First, these are not the only two schools, and neither is optimal for your goal.

Both schools sit in different GMAT tiers (see Duncan's post on GMAT tiers) -- Emory Goizueta is in Tier 2 (GMAT >670) while Georgia Tech is in Tier 2-3 range. This suggests Emory has a somewhat more competitive student profile.
For consulting careers specifically, Emory Goizueta has stronger placement rates into major consulting firms. The smaller class size you mentioned (around 150 students versus Georgia Tech's larger cohort) means more personalized attention from career services and professors, which can be valuable during recruiting.
Your engineering background could resonate at either school, but Georgia Tech's technical reputation might actually work against you if you're trying to demonstrate broader business and leadership potential to consulting recruiters. Emory's broader business focus may help position you better for consulting.
Some key factors to consider:
- Emory has stronger employment rates, with higher average salaries and better consulting placement statistics. The school also has deeper relationships with major consulting firms.
- Both schools' Atlanta location provides access to regional consulting offices, but Emory appears to have better national reach for consulting recruiting.
- Your manufacturing systems experience pairs well with Emory's operations expertise, while still allowing you to pivot into strategy consulting through their consulting-focused resources and preparation programs.
Given your specific goal of top-tier consulting, Emory Goizueta would likely offer you the strongest platform. The smaller cohort, higher consulting placement rates, and established recruiting relationships make it a better fit for your career transition plans. The school's broader business orientation may help you develop and demonstrate the well-rounded skills consulting firms seek.

Thank you for the deep insight into this! I had thought that Georgia Tech's engineering reputation could be an asset but the need for demonstrating broader leadership skills that you point out makes a lot of sense.

I'll take a closer look into Emory and other possible options. If you have any advice on how to best leverage an MBA when looking to pivot into consulting, I'd appreciate it a lot.

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts and knowledge!

Georgia Tech gives you more of what you already have and makes it look like your true motivation is to stay in technical areas rather than cross into more strategic consulting. Emory will give you a cohort that *mostly* goes into consulting: that's a huge asset because the #1 way to pivot is to get an internship. Goizueta's MBA has those relationships, especially in the South.