Pl rate my chances / 740 GMAT -- Should I retake the exam?

[lostangeles]

Hello,

Would really appreciate your feedback on my chances and my profile.

Profile --
Male / 34 / Indian
Work Experience -- 10 years.
* IT professional for a major univ in Southern USA for past 5 years. (2003- Present)
* Worked as a consultant in USA (2001 -- 2003)
* Started and managed my own businesses in India. (1996 - 1999)

Education :
B.S. Economics (USA Univ) 3.8 GPA, 2008
M.S. Software Enggg. (USA Univ) 3.3 GPA, 2001
B.S. Electronics Engg. (Indian Univ), 2.9 GPA, 1998

Gmat :
740 -- 41 Verbal / 49 Quant

My target schools are : (in order of preference) --
1. Kennedy School of Govt. (Harvard) -- MPP
2. John Hopkins -- SAIS
3. Wharton MBA.
4. Yale MBA.
5. MIT Sloan MBA.

Would you pl rate my chances in any of these schools. I understand that I am at a severe dis advantage due to my age and experience in Public sector.
Also, will re-taking the GMAT help? I can probably score around 770-780 next time.

Thanks.

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear lostangeles,

First, you are not at a disadvantage based on your age and experience. There is not a preference for any specific type of work or industry. What matters is have you progressed in your career path and have successful leadership and teamwork experiences you can write about in your essays. While you will be on the more experienced end for full-time programs, you are not at disadvantage. You will just want to convey why you want to do the full-time program versus an executive program.

You have a competitive profile for your target list, although you might consider adding a safety school to your list as a back up plan. I do not think you need to retake your GMAT. You have a strong score and raising it 20-30 points probably won't make much difference in your decision. However, a higher score is not going to hurt your chances if you think you can do better. What will really make a difference in your case is going to be how well you put together your application package, specifically your essays and recommendations. You do not mention any personal activities either, so you might consider getting involved with a community organization in the next year.

Best of luck,
Lisa

[lostangeles]

Thanks Lisa.