Why only in the US? In Nepal too, the trend of "older" people going back to school -- particularly for an MBA degree, which is seen as a fairly versatile degree -- has increased dramatically in the last several years, especially with the rise in the number of privately-run management schools. In Nepal I have seen (and taught marketing research to) a number of over-40 students at evening Executive MBA classes, particularly at Ace Institute of Management in Baneswor. My experience is that these "older" students are: a) extremely motivated (after all, they are attending MBA classes NOT out of some vague duty or for their parents, but because they really want to for specific career-related or some other personal/professional reasons), b) comfortable asking a lot of difficult questions (and they draw upon their own real-life experiences to look for practical relevance in all fancy academic theories), c) necessary to have in classroom to raise the level of discussions. As a part-time teacher once upin a time, I certainly learnt a lot from these mature, motivated and very hardworking students. If that's the case in small Nepal, I am sure, mighty US universities would be all the more welcoming of motivated students who present compelling reasons for doing an MBA at pretty much any age. oohi ashu