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Hi, I am 46 years and want to apply for PhD in Strategy. I have had experience in Corporate Strategy as well as in academic think tank institutes. I have also worked with a top Strategy professor as part of the think tank group. Will my age be considered as a challenge in my PhD application? What would be the best way to overcome that? I am posting in this group to get more reliable advice. Officially no university can discriminate on age. I want to prepare an application that may address their concern, if any. Thank you, Regards Gowrishankar

Can anyone please tell how to solve age group based questions? For example in a group some people are 30 years old or younger. Some are 50 years old or older. How many are aged between 30 and 50? I encountered a similar question on my GRE.

Hi, I have this concern. I am 30 and studied in a unknown university in developing country. I want to apply for a masters (MBA, MPP, MPA) in USA. I have a good GPA, high GRE (I even take the GMAT and scored high), high TOEFL, nice letters, work experience, but the only problem I have is the age. Adcoms use to consider this? Is it really important for a masters? Please, I am really worried about this because I don't want to feel I just lost my once-in-a-lifetime chance. Thanks!

Hi Friends, Firstly, I would like to thank all the people who contribute to this forum. I have just joined this forum and I am glad that I did. This place has a tremendous database of knowledge that is shared by a set of highly talented intellectuals. So thanks again. I am currently planning to apply for admissions to PhD in business at top 20 schools. My profile is as follows: Education: M.S in Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas Experience: 12 years in multiple industries ( aerospace, oil and gas, consulting and project management) age: 34 I am just wondering whether I am too old to be starting a PhD and will my age affect my admission chances? Your replies and suggestions are much appreciated.

After months of enjoying insights/comments on this forum, I finally got my GRE results so I’ve decided to post my profile for the fall 2013 applications cycle to Strategy programs. A PhD has always been in the plan, but plans can take interesting and prolonged turns, so here’s hoping I’m not too late arriving! Any suggestions you have on what I can do to strengthen my profile over the next few months are greatly appreciated! Demographics: female, 34 years old (ouch!) UGrad: Business, 3.86 GPA, small Canadian University that has a strong business program (top 5% of grad class). Grad: M.A. International Affairs, 3.97 GPA, a medal and some other honors, a large Canadian University. Math: Calculus (B), Statistics (A+), and sadly that’s where it ends! GRE: 165 V (95 %ile), 165 Q (92 %ile), 5.5 AWA (96 %ile) LORs: Very enthusiastic one from a widely published marketing professor; another enthusiastic one from International Affairs professor; and can easily get one from my undergrad to balance out. Conference Presentations/Pubs: Presentation at Administrative Sciences Association of Canada Conference (peer-reviewed process); co-author with a professor on a case study during my undergrad (Topic: management information systems). Work Experience: P&G (after undergrad); public sector (after grad school), incl. 5 yrs as a Statistician in a public sub-national statistical agency. Research Interest: Very broadly: non-market strategy. Initially my experience/interests draws me to firm strategies in different regulatory and stakeholder environments; I’ve spent most of the last 8 yrs in a place where multibillion dollar mining giants rise and fall on their ability to develop and execute winning non-market strategies. I still have a lot of reading to do to narrow focus but I’m very drawn to institutional and PPE perspectives, and definitely lean towards the empirical. Schools*: Wharton, Berkeley, Minnesota, Duke, Maryland, Northwestern *schools are very preliminary and in no particular order, identified based on the presence of profs in my interest area, and the list will grow as I read more. Concerns: AGE: can’t do much but address it head on in my SOPs to demonstrate my resolve and passion; will likely mitigate by avoiding some schools that are likely to frown at the age. MATH: clearly my transcripts are lacking in math courses; hoping that some of that is made up by the stats practical experience I have (sampling methodology, survey development and operations – incl. business/employee surveys with >90% response rates, etc.); a little disappointed in my GRE Quant score since I was testing around 167-168 on the practice tests but not sure if it’s worth re-writing since I live thousands of miles away from any testing centre. Is it worth my while to enroll in distance math courses (algebra, real analysis)? Welcome any suggestions/questions.

I am 43 and have worked in industry for 20+ years. I have a MS in Mass Comm and an MBA. I have taught at the college level as a Visiting Professor at Oklahoma State University for the past 4 years. I know without a PhD my career path in academia is limited. I love teaching but am really interested in doing marketing research. Obviously the next step is a PhD, but I fear my age puts me at a huge disadvantage. I know there is a shortage of business professors, but wonder if I'm getting in the game too late. If I do decide to go this route, I likely wouldn't start a program until 2011 or 2012, which means I would be 46 or 47 by time I complete the terminal degree. Who would hire an almost 50 year old new PhD? Would love some insight to help me decide if I REALLY want to devote the effort. Thanks!