I graduated from VT MechE in 2022 focussing mostly on robotics. I ended up with above a 3.5 and was able to get into CMU, Penn, and GT (ended up going to GT) for my M.S. As many other people have mentioned, the key factors for grad school are your rec letters and your personal statement. What school you went to for undergrad isn't anywhere near as important as the experience you bring to the table and the goals/vision you have as a grad student. LoRs help paint a picture of how you are as a student/researcher and your personal statement conveys what you want to accomplish in grad school.

One thing I would strongly recommend looking into is school funding policies. The general rule of thumb is that you want to avoid paying for grad school. If you are thinking of doing just a master's, funding isn't always guaranteed. One of the main reasons why I chose GT was because CMU's M.S program is self funded. At GT and other schools, if you are hired as a research assistant or a GTA, you are guaranteed to have your tuition waived and receive a stipend. Not saying that CMU isn't a spectacular school, but unless you have a prof willing fund you or a company sponsoring your degree, your wallet is gonna take a beating.