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WAMC! - What Are My Chances - Automated Profile Evaluation Tool is Here!
Updated on: Aug 20, 2015
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Feb 26, 2011
Feb 26, 2011
Feb 26, 2011
MBAPrepSchoolTyler wrote:Hello Fedex,
My thoughts on your profile relative to schools you are targeting.
Haas: Very small school, very selective -- Big Reach
Sloan: You are an over-represented applicant so your profile would need to be outstanding across the board -- Big Reach
Tuck: Profile is starting to be in line but will depend on how well you fit with the Tuck Culture, Previous deny raises questions about that -- Reach
Ross, Texas, IESE: I think your profile is competitive for these schools but it will depend on you excelling in the areas I note in my analysis below.
My Profile Analysis
Academic Profile: Average
EE is a major that is admired but as you point out the school is unknown and it appears your performance was good but not outstanding with a 67/100.
GMAT: Outstanding
This 99% will mitigate the average rating of your academic profile
Career History: Slightly Above Average (in an over-represented pool)
You experience leading mid-sized teams will be viewed favorably, but you will be grouped in an over-represented category as you know (i.e., Indian IT). This raises the bar considerably for you in terms of proving that you have truly distinguished yourself in a large pool. If your firm has a good track record of sending consultant to business school then the brand name might help. If your firm is unknown then deduct some points from your competitiveness.
Leadership Portfolio: Average to Above Average
This is difficult to gauge without reading essays about the substance of your achievements. Suffice to say that the degree of impact you have made as a leader, as communicated on your resume, and your essays will make a big difference in your rating here. Your leadership outside of work looks good at first glance.
Feb 26, 2011
Mar 1, 2011
Mar 2, 2011
Mar 2, 2011
MBAPrepSchoolTyler wrote:Hello Goalsnr,
Thank you for reaching out to us. I am happy to respond to your questions.
1. Candidly, age is a factor in Full-time MBA admissions. Most schools report their median age and a handful report their age range. It appears to me that there are very few spots for folks with your level of seniority. As you say, there are reasons that you are applying at an age well above the average, and I am sure that those would be taken into account. Nevertheless, the numbers are against you on this count.
2. I am not all that familiar with rotational programs, but I would agree with your observation that they are designed with folks a few years earlier in their career in mind. In the US, at least, it's my understanding that prospective employers can't ask your age. I suppose they can always extrapolate from your graduation dates. With exceptional performance at a brand-name business school they might choose to overlook your age.
3. The field of consulting is quite large, and I would say there is always a spot for an exceptionally bright person; so this could indeed be an option for you.
4. EMBA programs, as a rule, are not designed for career changers. Typically, companies sponsor up and coming leaders in an effort to groom them for future senior management. Not all EMBA programs require sponsorship, however. Logically speaking, you'd be a more competitive candidate for consulting with an EMBA, but for the structural reasons we've talked about it is going to be difficult for you to land a job. I just don't want to suggest it would be easy.
5. You career goals are a good fit with the general management programs that are stalwarts with the Global 2000 recruiters. I would refer you to the WSJ rankings of business schools by corporate recruiters for some high-level guidance.
Finally, we have yet to complete a thorough study of the applicant-age statistics, but I encourage you to identify the full-time MBA programs that historically have accepted older applicants. I would also suggest investigating EMBA programs that accept applicants who are around your age. I did recently have a client who was about to turn 30 accepted to Columbia's EMBA program. That said, his professional leadership experience was exceptional, and he was accepted with the support (if not outright sponsorship) of his current employer.
Best of luck to you!
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