Dear hn1234,

You have the foundation for a competitive application to your target schools. There are still critical components though in your essays, recommendations and interview, so use those to your advantage in presenting your background and rationale for an MBA. It is hard to know if increasing your GMAT 10-20 points will really make a difference--30+ points might be helpful, but I would say at this point you don't want to sacrifice the rest of your application for a GMAT retake with your current score. Your target schools are highly selective, so you do need to distinguish yourself from the competition in your essays by highlighting unique aspects of your background, both professionally and personally. Essentially, you want to make a compelling case to offer you a seat and give them no reason to pass on you. As you shop around for consulting services, I would think using a consultant to either identify your strengths and unique aspects OR review your essays will be the best use of your budget (or perhaps both depending on the pricing structure).

Good luck,
Lisa