Thoughts on Gies v. Fisher? D23 admitted to both but Fisher would cost around $15k per year less. OOS and awarded in state tuition. Seems like a good value. However, daughter likely will work in Chicago after grad. Is the $60k savings worth it?
My opinion. Yes.
Going to UIUC does nothing to guarantee you Chicago and going to OSU does zero to exclude you from Chicago. Hiring from both will be national and today kids apply via indeed and LinkedIn and she can simply target Chicago. So where - even beyond these two - doesn’t matter.
Can you afford the $60k? If so, which campus does she prefer ??
To add on to the above, the desire to go to Chicago may change in four years. The money difference is likely to be permanent.
As long as your daughter likes OSU quite a bit, I’d go with that. I consider it on par with other options for Chicago hiring like Wisconsin, Illinois and Purdue. I like IU top end but very competitive. Illinois accounting is reportedly top notch but Big 4 hire at all the Big 10.
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She is interested in accounting, which makes Gies seem like the better choice. She is doing an admitted student tour at both. Hopefully that will help her decision. She is very likely to work in Chicago, as we live in the Chicago suburbs.
I’m a CPA as is my H and my S. Congrats! Both schools have very strong accounting programs.
Keep in mind that:
–I expect she will have the same/very similar job outcome coming out of either school. The Big 4 will interview at both schools and she can let them know her preferred office. FWIW my S interviewed from another college in the Midwest and had no issue getting offers to work in NY offices (where we are from).
–As of now to be a CPA one needs 150 credit hours. A typical bachelors degree is 120 hours. Many (including my S) go for an additional year to get a Masters in Accounting to fulfill this requirement. So as you plan your budget consider that as well. Note that 1) some students can fulfill the 150 credit requirement with a combination of APs, summer school etc. AND 2) there is a tiny pilot program in NJ just set up which allows students to work right after their bachelors and get the 30 credits in “work experience” but I’m not sure if that will become a bigger trend (I hope it does as it would encourage more students to enter the field.)
That said, if both are affordable (no loans, no hardship) and your D has a strong preference I’d let her choose. If she likes both I"d save the money and go with OSU. Hopefully your visits will help with the decision.
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I don’t know how much a $60k savings impacts your family, but I will share some thoughts on Gies. Both my DD and DS were Gies kids. DD graduated in 2017 with finance and supply chain degrees in 4 yrs. DS graduated in 2019 with finance and accounting degrees along with the Technology & Management minor in 4 yrs. He took/passed the CPA exams without an extra yr for a Masters.
One reason they were able to thrive and maximize the opportunities available through Gies was due to their rigorous high school preparation. They took a lot of AP classes and were able to leverage those college credits. They took higher level classes earlier. They could take a reasonable number of credits per semester so they could devote time to leadership roles/activities for personal growth. They both did a study abroad semester in Europe…all without having to take any classes during the winter or summer breaks.
Two things I suggest you consider:
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If study abroad is important to your daughter, compare the offerings. We were surprised when we were researching study abroad programs through Michigan, Indiana and Illinois. Our UIUC experience was outstanding.
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If your daughter has taken AP classes compare what the schools will offer when it comes to credit hours. Yes, 150 credits are needed for the CPA exams.
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And of course find out what job placement is like from each school. Things have probably changed since my kids attended U of I.
As for the “UIUC to Chicago post-graduation pipeline” it is strong. The Big 4 frequently come to campus. They offer leadership seminars to identify interested students early on. A lot of Gies students are like your DD and come from Chicago suburbs. We did/do and it’s wonderful having both kids living in the city, just an easy drive away. We do not take this for granted.
The benefit for them is that when they started working, they had many friends who were also living in the city and they had no trouble finding roommates the first few years out of school. Both of my kids are still working for their same respective companies with which they started.
If you have any questions I’ll try to help but I’m probably far enough out of the “recent grad category” that my help might be dated…in other words, I’m old. Lol.
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