The age old problem…

I have decided to write on this as it’s one I get asked all the time and is also one that has always been at the back of my mind. As you would have noticed from my profile, I am in my mid-thirties. I had initially decided to just do a Masters in Finance (MSF) at McCombs which is a 10mth intensive program. In addition I would have been allowed to work in the States for 3 years as the course will be STEM eligible in 2019. I had given up on the idea of a full time MBA as I thought I was too old. I definitely don’t want to do an online MBA as I think the benefits to me will be minimal while a part time MBA was not an option as I am not resident in the States. The average age of most MBA classes in the US is 28. Of course this means you have candidates on either side of 28 but if you drill down to the age range, you will find the upper range to be 34/35 which will suggest I will, more likely than not, be an outlier in any program that takes me.

From speaking to a number of admission officers from Tuck, Fuqua, Cornell, Darden, Stern, the general feedback is age is not a factor for them. What is most important to them is your reason for wanting to do an MBA and how you will contribute to the program. A lot of them will tell you about a 40 year old they had in one of their classes. But when you go ahead and look at different posts, you will hear a lot of talk on why recruiters prefer candidates between the ages of 28 and 32. This generally revolve around the demands of investment banking and consulting being for much younger people and being too old for a leadership development program.

My conclusion is that you should just apply to the school of your choice. The most important factors are why you want to do an MBA and why you think this is the best time for you to do it. If you go through this process and still feel a full time program is the best choice for you then just go ahead and apply. You might want to research the age range of various full time programs to see which one suits your age profile the most. Try and make the most compelling case for their program through your resume and essays. No one can tell you what will be going through the mind of the admission officer that will process your application. You just never know!