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Question

Hello, I am considering applying for an MBA, as a means to either taking the next step in my career or changing course entirely into a different field. I'm also interested in any ideas other than MBAs that would help as well. I'm primarily interested in the NYC schools - NYU or Columbia, and possibly Zicklin - as I am already living/working in NYC and would like to stay if possible. I would welcome any advice on whether these schools make sense given my profile, or if anyone has any alternative ideas for what I should be looking.

Profile 
Age: 36, Asian-Canadian

Attended University of Toronto for three degrees: 3.88 GPA (B.Sc. major in Computer Science, minors in History and Math), ~3.9 GPA (M. Sc., Computer Science), ~3.56 GPA (JD, essentially equates to something in the top 20% percent of class year)
7 years Work Experience in NYC as a bankruptcy/restructuring lawyer/professional (~5 years at a Vault 15 law firm representing creditors/debtors/other stakeholders in out-of-court and in-court restructurings, ~2 years in banks' workout/restructuring groups (corporate banking) which look to maximize value from stressed/distressed assets).

No GMAT score yet

Nothing really spectacular in terms of extracurriculars, but I'm an avid skier, hiker and (more recently) rock climber.

I am thinking of either moving into funds/PE firms with a focus on investing in stressed assets, or changing course entirely and transitioning into the tech or fintech industry - possibly business development, product management or data analytics.

Questions 
 
   Age.  I have heard conflicting advice about the age issue - is it a serious concern given my profile, particularly for the schools that I am targeting? 
   GMAT.  I am targeting 720-750 for the GMAT.
  Thus far, I've only done the Princeton Review free test (scored 670 without knowing anything about the GMAT), and the OG Diagnostic Test (scored Excellent on all categories except one - Above Average on the CR). My next step is to do a bit of review of Quant and the CR section, and then take one of the official GMAT tests online to get a better idea of where I would likely score. 
 Nevertheless, assuming I do score between 720-750, would NYU/Columbia be realistic for admission in Fall 2018?    
  Schools.  
   Are the schools I am targeting logical for my career goals?  
  Would Zicklin give me similar opportunities to achieve my career goals? 
  I don't think Columbia J-term or EMBA makes sense as I am looking to either re-orient my career or change my career entirely - is my thinking correct or not? 
  Should I consider holding off my application for next year, or is there any difference in terms of admission chances between now for 2018 admission or later for 2019 admission? 
  Are there other schools I should consider?   
  Non-MBA Paths.  Are there other ways that I could develop so as to accomplish the same career goals, or would an MBA make the most sense?

Many thanks in advance!

mbaMissionKrista · Answer

Hey  ikcotyck

Very interesting profile and great questions. Now here's the thing -- recruiters at MBA programs are looking to fill certain jobs that are geared towards candidates with just a few years of work experience. Also, it's not that you can't learn from an MBA program...it's more that programs may wonder what they can teach you because you've been out in the real world for so long. It just gets tougher and tougher to crack top b-schools the longer you are out there.

I think a lot of this will hinge on the GMAT so get that in the bag first and then assuming a decent score, you should set up a free consultation with us to talk more about your candidacy. In the meantime, the one program I definitely want you to look at is MIT Sloan Fellows, which is a 1-year residential, full-time MBA program geared towards those with your level of experience. But what's great is that it is not part-time. It's full-time! Give that a think and knuckle down on that GMAT!

Krista

ikcotyck · Answer

Thanks Krista. I have a few follow-up questions.

At this point does it make a difference for schools if I don't apply for Fall 2018 admission but instead go for Fall 2019 admission? I'm now thinking it will be awfully rushed to get everything done in the next month plus...

Also I had written off an eMBA as I was under the impression that it was primarily for folks who want to advance in their current job/profession, but is it viable for me if I want to change my career?

Should I also consider the European MBA schools given my profile and goals? I had been focusing on NYC but UK or France might be interesting!

And yes, in the mean time the GMAT is step 1!

PersonalMBACoach · Answer

Thank you for your detailed post. You have an interesting and strong profile. We work with a number of lawyers each year and they do tend to do very well in the process (assuming a strong GMAT score to support the app). That said, as mentioned above, given your age I recommend you apply across a spectrum of programs. I would not count out full-time completely, as we could spin you as someone with 7 yr of experience and not 36 yr old. Then again the age would impact things and since law school counts as some time, I recommend looking into some executive MBA programs. They can work quite well for a career switch as you would be networking with industry movers and shakers. I am happy to go into more detail about how this would work. In terms of non-EMBA programs: Europe - There are great options in Europe. One benefit is European schools are less picky about age / work experience. Thus it doesn't hurt you as much. Another is the global nature of the programs. CBS J Term - This may be your best bet at a full-time US program aside from Zicklin, which you may do well at given your stats. J Term is also a bit less picky about age. The other full-time executive level programs usually want applicants with 12+ years of experience, so this may be a bit high for your current career level. That said, I would want to look at the resume in more detail. Feel free to reach out with any questions and if you want test prep support, we have MIT 4.0 graduates and 790-800 GMAT tutors who can help! scott@personalmbacoach.com www.personalmbacoach.com Best, Scott

mbaMissionKrista · Answer

Hi  ikcotyck 
You are pretty late to be applying for Fall 2018. R3 is never my favorite round for any candidate but it can be especially difficult for quirkier candidates. You might be okay at Zicklin though. If you haven't already, visit CBS and Stern and talk to them about your background. Sometimes they will give very strong signals regarding whether you should apply to full-time, part-time or EMBA. EMBA programs generally still have a career resource available that helps career switchers but in general, most people are not switching careers. I would advise the same thing -- do your research with CBS and Stern in particular and talk to the EMBA programs about your goals and whether it's the type of thing they will help you with.

I still recommend looking at MIT Sloan Fellows!

Re: European programs, they tend to be more open to older applicants which might help you. Look at Oxford and HEC in particular. If you nail the GMAT, INSEAD and Cambridge are also possibilities but a lot of this is hard without an actual GMAT score.

All the best,
Krista

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