Here is a little background on myself: 3.8 GPA psychology major from a liberal arts college, 2 years of work experience as a credit analyst at a major bank in the southeastern part of the US. I am an Asian-American female born and raised in the US.

This was my second time taking the test and I got a 710 (Q: 47 V: 39 AWA: 6). Initially, I was very happy with the score (my goal was to break 700), but now I am thinking this score may not be competitive enough. I would really like to go to a top program, with a strong prefernce towards schools on the west cost (Berkeley, Stanford, UCLA or USC; I would also like to apply to a few top programs elsewhere in the US ie Harvard, Northwestern etc.). I am planning to apply this Fall to start Fall 2012. At this point, I am not sure if my efforts would be best spent retaking the GMAT or focusing on other elements of my application (volunteering more, writing better essays etc., getting better recommendations). And although I would ideally like to apply this Fall, I would also entertain the option of waiting another year or two to gain some additional work experience.

I know that it is always difficult to give concrete advice on a not so concrete issue, but any advice/opinions/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Also, I can provide additional information about my background if that would be helpful in offering a recommendation. Thanks in advance!