HBS’s incoming Fall 2011 MBA class may have a few more grey hairs, as the average age has jumped a full year from 2010 to 27 years old. The number of candidates that have six or more years experience has increased from 113 in 2010, to 191 in 2011, a 69% increase. Harvard’s preference toward more experienced applicants comes as the first cohort of its 2+2 program will begin this fall, which gave deferred admission to 60 undergraduate applicants.
Statistics released by the director of Harvard’s MBA admissions shows an effort to enroll a somewhat older class as admitted applicants who graduated three years ago fell from 242 in 2010 to only 172 in 2011.