Hi,

I have 5 years of experience in IT Industry in the field of DB / ETL Validation.
Quit job mid 2014 because of my husband's health situation. Took certifications and online training on SQL and BI Tools in the last one year. Currently enrolled in Data Science Certificate program on Coursera.

My GMAT Score is 710 (Q50, V35) and I have strong TOEFL Scores.

I would like to know my chances of getting admitted into Top 20 B Schools given the fact that I am currently not employed and most universities are in their 3rd or Final Round of application process.

I have been looking at MBA in Analytics ( 1 year programs) but my preference is MS in Data Science or Business Analytics & Information Management with the option of choosing electives in SCM / OR .

What should be my target schools if I am to apply this year?
Should I instead wait and apply in Round 1 of next year? Appreciate your inputs.

It's not out of the question to apply during periods of unemployment:

http://find-mba.com/articles/what-to-do-about-a-work-experience-gap

As for MBA vs. MS in Analytics it will depend on your career goals. If you're definitely focused on analytics and want to do that functionally, then I suppose an MS would work. However, if you see yourself moving into management or general management, and need a broader view of business, then an MBA is a better choice. Depends on what kind of flexibility you'd be looking for.

Whether you'd still be able to make it for round 3 will depend on the schools and your status. I know that for admissions were closed for international students applying to the McCombs MS in Analytics in early January. Might be different for other schools/regions though.

For MBA programs you might start with this list:

http://find-mba.com/lists/top-business-school-by-speciality/top-business-schools-for-business-analytics-and-big-data

Given the school's strengths in analytics something like the MBA at HEC Paris, even if it's 16 months, would be a great option.