Advice on MBA Schools/Breaking into Finance from engineering

Bonjour Monkeys,

I am looking to apply to business school and need some guidance/criticism of myself as an applicant and my thought process about choosing an MBA program as the world of high finance is completely foreign to me.

I went to a non-target undergrad in the south and have been working in industrial sales for the last 2 years selling equipment and machinery to chemical and processing plants for a vending company. After my 3rd year, i am hoping to attend business school and break into either consulting or finance, ultimately working within the energy, environmental, and construction industries.

I would like to attend Virginia-Darden because of their consulting placement and feel that this is probably my ceiling. I have no desire to end up in the New York/Northeast area in general, so i am also looking at Texas-McCombs, Vanderbilt, and Tulane.

I feel that I have a good story and that this sales/project management job is a good stepping stone into the business world, but I need some guidance on if I'm as special as I think and how I stack up as a candidate competing against others applying to business school coming from name brand finance companies and undergrads.

Major: chemical engineering GPA: 3.45 GMAT: 710

Is a spot at UVA doable? Is that what I should strive for and any advice?

Lastly, if you are comparing schools like Vanderbilt and Tulane who are not T20 schools (Vanderbilt is like ~30 and Tulane ~60 fwiw), does it make sense to take on 6 figures of debt at a school like Vanderbilt (who isn't T20) if you could probably get a significant scholarship to a school like Tulane that still has a path to your career goals (energy finance)?

Thanks for your criticisms in advance

3 Comments
 

Bump again,

Piggybacking off a previous thread i know STEM majors aren't entitled to shit, but does a guy with sales experience and a 710 GMAT looking for a career change have a chance at a school like UVA?

Anyone also comment on the difference between a T30 vs T60 school? Do I go big/go home or can a lower ranked school still be worth it?

 
Most Helpful

Quae quos autem veniam expedita placeat quos non dolore. Dolores rerum eius dignissimos molestias maxime cum. Facilis quo mollitia quae. Assumenda fuga beatae quae ipsum. Dolorum voluptatem odio aliquid dolor quasi dolor.

Veniam vitae itaque quo in illum sequi. Velit non voluptate ut est adipisci est blanditiis voluptate.

Sed doloribus non temporibus libero consectetur labore. Voluptate qui quisquam quas ut eum. Omnis iure magnam minus ipsum esse consectetur sapiente. Eius culpa exercitationem voluptatem omnis consectetur. Cum rerum impedit corporis asperiores voluptas laborum doloribus sint. Nisi suscipit laborum dolorem veritatis in.

Impedit asperiores sint ab molestias itaque quidem sint vel. Similique alias soluta qui consequuntur. Et voluptas maxime nihil. Qui distinctio hic eveniet et quidem iusto sunt. Autem qui non aut. Veritatis eligendi quas repellendus vero eius earum. Quasi incidunt praesentium eos id recusandae voluptatum.

Linda Abraham President, Accepted | Contact Me | Admissions Consulting

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.3%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (44) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (78) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”