Hi -
Ok, I'm just going to dive in here...let's start with your GMAT performance thus far. 590 is your highest score. Candidly, given you have taken it three times and struggled to get to 600, I believe aiming for 700 is simply not realistic for you. What schools are you aiming to apply to? There are many strong schools where the average GMAT score is in the 600-640 range. Thus, your score of 590 would be in the 80% bound and not a major weakness in your application. These are schools outside the top 20, but in the top 40. You need to be realistic about your schools choices, as the GMAT is very important. More so for you because you have been out of college 12+ years. Your GMAT score is the only current day indicator schools have to assess whether you can handle the rigorous coursework. Let's move on to your age.
Your age is 35 now. If you apply this year - Round 1 - you would be 36 (or perhaps 37) when you matriculate. That would mean you are an older applicant. That doesn't inherently place you at a disadvantage. You simply need to make the case that your additional years of experience will enable you to offer even more value in the classroom and in the school's other programmatic offerings. As well, you will need to establish that working with much younger people won't be an issue for you as many of your classmates will be 10+ years younger than you. That leads me to this question:
Are you located in the Us, or in India? If in the US, have you considered part-time programs or Executive MBA programs? With those programs, you get the exact same academic opportunities that a traditional 2-year experience offers, but you would work while going to school. EMBA programs are particularly good for career advancing individuals - folks who want to remain in their current industry, but accelerate their growth into upper management. Folks in EMBA programs typically have 12-20 years experience. Folks in part-time programs tend be a bit older than folks in traditional 2-year programs as well. Again, these may be good options to consider if you reside in the US.
On to your final question: will getting an MBA (fulltime, parttime, or EMBA) boost your career? YES. You have to take full advantage of the opportunities that come with attending a program. If you do, then yes you will see that the ROI is very evident.
I hope you find this helpful. If you would like to talk more, just let me know and we can schedule a call. Take care.
Kathryn Lucas, Founder
SQUARE ONE PREPDirect: +1.917.705.4460
Toll Free: +1.888.702.3542
Mobile: +1.917.841.6833
skype: k_luuuu
https://www.squareoneprep.com _________________