Over 30? No, You Probably Aren’t Too Old for a Full-Time MBA.
There’s a very persistent myth that full-time MBA programs “don’t like” older applicants, especially the over-30 types. Statistically, that seems like a reasonable assumption: the average student at most elite, full-time U.S. MBA programs is in their mid-to-late 20s, and only a small percentage of incoming students are over 30.
That means that MBA programs systematically commit age discrimination, right? And it means that if you’re over 30, you’re probably hosed in the full-time MBA admissions game… right?
Will Age Hurt Your Chances of MBA Admission?
Here’s the thing: MBA admissions committees care deeply about “fit.” They want to admit candidates who will be successful members of the MBA community – candidates who will be easily “recruitable” when they graduate. But for the most part, MBA admissions committees don’t really care about your age, exactly.
Yes, it’s true that most full-time MBA programs primarily admit twentysomethings. According to this Poets and Quants article, most top MBA programs had an average age of 28 in the 2019-20 intake, and relatively few incoming students were over the age of 30. For example, only 12.5% of Harvard’s incoming MBA students in 2019-20 were over the age of 30.
But that data is a bit misleading. The problem isn’t that older applicants are getting rejected disproportionately; they simply aren’t applying in large numbers.
MBA programs openly release data on their admitted students, but broader datasets that cover all MBA applicants – including those who were rejected – are harder to come by. However, recent GMAC data shows that the average GMAT test-taker in 2020 was 25.3 years old – several years younger than the average full-time MBA admit.
GMAT test-takers aren’t a perfect parallel for MBA applicants, but GMAC’s data still suggests that the broader MBA applicant pool is, if anything, younger than the cohort that ultimately gains admission to elite, full-time programs. This supports the idea that MBA programs aren’t necessarily more likely to reject older applicants; they simply aren’t receiving very many applications from thirtysomethings.
Why Over-30 MBA Applicants Are Rare
By now, you might be asking: why don’t full-time MBA programs receive more applications from the over-30 crowd?
The biggest reason is that by the time most professionals pass age 30, their careers often evolve in a very specific direction, and a general management degree such as an MBA might not be the best option anymore. The vast majority of full-time MBA graduates are initially recruited for “generalist” positions in consultancies, financial services firms, or large technology companies. If you already have more than 8-10 years of work experience, odds are good that these generalist roles aren’t what you’re looking for professionally – and may well represent a significant “step down”, in some sense, from whatever professional niche you’ve carved out for yourself by your thirties.
Again, MBA programs are looking for students who are likely to be a great “fit” for their programs – and that includes post-MBA recruitment opportunities. If your career has already evolved in directions that are TOO specific, a full-time MBA simply won’t make much sense.
But if that isn’t the case for you — and if your career trajectory and goals foreshadow post-MBA success — then your chances of admission might be better than you think, even if you’re getting a little bit gray around the temples.
More Perspectives for MBA Applicants Over 30
Don’t believe me? Then I strongly suggest that you venture over to one of my favorite MBA applicant blogs, the aptly named MBAover30.com. The blogger was actually in his mid-30s when he applied to MBA programs, and he was admitted to Booth, MIT, and Wharton for the class of 2015. He’s a great writer, and he knows his stuff.
A few posts that I particularly appreciate:
MBA Admissions Age Discrimination and Rookie Hype. My favorite line: “…the over 30 demographic… has wholesale self-selected out of the full-time MBA admissions process.” It’s great support for the idea that MBA programs don’t hate you just for being old. Older folks simply don't bother to apply to full-time programs very often.
Why I’ve chosen the Wharton School of Business. Yes, your friendly blogger appears to know absolutely everything there is to know about Wharton. And yes, his unbelievably thorough research definitely helped him get in.
The Truth vs. Playing the Game in MBA Admissions Essays. Stop lying about your experiences, people. It usually doesn’t help.
Getting into a Top Business School. My favorite line: “Most people who’ve tried to cut corners on the GMAT have ended up marching to their own funeral on test day.” I couldn't agree more.
And if you need more perspectives from a successful MBA applicant, check out the archives of the always-wonderful Money 9111, who certainly faced some hurdles during the application process, much like the fine fellow at MBAover30. Both bloggers would probably agree that the MBA admissions process is much more nuanced and complicated than we sometimes think: you won't necessarily get completely blackballed just for a single weakness in your profile. And you probably won't get blackballed at all just for being over 30.