I think that would be a great discussion to have with EDHEC. Honestly, I don't accept the idea that it's your background that's the problem. I think it's age and their idea of your management aptitude. I realise that it's easy to give that but I think there must be something else because, from first principles, you have leadership skills and influencing skills that are in demand.

I would hang out for an MBA, and perhaps retake the GMAT to show what you can do. Is your GMAT balanced? Perhaps they are worried about quant skills? I have to say: I also have a degree in theology, and I found that it made me a more interesting candidate.

I would reach out to all the top French schools other than Insead and see what they say. Do it by phone.

There are some good schools in francophonie which I am sure will accept you: Cnam, IAE Aix, Ponts-Solvay as long as you have a credible career path and can explain your goals and professional mission. With a better GMAT, I think Durham, Cranfield and Warwick would be interested. Maastricht is a few miles from France...

Duncan,

Thanks for the suggestions.

Not quite how to read between the lines on EDHEC's response:

"While the selection committee appreciated the diversity of your profile and academic potential, they are concerned about your career prospects in the areas you mention in your application. Reasons include the fact that an international position would be difficult to foresee with your background, and that a US-based MBA might be a more feasible option."

I don't recall indicating in my application that I wanted an international position, although I suppose it could be implied. In fact, I am totally open ended in my career aspirations, and part of the appeal of the MBA is offering a little bit of time to explore options. As the saying goes, "you don't know what you don't know," and I honestly don't know what sorts of careers are out there for those with a business education. What I do know is that I am stuck in a dead-end factory job at the moment, and need desperately a change, and I believe I have things to offer that would an excellent fit in the private sector.

I took the GRE, so my score is an equivalent, heavily tilted towards verbal. However, in my phone interview with EDHEC, I was told that my quant score was higher than average for people of my age and educational background in the humanities. In GRE terms, my scores were 156 quant and 168 verbal, and a 4.0 on the writing section. I suppose I could attempt retaking the GRE, or take the GMAT itself, although I came away feeling like my score was "good enough" for the sorts of schools I was looking at - EDHEC and EMLYON in France, CEU in Budapest (because of affordability), with IE being my stretch school. I guess I am a little stunned that I was not admitted to EDHEC - I can appeal the decision, so I may go that route. To date, I have actually only applied to EDHEC and CEU (the cheapest application fees), but my applications are complete at EM LYON and IE, I just have not paid the fees there. I'll look into the other schools you mentioned. The attraction of IE is of course its ranking, and I have taken some online classes they have offered and enjoyed them. I don't think I really have a chance there, so I probably will never spend the money to apply. A little on the fence about EMLYON - they seemed interested in my profile, just not sure about the direction the school is headed. Entrepreneurship seems
to be their strength, and I don't know if that appeals to me or not.

Well, you have a complex situation there. If you're not clear about your career goals then EDHEC were right to decline your application: you would have taken the seat of someone with a clearer idea of how to make the most of the MBA.

I strongly recommend that you use Harvard's CareerLeader tool. It's $100 and really gives you a great idea about viable career directions. You should be less open, and instead develop a working hypothesis. That will help you with your applications and increase your chances of a good outcome from the MBA as well.

Don't focus on cheap courses. They are cheap for different reasons, but principally because the career outcomes are not valuable.

Duncan,

Looking over the recommendations of Cnam and IAE Aix, I was definitely quite surprised by the relatively low costs. With your other advice about being wary of low cost options, what's your opinion of these MBA programs? I am sure you recommended them for a reason. I understand IAE is a French public university, which must give it a very different experience than a place like EDHEC or EM LYON - class sizes, personalized attention, maybe career services afterwards are all maybe not as strong?

I was writing out of frustration over my life situation earlier. I do have some thoughts on why an MBA could help me advance in a new career, which I shared with EDHEC. I know a high-flying career in finance is not in the cards (and I am not interested in that anyways) Given my theology / pastoral background, I proposed the most direct transition would be going into non-profit management and/or corporate social responsibility. Another possibility I am interested in is corporate ethics and compliance. I have no clue whether this second possibility is even remotely plausible, but it sounds interesting to me. I saw a WSJ article earlier this year indicating there was a growing need for compliance people - more demand than labor supply of people with specific compliance backgrounds. A legal background was said to be helpful, but not necessary.

A more specialised degree might be more helpful than an MBA.

I know Cnam better than IAE Aix, but Aix seems like a much better school and the optional international exchange programme is also useful. Cnam is useful for its three specialisations.

I think you will be much better off investing in a careers counsellor. Perhaps your alma mater offers alumni access to their careers coaches?

Duncan,

I want to thank you again for your recommendations! I received acceptance offer today from IAE - Aix - it looks very promising to me, and I wouldn't have found it without your advice.

Well done! What a great place to spend a year!

Are you considering the international exchange? I like the way they make that a second 'top-up' degree.

While the exchange would certainly be fantastic, I am planning to go with my wife and young children, assuming I go over at all (and I am strongly leaning in favor of it). I have a certain attraction to the no-frills approach at IAE-Aix. Even if I get admitted to EM LYON, which I think will be a stretch, IAE-Aix is probably the best place for me out of the schools I ended up considering.