There is no right or wrong age for education and the same applies to an MBA as well.
What matters more is what your objective is?
What are you seeking from an MBA?
Should you be pursuing a PhD instead?
These are often questions that crop up in the minds of students who have seen their batch-mates from bachelor’s degree programs undertake an MBA program in Asia or abroad right after finishing their undergraduate degree. The applicant on the other hand has spent the same time working in the corporate world and may feel over-aged for an MBA program.
Firstly, unlike in Indian business schools where the average age of students is close to 22-23 and almost zero work experience, the average age in US B-Schools ranges from 25 to 30 with 3-4 years of work experience on an average. Most MBA students overseas already possess a masters’ degree in some discipline before they embark on an MBA.
Secondly, you will just not be able to contribute to an MBA class in overseas B-schools, if you have not spent a sufficient amount of time understanding the nuances of corporate life by spending some years working in an organized environment.
But one needs to also keep in mind that there is no point being in a class of students where the average age is 28 while you are 35 years old already. As you move up the age scale, you can consider various alternatives-a part-time MBA, an executive development program or even an intensive specialized program in your chosen field. Of course the selection criteria and the profile of students changes drastically.
It is therefore important to identify what you are seeking from an MBA and then weigh what kind of program you should chose at a particular age.
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