Dear forum members,

After reading this forum and doing some research I have to the following questions.

I'm 36 years old and the last 15 year I have been working as a technical consultant in IT. Mostly freelance at blue chips like IBM, T-Mobile, Siemens, Royal Dutch Shell.

I had a lot of fun and learned a lot but last year I started to reconsider my career and started thinking about ways to move into something new.
Things that do have my interest now are business or strategic consulting but I'm open to anything that get's me inspired :)

When I learned that an MBA might be a way to make this possible I decided to get my bachelor degree in Business IT & Management and expect to graduate in october of this year.

My questions:

- I wil be able to start an MBA program at RSM, TiasNimbas or Nyenrode next year, but would you think it will add value to go the extra mile (time, travel, tuition) to

take my time (just became a father last week:) and consider LBS or INSEAD and start the year after? Perhaps do some other program in 2013?

- Would an EMBA degree from INSEAD get me a shot to land a job at a topnotch firm like Booz, BCG, McKinsey or Bain at this point in my career? I would be almost 40 years old then.

- Any other things I should take into consideration?


Any help, tips or advise will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance.


Rgrds
Hans

Hi Hans,

Congratulations on your ambitious plans. They are impressive at our age, especially with a family.

Yes, you should try to get into the best programme you can. The top consulting firms recruit very intensively from the top schools, and even a few notches down the rankings makes a big difference.

If you can, do a full-time programme rather than a part-time programme. It will give you better access to internships and the MBA recruitment track. Also look at the Sloan Fellowship MSc at London Business School.

Hi Duncan.

Thanks for your help!
I think a fulltime MBA will not work well in my current situation, but I will keep it in mind. I will also check the LBS program.

Also try IMD ;-)

And IMD ;)

I'm thinking about sending them my CV before I get my hopes up and not get accepted afterwards. Although I have management skills and run my own company I haven't got to much management experience on my (contracter) CV. It's usually not the competencies I get asked to do the job for. My overall experience probably is, but do you think this will be very important and do you think INSEAD or IMD will be much harder to get accepted to then RSM or TiasNimbas?

Yes. I think you are assured of entry at TiasNimbas and I'd give you at 80% chance of an offer from RSM. Maybe 40% at LBS, 20% at Insead and 10% at IMD.

Hi Duncan.

Wow. That is a big difference.
I haven't really gotten an offer, but both TN and RSM let me know the first meeting "went really well". I suppose that is not bad thing.

This makes me wonder about something else. I spoke to my school dean last friday and since I might be applying for a
MBA programme in 2014 instead of 2013 he thought I could do a master in IT Management at TU Delft which I could finish by the and of 2013. Do you think this would better my changes at INSEAD or IMD before applying? Any other tips to maximise my changes? Some good book perhaps? :)

Ps. Hope I'm not making you feel I'm taking advantage with all my new questions...Just really nice to get some real unbiased advise. I really appreciate it!

Hi Duncan.

Wow. That is a big difference.
I haven't really gotten an offer, but both TN and RSM let me know the first meeting "went really well". I suppose that is not bad thing.

Hi Maubia.

At both RSM and TN I applied for the EMBA / PT. In Holland the FT is perhaps an option but both TN and RSM thought I have to much work experience and should apply for the PT.
When I would apply abroad it would probably have to be a PT as well, as a fulltime stay abroad would not be either very practical (business, girlfriends job etc.) or desirable as I do not want to leave my family for to long.

I also noticed that TN enthusiastically chase their prospects :) Which is not a bad thing BTW. They made me feel very welcome. Nyenrode not so much to be honest.

Oh. the only thing in regard to any scholarship that was mentioned was that I probably "would not be eligible" for any. Since I never thought I would I did not give it any thought.

Hans, I don't the Delft programme would help you with INSEAD or IMD. There's an expensive shortcut into the IMD EMBA (http://www.imd.org/executive-education/ped/#/executive-development/description-dates-fees/) but what would help most would be to get a full-time job at one of the firms that hires a lot from IMD or Insead). Otherwise, get a great GMAT score.

Hi Duncan.

Thanks again.
That is an expensive program. But I will look into it!
And a great GMAT would be.....700+?

700 sounds good. If you were a super-strong candidate then 600 or 650 would be fine, but to stand out you can work on your team-working and leadership experiences (both inside and outside work) and your GMAT...

Ok. I have no idea if I can do this, but I will give it my best shot.
I starting to find the whole application process a challenge on it's own. 'getting accepted' by itself seems like an achievement :)

I will keep you posted. Probably will start asking questions again also :) Thanks allot Duncan!