Hello:
This evaluation request may be a bit premature, considering I have not taken the GMAT yet. However, I am enrolled at Manhattan GMAT and plan to take the exam in late July.
I am 29 years old and have worked in mortgage banking for the past 8 years. I started at the bottom, with no college degree, and currently hold the title of Vice President. I oversee all operational aspects of the firm, but after eight years have decided to pursue my ultimate dream. To obtain an MBA and work on Wall Street. Here's the caveat; I just finished my undergrad in 2010 (B.S. Finance, 3.3 GPA) while working full time. However, I expect to receive glowing letters of recommendation from both owners of the firm.
My key schools are: Columbia, UPenn, UCLA, NYU and Berkeley.
1. Will graduating at 29 hurt my chances of acceptance? If so, are certain schools less critical of this fact?
2. If my GMAT score is not strong, will certain schools weigh my experience and personal accomplishments heavier than others? If so, which schools would those be?
3. Which of the above schools would you recommend, based on my likelihood for acceptance and profile stats?
4. Are there any good schools, based on my profile and goals, I should consider as a safe back-up? (not on the list above)
I know some of these questions are a bit grey, but I appreciate any feedback you may have. Thank you.
Regards,
Daniel
GMAT Forum
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- hoag.daniel
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Re: Profile Evaluation Request
Hi Daniel,
Thanks for writing in. It sounds like you will certainly have an interesting, non-traditional path to date, which should definitely get the attention of the schools you apply to. As to your questions:
1) 29 is above the average age of the schools you are looking at, but is by no means "too old." The key will be explaining your story clearly in your essays, so that the adcom understands the path you have taken to date.
2) GMAT is always just one piece of your application profile. Of course you want to score as high as possible, but if you fall short of your target score, you can emphasize your work performance and goals to hopefully overcome that weakness.
3) Without a GMAT score it's hard to say which schools are your best options. Let's assume you get a 700, which is a solid score for the schools you are considering but won't get any special recognition as a "high score." Under that assumption, I would call Columbia and Penn "reach" schools, and the other three as potentially competitive.
Best of luck!
Daniel Richards
http://www.mbamission.com
Read the mbaMission Insider's Guides (14 individual school titles)
Visit the mbaMission Blog
Follow mbaMission on Twitter
Thanks for writing in. It sounds like you will certainly have an interesting, non-traditional path to date, which should definitely get the attention of the schools you apply to. As to your questions:
1) 29 is above the average age of the schools you are looking at, but is by no means "too old." The key will be explaining your story clearly in your essays, so that the adcom understands the path you have taken to date.
2) GMAT is always just one piece of your application profile. Of course you want to score as high as possible, but if you fall short of your target score, you can emphasize your work performance and goals to hopefully overcome that weakness.
3) Without a GMAT score it's hard to say which schools are your best options. Let's assume you get a 700, which is a solid score for the schools you are considering but won't get any special recognition as a "high score." Under that assumption, I would call Columbia and Penn "reach" schools, and the other three as potentially competitive.
Best of luck!
Daniel Richards
http://www.mbamission.com
Read the mbaMission Insider's Guides (14 individual school titles)
Visit the mbaMission Blog
Follow mbaMission on Twitter
2 posts Page 1 of 1