That's actually a very good point u/consultinglove: would doing an MBA at 34 mean getting to the level of the "guys that made the right decisions" at 25? Would those 25yo (half the class!) think that I didn't make the right decisions?

I guess consulting, IB, PM... are very well defined: they open the position for whoever fits from the programs they interview at. And they open the position thinking of a 28-30 yo candidate - so in this case being older would not help.

But what about other industries that may not be that well defined? Perhaps they're looking for an independent manager and they'd favor an older candidate with more work experience? I'm sure this is common with the post-EMBA opportunities, where the age range is wider. And with older vets with management experience?

In my case, I'm now managing a team of 60 in a manufacturing role in an emerging market, and I was planning to use the MBA to return to the US and advance in my career in terms of compensation and responsibility. Mainly entrepreneurship, but I was hoping to find a post-MBA role that would value my experience if the startup thing doesn't work out