As a new MBA student at Kellogg, each student is assigned to a study group within the first week. I will never forget my initial meeting with my group, as we introduced ourselves. There were four of us in this group, I was the youngest, and had the least experience. One group member had started a successful business in Russia. Another had authored a series of books on some topic that, hard as I tried, was completely over my head. The third had a PhD and had lectured extensively all over the world. They were intimidatingly experienced, and wise; each one clearly hand picked to be part of the exceptional 550+ diverse individuals that made up my class.
All I could think looking around at everyone was, “How the hell did I manage to get in with this crowd?” I also instantly understood the value that (at that time, anyway) was placed on experience and age in the admissions process. Experienced students not only heighten the intensity of classroom discussion, but also know where they are going and how, practically speaking, best to benefit from their MBA experience.
Alas, ten years have passed since my graduation, and it appears, the times they are a changin’ for business school admissions. As a resident of LA, I often think about how like Hollywood business school has become in who it values: the younger and fresher, the better. As someone whose job it is to help people applying to b-school, then, I find myself wondering, what is a 30 year old MBA aspirant’s equivalent of botox. Meaning, how can I help a seasoned 30-something appear young and “hot” to the powers that be.
It’s a fact that schools are increasingly interested in, and open to, younger students. Years ago, a Stanford representative explained that if they did not open up to younger applicants, they could miss the boat on superstars who three years out of school would be so advanced that they have no intention of going back to earn a graduate degree. More recently, though, I have also heard it said that every individual’s window of opportunity is different, and the schools just want to be aware of the right time – whether it is one year out of undergrad or ten.
HBS has formally opened the door to younger students through their 2+2 program, which allows individuals to submit applications following their junior year in college. Admitted students work with HBS during their senior year to land a great job. They will then work for two years, at the end of which they will matriculate at HBS for the standard full time, two year program. Other programs are less formal but still trending younger.
Despite the protestations of many admissions committees, who claim that every applicant has a chance, I do believe that it is extremely difficult for someone in their mid to late thirties to be admitted to a top school’s full time program. Like I said earlier, this was less the case in my day, and it strikes me both as unfair and shortsighted, given how much these experienced professionals added to my program. I mean, I can understand a school’s reluctance to admit a 39 year old who is still trying to figure out what they want to be when they grow up, but I’m referring to the smart, successful adult who wants an MBA education to further a new set of goals. Consequently, I often find myself recommending Executive MBA programs to these people, which are much friendlier to older applicants, but often not as interesting to applicants who want the full MBA experience. For someone who wants a full time program, it’s like an aging Hollywood actor hearing that they are being offered a great part in a dog food commercial.
A key difference between the regular MBA and EMBA is the recruiters. It seems that recruiters to full time programs are reluctant to place much older grads, as they are more difficult to mold, or work to the bone. And if grads cannot get hired, then rankings go down. There is a whole domino effect, where the profile of who is admitted impacts a school’s reputation down the line. This applies to many aspects of the admissions process, but I find the age issue interesting because it is in direct conflict with what I found to be one of the most valuable aspects of the MBA program – the rich experiences of members of my class. But then again, I’d rather watch Meryl Streep than Blake Lively any night of the week, so what do I know?
