<p>Hi, I've recently been accepted into my top three schools and am very happy to say so. The schools are as follows: Duquesne, James Madison, Penn State (Main). I plan to study accounting, and my priorities lie in job placement and starting salary. As a PA resident I will be paying OOS to James Madison and IS to PSU. Also, Duquesne has offered roughly 40% off of tuition right off the bat, and commuting is also a viable option to cut costs even further. Obviously student loan debt is a concern, but a successful future is the most important thing. Any insight/ opinions would be greatly appreciated! </p>
<p>Well, I’d first eliminate James Madison. I’m assuming it’s expensive OOS, and although accounting is a pretty good career, starting salary is around 50-60k…so you should try to minimize your debt. Plus, Penn State has a good reputation, but I’m not sure most people have heard about James Madison (or maybe I’m just an exception?). Good luck!</p>
<p>Penn State has a better national reputation. JMU is not bad, but unless you have an overwhelming desire to go there I’d stick with Penn State. I am sure a that all the major accounting forms recruit there and unfortunately, you will be an indentured servant at a large firm until you get your auditing hours and experience out of the way for your CPA.</p>