all full time MBA programs that I've been targetting. Will this seriously hamper my prospects of getting an admit in schools? How's 8-9+ work-ex viewed by schools? I understand I can still articulate my needs pretty well in my essays to stand a chance but how do ground realities stack up? Should I be considering an EMBA instead? Does an EMBA really make a difference to your profile?

Please advise.

Prahag,

At many if not most MBA programs, 8-9 years of work experience starts to be a negative, particularly with average age at acceptance under 28. School programs and career placement are aimed at applicants with (usually) 4-6 years of experience and 8 years is the high end. It sounds like you will be just over that so I can't say your chances of acceptance are doomed to start with. Again, choose programs that are more welcoming to slightly older applicants and then make a strong case for why you need an MBA now, not just why you couldn't get it last year.

You might be interested in "Older MBA Applicants."

Regarding Executive MBAs, they are good options for more experienced MBA wannabes, however they tend not to be as effective as vehicles for career change. . You may also want to consider the Sloan Fellows Programs at MIT, Stanford, and London Business School, but for those programs you may actually be better off if you wait an additional year. Also again, career placement is not as robust at all of them.

Best,
Linda

Thanks Linda.

As you've correctly pointed out, most European and US schools are a lot more inclined towards entertaining MBA candidates between 4 to 6 years of experience bracket, however barring a couple of schools in US I'm more focused on Asian schools (INSEAD, NUS, NTU, ISB, IIM etc). Would you say Asian schools are a little more relaxed when it comes to age and work ex criterion? At-least going by their websites and a few campus visits, average age of students hover around 28 and average work experience of 5 years.
Show more

Prahag,

Yes, I do think the Asian programs are a little friendlier to older MBA applicants.

Best,
Linda