I was just wondering if there were any current PWC scholars or ex-PWC scholars that happen to know what the MINIMUM ACT scores are. The SOM and admissions do not give specifics, and I realize that some of it is holistic. I am sure there are some students with a 31 ACT that may be is the program and some 33 students who did not make the cut. However, I was hoping to find out what some of the BUZZ is as to the minimum ACT/SAT scores.
Again, I understand that nobody on this board works for admissions or the SOM, but if there are any current or former students roaming these boards, I was just curious what you folks heard.
While they don’t tell you the minimum ACT score required for PWC scholars program at Bing, I would say that ACT of 31 is a good score to get into SOM to begin with and to make it into scholars, I suggest that you check out the four pillars of the scholars program and see if you match up. I personally know the PWC partner in charge of the program, Matt Singer, he is a graduate of Bing SOM and is very heavily involved in recruiting out of Bing and the program itself. If you make it into SOM and into the program, you are pretty much guaranteed a job at PWC, the other Big 3 firms, and top financial services firms on Wall Street. It’s indeed the golden ticket, but it’s just a start. Working at PWC for Matt personally is what one could hope for in their career, I have seen how he takes smart kids and builds their careers, he is a fantastic person.
Thanks for the info. My son just received notification last Thursday that he was accepted into the SOM EA. His ACT score was 32 with a gpa of 94.8 w I have heard that the scholars program is for the top top students. Students that have like 34-36 ACT scores. Bing never tells you what stats are needed, but I just get the impression that is the case. If he does not get an invite, it is not the end of the world. If you do well in the SOM you will get great internship offers and job offers as well. It would be nice to get to scholars, but it is not the end of the world. Thanks for your input!!
Congratulations, this is a huge achievement and believe me, your son will be fine whether he makes the scholars or not. Here is what’s very important-keep up the GPA and make sure to attend all the presentations on campus where representatives from the Big 4 firms come in. Do research beforehand about the firm coming in, especially about new initiatives, or recent accounting pronouncements, introduce yourself, make eye contact, speak intelligently about the profession and the current business environment and economy in general and you will get noticed! Big 4 consistently recruit on Bing campus and whether he ends up at PWC or the other 3, does not really matter-the exit opportunities out of them are equally fantastic and he will work equally long hours during the busy season. Despite that, I still think that accounting is a wonderful profession because it provides both stability and tremendous growth for someone with above average intelligence. Besides making it as a partner at the Big 4 which has a huge financial upside, there is tons of money to be made in the private industries in the roles of controller, CFO, some people even become portfolio managers with accounting degrees. Good luck!
Thanks so much. It is funny because I have been telling my son for years now, yes, years, to try and be a licensed professional in something; law, pharmacy, accounting etc. My advice to my son was simple. Be a professional if you have the brains!! If there are hard times in the economy if you are a CPA etc, you can always find employment, or hang up a shingle. If you are laid off when you are 50 plus yrs of age, if you have a license in something, you can always make a living. I know there are no guarantees, but I do not know many CPA’S out of work.
Also, I do agree with you that if he does not make it to scholars, it is not the end of the world. BING places most of its accounting majors in either a big 4 firm, medium sized firm, or smaller firms. It would be nice, but certainly not the end of the world.
Keeping up a good gpa is critical. It is not easy at a school like Bing, but it is doable. Believe it or not my wife thinks he should maybe attend Albany. She feels it would be less pressure and they do have an excellent accounting program and recruiting. Maybe not quite as good as Bing, but not too shabby I can tell you that. I think my son will opt for Bing. He loved the school and the campus. Time will tell!! Thanks Again
Whatever you decide, Albany or Bing, you cannot go wrong with an accounting major at either and also, while starting at Big 4 is universally viewed as a golden ticket, I have two real-life examples-both my manager and I did not start out at Big 4. Mine was just lack of knowledge-not submitting my resume in time to career services, not going to career fairs, not attending accounting society meetings, not understanding the power of showing up and networking. My GPA was good but I was just clueless and no one was able to help-as a recent immigrant to the country, I only now realize how lacking we were when it came to information. I ended up in a small, innovative company with an amazing both who was willing to teach me things, never made me feel like an idiot when I did something wrong and 20 years later continues to be my mentor even though I left that place after 1.5 years.
My manager’s story is something else-one of the top students, she had an internship at Andersen and got an offer from them as well as E&Y and KPMG. She went with Andersen as she loved the people and had some knowledge of the firm already. Then, Enron happened. She called to find out whether the offer was still intact, they assured her it was and week later, they pulled all the offers. She tried calling back E&Y and KPMG but they already filled all the slots. She ended up at a no-name small firm in NYC, worked there for two years and then came to the same hedge fund where we both have been working for almost 15 years. We have been able to rise significantly both in title, responsibilities and compensation. I know people with a CPA who became portfolio managers and are making multi-millions.
No word yet, but I do not think they started to send out the notices. It is a very hard program to get into so I am not holding out a lot of hope, but time will tell. Thanks