Apologies if this is the wrong thread! I just wanted to start looking at the best match between competitive schools that I can realistically attain and decent safety net to ensure enough $$ and acceptance rates.

profile International Central Asian/Former Soviet bloc

ugrad 2.9 from private liberal arts college, accounting and finance

gmat 730 (q 45 v 44) (this is probably for another thread but retake is definitely on the cards. got mildly sick a couple of days before the exam - great timing right? didn't sleep too well the night before, did not practice AWA until the night before, perhaps explaining why i lay staring at my ceiling for 3-4 hours. didn't even prep for IR - i think i finished grand total of 5 questions in a manhattan mock, and 10 minutes skimming manhattan IR guide. i was surprised at the verbal score. was late 3-4 mins for both sections after the breaks, throwing up in the bathroom and trying to brush my teeth so i could chew the sugary snacks)

full-time experience 1 year in non-profit research

age 24


should i target specific ranges in MBA rankings? or should i go more into humanities side (management/entrepreneurship/international etc?) based on my gmat? or is a masters of accounting better bet?

also, how important is the focus on regional schools? for example, i had a full-ride to undergrad, and the college is known for being ridiculously tough compared to similar schools or even mid range public schools. perhaps nearby schools (same state or relationship based on distance) know this reputation and be more forgiving of the low GPA? this is a school in kentucky so i included UK gatton, vanderbilt and purdue in the free reports on GMAT software.

thanks, and sorry for the amount of questions!