Mr. Career Coach

You have an unusual background for an MBA. I wouldn’t think there are many career coaches or leadership professors who would apply to an MBA program. Trouble is, you have a bunch of hurdles to overcome. Here’s what they are: 1) Your age. At 39, you are well outside the sweet spot for a full-time program at a highly selective business school. Most folks who are a bit older than the 26 to 28 crowd are military candidates. 2) Your 292 GRE score is well below Haas’ average of 329, 3) Your GPA of 3.5 from Chico State isn’t going to get you much at Berkeley or Stanford or Wharton. My advice: If you really want the MBA, apply to Berkeley’s part-time program and/or a range of schools that are outside the Top Ten. Otherwise, you are pretty much wasting your time, unfortunately.

Hi Mr Career Coach! This is Talon Rindels here from The MBA Exchange. First off, I like your unique background, as I think it will help your application stand out and allow you to make a unique contribution to any program with which you enroll in – I think adcoms will see that your career coaching background could be a huge asset to your classmates perusing new career opportunities. That said, given your age is far outside the average or even high-end range for an MBA candidate, I would definitely consider programs besides the traditional 2Y MBA (part-time, EMBA, etc). And, without getting your GRE (or GMAT) score up, it will still be an uphill battle, so if you want to have a real shot, you will need to retake the standardized tests and I’d highly encourage test prep support. From what I can see in your profile, there is not a clear link from you past experience to your goal of small boutique consulting. Your admissions campaign will require a very thoughtfully crafted story that creates that linkage – and it must be genuine and authentic. Lastly, I’d consider whether you actually need an MBA from a top 10 program in order to achieve your goals; perhaps you could look beyond the top 10 and still be able to score that boutique consulting gig. Best of luck!

Hey Mr. Career Coach. Krista Nannery from mbaMission here.
When we combine your length of work experience, your age, and your GRE score, I don’t want to sugar coat it: achieving your dream MBA results will not be very easy. My recommendation is that you review the typical class profiles of the schools you are interested in and see how you compare. Then, I really want you to consider EMBA programs. They might get you where you want to be career-wise, and also put you in class with people that are your peers, instead of people who are 15 years younger.
The other question for me, given your background, is whether you can pivot to consulting without the MBA. If you haven’t already, start networking with consulting firms who offer the services you think you would ultimately be able to provide. That might help you make the case for an MBA when you apply.
I hope that helps!
Krista

Hi, this is Melisa from Stratus Admissions. While your background would definitely be unique at an MBA program, your current stats make the schools you have identified definite reaches. Based on your details, I’d want to understand more about why an MBA is the right next step for you. Based on your years of experience, a part time program will put you at the table with others with a more equal level of experience. Also, part time programs are more likely to offer a GMAT waiver for which you can and your GPA, work experience and graduate degree will weigh in your favor. If you want to stay near the Bay Area, you may want to look at UC Davis which offers part time programs in Sacramento and San Ramon. Best of luck!