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

 

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?

 
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