Ms. Healthcare Visionary

Hi there! It’s Stephanie Horn, Master Consultant with the MBA Exchange and recent Poets and Quants “Top 10 Admissions Consultants”. I can see that you are someone with a lot of drive. You have strong grades, good test scores, and senior-level work experience, in addition to the grit required to complete an Ironman! However, the length and tenure of your work experience makes me wonder if a FT program is the best fit for you. This profile does not capture your full work experience, which makes it harder to evaluate. But admissions committees will wonder why you waited until you were 34 to look at an MBA. I would double the odds of you getting into a part-time program. You have a real advantage being based in NYC that you can continue to work while attending Stern, Columbia, or Cornell. A part-time program would certainly fit your goal of understanding the financial side of the business, and you can use your network to find your next position.

Hi Ms. Healthcare Visionary. You have a ton of interesting and valuable experience…but perhaps too much for most 2 year programs. Are you looking at EMBAs? Is that what your Wharton target is? Given your age and deep experience, I am guessing adcoms will not think a 2 year program is a good fit for your needs, but I can see your profile lining up with an EMBA or part time option. Not long ago, I worked with a candidate very much like you this year in his early-to-mid-30s who had been waitlisted last year at a top 2 year program.
He originally wanted to reapply, but the more he learned and visited, the more he realized that the waitlist had been a blessing in disguise. He pivoted his plan, reapplying to EMBAs instead and found success and a much better fit. Do keep in mind, EMBAs do require some level of sponsorship though – if not financial, then at least of time away when needed. If that’s too tough, then perhaps part time is the way to go. I’m rating you at the 2 year program odds (lower than its average by a bit) but for other types of programs, your chances are much, much higher!! Think about it….all the best, Julie-Anne Heafey, mbaMission

Hello, I’m Lisa Cummings of Stratus Admissions, formerly an adcomm at MIT Sloan. If you have a good understanding of the complexities of healthcare, I can imagine that an MBA should be no problem for you! I agree with my peers that, depending on your years of work, it looks like an EMBA or PT program could be best for you. The downside is that in many programs, candidates aren’t expecting to shift jobs post degree but all the top programs offer career counseling so that is a possibility nearly everywhere. You will have to craft your story to showcase the successes you have had thus far and also why you need an MBA. You need to show that a few business courses won’t be enough to fill the gaps for you, rather that you need the benefit of learning from a cohort and that you have a lot to bring to your peers – which you do!. While your athletic ability is impressive and deserves a short mention, you will want to focus on your extracurricular role as a lecturer and any other extracurricular activities you may participate in. Any mentoring?
Assuming you will submit your applications in the fall, you have plenty of time to really think about why you are getting a degree and what story you want to convey to the admissions committee. Feel free if you would like to discuss any of this further.