Please, your comments.

Hi folks!
I am worried about something. I learned how to speak English by myself; I received little formal education in this language. So, when I noticed that I had to improve my English skills before taking the GMAT, I realized that I had to leave my job in order to focus in improving my English. Otherwise, I would haver never had the chance to get a good score in the GMAT. My job was very demanding.

In this sense, it took me one year to improve my English and be ready to take the GMAT. So, I am worried that having not worked for a year could hurt my applications to HBS, Stanford, and MIT. :s

Before leaving my job, I had a great work experience. I have worked in the private and public sector. In the government, I have represented my country in international forums, developed a strategy to protect the exporter sector of my country against the international crisis, and was interviewed by newspapers and radio stations. Also, I have worked in the best bank of my country and in one of the best think tanks of Latin America.

In the academic aspect, I was the best student of my class in college, graduated with honors; my thesis research was graded with the highest score. In my extracurrucular activities, I founded two leadership institutions during college.

Could my profile neutralize a possible negative effect of that gap in my work experience?, What should I do?, Will the admissions officials see that gap as something negative?

Thanks!