<p>I narrowed down my choices of colleges to 6 (but still have to retake SAT I's in Nov.), most of which are business schools. After thinking about it for a while, I decided that in the business school I would major in accounting. Is accounting a good career? I know it depends on the person, but a lot of people are telling me not to do it. They say I should pursue a career in pharmacy, law, or medicine. They say it limits my options and doesn't even pay that much. I still consider CPAs professional people with careers worthy of pursuit. Are most people satisfied with this job? I don't really want to make a mistake. I guess most people, if they're still students, wouldn't know that much about careers, but if you do, I will be open to all comments. Also, I heard that for accounting getting a JD would help out a lot but an MBA wouldn't that much. All I want right now is enough info so that I can decide. I have to be sure I'm going the right way. Thanks for your info and considerations.</p>
<p>Btw, the business schools I'm applying to (4/6) are Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Ann Arbor, Stern, BC. The other 2 are University of Chicago and Rutgers.</p>
<p>i'm in the same shoes as you. I'm leaning towards a career as a CPA but i'm also taking a last minute consideration at completely different careers, particulary architecture.</p>
<p>however, CPA is a good career.</p>
<p>and about where you said "it limits my options and doesn't even pay that much"</p>
<p>thats completely false. accounting is the language of money and the blood of a business. If you take a look at top CEO's of fortune 500 companies, you'll quickly notice how many of them started their careers as CPA's.</p>
<p>That's interesting stuff about the CEOs, excel04. Well whether you do accounting or something else, good luck to you. I hope you find your desired career. If I become an accountant, I am planning to work at a Big Four firm as a tax accountant. But I don't really know much about the specifics of auditing, tax, and consulting, so I don't know at this stage.</p>
<p>I'm a CPA. Accounting does pay well, especially at the Big 4 (it was Big 8 when I graduated). There are several areas of accounting in which you can specialize. Auditing is fairly analytical - are the numbers provided by the client reliable?; do they make sense? Depending on where you work, auditing can expose you to a variety of industries, or you can specialize in a particular industry. I audited a variety for a Big 8 before joining a local firm specializing in savings and loans (in the mid 80s - oy vey!). If you're very detail-oriented, tax accounting may be for you. Then there's consulting firms and industry positions. </p>
<p>While it may not seem exciting, I did discover an embezzler on one of my audits.</p>
<p>Since you asked about advanced degrees, a JD would really only be useful in tax accounting. An MBA is always useful, especially if you are considering consulting.</p>