Age for post MBA recruiting
I just got an admit for a great MBA program. I would graduate at 32 years old in spring 2025 if I accept.
For personal reasons I'm thinking of declining it and potentially asking for a deferal with the goal of graduating from that school or another top program a year or two later.
My two concerns are that they may not let me in in a later year, and that I might be too old to recruit for a top consulting firm if I'm 33-35 when I graduate.
One thing I do have in my favour is that I graduated my undergrad much later than usual due to spending some time in the military and some time fucking around after high school. So my undergraduate graduation date would imply I'm much younger.
Any thoughts?
Based on the most helpful WSO content, there's a sweet spot for MBA graduates entering the consulting field. Typically, banker/consultant types have 3-4 years of experience before they pursue an MBA. The standard route is 2 years in banking/consulting, followed by 2 years in a buyside/corpdev/tech/nonprofit/whatever role, and then business school. This means that most are around 25-27 at matriculation.
However, this isn't a hard and fast rule. Your military experience and later graduation from undergrad could potentially be seen as valuable differentiators rather than drawbacks. Consulting firms value diverse experiences and perspectives, and your unique path could be an asset.
That being said, it's important to be prepared for the intense competition and rigorous interview process. Make sure you're ready to bring your whole and best self to the process, as McKinsey puts it.
As for deferring your MBA admission, that's a decision you'll have to weigh carefully. It's true that there's a risk the school may not admit you in a later year. However, if you feel that the timing isn't right for personal reasons, it could be worth discussing your situation with the admissions office. They may be able to provide some guidance or flexibility.
Remember, there's no one-size-fits-all answer here. It's about what feels right for you and aligns with your career goals. Good luck!
Sources: Consulting Recruiting 2023, Is There Such Thing As Too Old Or Too Young For an MBA?, 2021 Recruiting.... Chances, tips, timeline?, https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/consulting/should-consultants-get-an-mba-8-scenarios-to-consider?customgpt=1
32 is not problematic to begin with. Adding being in the military it's a non-issue.
But say if you only applied to a few schools, and want to apply more broadly (and higher) next year, that is a good reason.
Otherwise it seems like you are deferring for nothing.
To some extent, age is just a number, yes, you'll be a little older than your classmates and people will poke fun at your for being the class Grandpa, but I can tell you from experience that age generally won't matter unless you make it matter by being insecure about it, not willing to do certain things in school, etc. If you're young at heart and willing to turn back the clock a bit, you'll be completely fine.
As far as recruiting goes, it won't impact your odds of recruiting for any Consulting/Banking job, especially if you have military background. It's just understood that you're a couple years older and in the scheme of your career, a couple of years doesn't really matter. That said, where I think it does matter is, if you're signing up for consulting, you have to accept that you'll be spending the first few years on the road and likely reporting to someone who is younger than you. Should this matter? No. Have I seen it impact people? You bet. For example, if you have a family, kids, etc it becomes harder to travel Monday - Thursday or to want to put in the extra hours at the office when you have more of a reason to get home early. This kind of comes down to your individual situation and how you want to manage that. I've also seen certain folks be insecure about their age and the fact that their engagement manager at MBB is a 29 year old giving them orders while they're 34 and a Consultant. If you're insecure about that, again, something to consider. It happens all the time and it frankly doesn't matter, but I've seen people chafe against that, especially in banking where there's a lot of shit work and people are often times pretty bad at interpersonal skills.
If I were you, I would give the extra gap year some thought. Why do you need an extra year off before school? Especially if you're already going to have 2ish years that are basically a vacation anyways? I would just be mindful of the passage of an extra year and what that means for your overall timeline, but otherwise, age won't matter at all unless you let it matter. Best of luck with the decision.
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