AM I TOO OLD FOR AN MBA?
MBA applicants who are older than 30 years often ask these questions: – ‘Is it too late for a full-time MBA program?’ – ‘How do b-schools look at MBA applicants over 30?’ – ‘After I cross 30 years, should I even try for full-time MBA programs?’ Why people choose an MBA after 30? For similar reasons any other aspirant in the prime of his age applies for an MBA i.e, to have a good experience dealing with management, to have abundant career opportunities or to have a geographical/ industrial/ role shift and not to forget the chance to earn big! It would a tough call to quit the job after one is in the mid-level management position with a good pay for an MBA. Though the applicant is willing to do so many a times the b-schools don’t seem to be interested in such applications for the following reasons. What are the reasons B-schools prefer students below 30 years of age? 1. MBA applicants at the age of 30 would be of lesser importance to the recruiters than 20-something applicants be it their flexibility of working longer hours or having a life of no strings attaches (as most of them would still be bachelors). So the placements statistics for the b-school (an important parameter for MBA rankings) will be adversely impacted 2. The salary hikes (if at all there is any) for 30 to 40-year-old MBA graduates will be lesser than it would be for the 20-something graduate. This is another crucial parameter for MBA rankings. 3. As most of the applicants usually are in the 20-something, a 30+ applicant usually is perceived to be the least fit into the lot. Now, whats the solution? Now that you know why an application officer can reject you, you should be ready with all the answers to the above questions. Your story-line needs to be stronger than the others – specifically the post MBA career goals. What jobs are you aiming for? How will an MBA help you get there? Typical questions you might think, but the answers need to be bullet-proof and the application executive strategy needs to be extra solid. Any minor loopholes in your application will give a chance to the b-schools who were eagerly waiting for your rejection to act accordingly. You have to show them that the extra years you have put into the corporate world has immensely helped you to grow wiser, stand against all the odds and ability to have a clear approach towards the industry’s problems.