Hi out there,
I am giving some thought to applying for a phd next year(in molecular biology) I will be 28 then which means that I will be 32ish when i finish. Has anyone started at a similar age, do you think i will have problems building an academic career with such a late start?

LOTS of academics start late - 28 is not unusual. I'll be 32ish when I complete (if I ever complete!!!!) and know lots of successful academics who started working around that age. My husband was 36 when he finished his thesis and it hasn't been detrimental to his academic career. As long as you can explain why you started late - just as you would explain any change of career - it shouldn't be a problem.

thanks Mia, it's nice to know there are others doing the same thing!

I've completed my PhD this year and I'm 30. Most of my friends with PhDs were the same age as me or a bit older when they completed, as Mia says, a lot of people start PhDs in their late twenties. Go for it and good luck!

I started straight after the BSc but there are older PhD students here. I automatically respect their experience regardless of whether they're coming from industry or something else entirely. I wouldn't consider 28 as a particularly late start anyway. You'll be working alongside postdocs who will be in that age range - and when in the lab there is little distinction between the PhD students and the postdocs. Your 'supervisor' is their 'boss', you attend the same lab meetings, seminars and will likely be doing similar experiments to them all day. Good luck!

Although I am 22, I reckon the later starters have the life experience as well as the academic experience. You are at a good age to start

Dear Emmi, you are so young!!! I'm 34 years old and, after 7 years working experience in dairy field, I would like to start PhD studies too. An Irish Postdoc told me that, even I'm a little older than many of the students applying for postgraduates studies, I have the experience often lacking in them. Knowing how to plan, perform, realize and publish research projects is a great advantages on my side that younger workers don't have. So feel confident you will get the goal.

28 isn't old, certainly not for an academic research career. Academia does have several advantages of really 'judging' people on the quality of output i.e., the significance of your work/publications etc. Unless your thinking of moving into industry where things may be a bit harder for someone 'older', I wouldn't worry too much. I finished my PhD at 26 and just went directionless into post-docs for 3 years, now I'm a little more experienced and war wounded I feel like I'm doing my best work, besides intellectual stimulation keeps the mind young

Thanks for the encouragement everyone!

I am 27 and I started this year and didn't even think I was too old...just the opposite as I thought I needed few more years experience.

Emmy, don't think about the age. It's not late for you. So many people start PhD in their late twenties and complete it their early thirties.
I wish you luck...

Age is not important and I think 28 is still young. I see a lot of Phd students around 30 ..... Go for it !!