There are definitely pros & cons to applying now vs. waiting until R1. Here are some thoughts on that as well as on the strength of your candidacy...
The fact that you're coming from a technical background can present some challenges in your candidacy. You need to convince them that you're up for the rigors of b-school and will be ready to contribute to class discussion in a meaningful way. It will be important to illustrate the business skills you have used in your career via some strong examples that ideally have quantifiable results. On the flip side, I think you CAN also use your non-traditional background to differentiate yourself & you are on the right path in planning on some career goals that leverage the technical foundation you've built.
If possible, I'd try to improve your GMAT to a 720+ -- the higher the better. A 700 is a solid score but if you want to apply to top 20 schools you'll ideally want a minimum of 720, especially since you are coming from a non-traditional background. A GMAT will be a strong factor in convincing them that you are up for the rigors of b-school.
In terms of when to apply -- applying R3 is generally tougher since there are just fewer spots left so that's one reason to wait until R1. I'm assuming you're a US applicant. If you are an international applicant I'd definitely wait & apply R1 since most schools discourage international applicants from applying R3 due to visa issues. Another good reason to wait would be to give yourself time to improve your GMAT score, since that can make a difference in the strength of your candidacy.
That said, you are already above the average years of work experience for b-school (which tends to be 3-5 years) so that would be one reason to go ahead & apply now rather than wait.
One option would be to apply to 1-2 schools now & then reapply in R1 to those (along with submitting applications to some new schools) if you don't get in. It can be tough to show what's changed as a reapplicant when you just applied so recently but again a higher GMAT score would be one thing you could point to -- along with any additional efforts you could make to continue connecting with the school & strengthening your "why our school" argument.
I hope that helps! Definitely reach out to us if you'd like to talk through the decision (and tips on how to shape your story & improve your candidacy) with one of our MBA Consultants. Claudia can set you up with a free consultation! You can reach her at
claudia@admissionado.com Either way good luck to you!