Ms. Quality Systems

The most obvious issue for Kenan-Flagler and Kelley is your age. As you, no doubt know, at 39 you are young–I only wish I was 39 again!–but much older than the typical full-time MBA cohort at either school. In fact, the average age of an entering MBA student at UNC and Indiana is exactly the same: 29 years of age. But you have chosen these programs wisely because both offer superb MBA experiences and both are more willing to look at age differently than other more highly ranked schools. Without a GRE or GMAT score, it gets hard to predict your odds. You need to get at least a 650 (and I am assuming that score here in assessing your chances) to have a fair shot at getting in. I do think your experience would be highly valuable to your classmates and the school.

Hi, it’s Nisha from mbaMission. Without your GMAT score it’s hard to assess your odds for Kenan-Flagler – I’d say a 650+ is needed. Your age (39) also puts you well above the average age for incoming students (who generally have 5-6 years of work experience) – however, every year business schools admit students on the lower and higher end of the spectrum as they’re trying to build a diverse, high-quality class. I think that your career goals are a natural outgrowth of your prior experience, and it’s very encouraging that you’ve been invited to interview at Kelley. So, it’s hard to say how UNC will turn out, but with a strong GMAT, an application that builds a strong case for why you need an MBA NOW given your career path and goals, and a resume and recommendations that clearly communicate your accomplishments, you may be a contender. Best of luck!

Hi Ms. Quality Systems, this is Donna Bauman with Stratus Admissions weighing in on your profile. Congratulations on your Kenan-Flagler interview! I have conducted more interviews for UNC than I can recall at this point—so I can tell you to share your ability to drive business results and be sure to spread some Kenan-Flagler love as well. You will be a bit older than the average FT student, but it is a supportive community that values diversity and this could be the year to apply! I also encourage you to look at the online program there if you want to have classmates closer to your experience level. But if you do choose FT and you find the program has a delayed or virtual start—UNC has been in the online game for a long time and I am confident they will deliver a quality educational whether or not school starts on time in the fall or not.