MattCanFly

I'm 32 and have found my motivation has only increased over time--though the thought of going back to school gets scarier as time passes as well. Even at my age though, I am, like you, contemplating waiting and applying again next year after taking a couple of quant classes, as that was one weak spot in my profile and I think having a good grade in a quant course or two might really improve my chances of getting into a good program with significant funding. It really depends on how the rest of my cycle turns out, of course, but funding is incredibly important in the grand scheme of things and there's just no way I can go $150k or so in debt for an IR degree. In any case, this is all just to say that there's no harm in waiting at the age of 27, especially if you're going to use the extra time wisely and are confident that it will put you in a significantly stronger position next year.

I am turning 24 in April. So far, accepted to American University SIS and rejected from Colombia SIPA. Straight out of undergrad, but no word yet on funding.

Per the Admissions Website:
 
Master of Arts (M.A.) 
Early Notification Application Deadline
November 15
Early Notification Decisions Released                                                                  
December 30
Regular Application Deadline                                                                                
January 7
Financial Aid Application Deadline                                                                          
February 15
Regular Admissions Decisions Released                                                             
March 13
Financial Aid Decisions Released                                                                           
March 13
 
Hasn't stopped me from refreshing my application page to see if they've uploaded anything early.

http://admissionsatsais.tumblr.com/post/113368973934/tired-of-waiting
 
At least they are acknowledging some of our pain.

Just got this in an email response from SIS today;
"We hope to begin sending admission decision letters in within the next 2-3 weeks and then on a rolling basis thereafter as final decisions are returned from the Admissions Committee. You will be notified via email that your letter has been posted to the online Application Rescource Center portal."
It looks like we have some more waiting to do   

I'm not denying the fact that the process is imperfect, but the whole point of the admissions process, from the perspective of these schools, is to have a successful incoming class that will have a high retention rate. So while it's subjective, it's not like the admissions committee lets people in on a whim. People are accepted because there is something in the application that the adcom feels is promising. So no, it's not perfect, but if you're accepted, then obviously you are qualified in some respect. So I don't think anyone should get down on themselves for applying to a school they feel is a reach, or "just barely" getting in.