<p>Hi everyone, for the past few weeks I've been browsing through tons of online forums and reading as much information as I can, but I seem to be getting many different views and opinions leaving me still confused. I hope I can get some advice and suggestions from a few people who are in the working field.</p>
<p>I'm currently 23 and will be graduating from a cal state college in 3 more weeks getting my B.S in Business Administration, option in Accounting. Sadly my cumalative GPA will be at 2.97 or 3.0 depending on the grades I get on my final in the next couple of weeks. I originally majored in something else and didn't take school too seriously during my freshman year which caused the low GPA score.</p>
<p>I worked throughout my whole college life to pay for school tuition since I didn't receive any financial aid. I have zero working experience in accounting and regret that I never interned for any large company. Now that I'm graduating soon, reality is hit me in the face and I realized that many big firms only recruit out of college or recruit experienced professionals. I wont be fitting into either category!!!</p>
<p>1) I really want to get into public accounting and slave there a few years to gain experience before switching over to private accounting, how can I go about doing this? Based on my situation am I pretty much screwed? or can I still get into a large / mid size firm?</p>
<p>2) With my low undergrad GPA score, would it be worth it to go get a master degree in taxation and hope to get recruited during that route?</p>
<p>3) I plan to study for the CPA exam, but "IF" getting the master degree is worth getting, should I be going towards that path first before studying for the CPA</p>
<p>4) Based on my current situation, do I have any chance of really getting a public accounting firm? is this dream dead?</p>
<p>Any tips or advice will be greatly appreciated!</p>
<p>Your GPA is a bit low, but I would begin looking at smaller regional firms in your area. They tend to recruit lower-tier students than the large regional/national firms. Even if the work is interning/part-time, any experience would work in your favor.</p>
<p>The master’s degree largely serves as a means to sit for the CPA exam, but this is an often debated topic. Logically, why else would someone spend considerable time studying accounting after post-graduate school? Thus, I would pursue the Macc only if I didn’t have the required hours/courses for the CPA exam.</p>
<p>Your path the public accounting may be more difficult than other graduates’ paths, but by no means will achieving your goal be impossible.</p>
<p>Your best option is go and get the MAcc Or MTax and recruited as a grad student.</p>
<p>Congratulations!!! You are graduating :D</p>
<p>That being said, no harm applying to the companies that you want to go (unlike applying to schools, these doesn’t cost money!) , although cast a wide area since at this economic times, you can never be too sure.</p>
<p>If you do decide to go for a master, better do some pros and cons analysis first, and see if you really should go to Master. </p>
<p>All the best in life!</p>
<p>I think getting into a good public acctg firm will be really hard with that gpa, but nothing is impossible. Also, only starting to look for a job 3 weeks before you graduate did not do you any favors either. If you talk to a partner/recruiter, they if think your bright, and if enjoy your company…they could still want to hire you after you explain your situation (working to go to school because not receiving any financial aid). But those are big IFs. </p>
<p>I would say, start networking, and applying for every job you can. Don’t necessarily limit yourself to one particular job or industry or even accounting/finance jobs.</p>
<p>I am not sure getting a Masters would be worth it; especially since you did not get any fin aid for your BA and had to work alot (?) throughout. </p>
<p>Idk, your region/recruiting/school could be alot different then mine. So do your research in your area and decide for yourself.</p>
<p>Look at the bright side. you might be just fine for many reasons:</p>
<p>1- AT THIS TIME, accounting grads are highly demanded by corporations even more than engineers and comp sci student!!! I read that on Yahoo or US news three weeks ago…</p>
<p>2- such high demand for acct grads might offset your GPA’s impact. </p>
<p>3- Most companies look at the GPA of last two years… if it’s higher highlight that in your resume.</p>
<p>4- Do your best in your finals. And congrats for graduating… </p>
<p>5- if no jobs at all, you can always prove yourself and get masters…</p>
<p>CPA is a must for accountants and you SHOULD get it after getting your masters. Many schools prepare you for the CPA…</p>
<p>TRY hard to get 3.0 GPA do your best at the exams…</p>
<p>Thank you everyone for your support and advice. </p>
<p>I gave it a big thought about going to grad school and I think I just wouldn’t be able to afford it for the sole purpose of networking and campus recruiting.</p>
<p>I don’t have plans of getting into the Big 4 as of right now with my current situation, but I hope to apply to mid size to regional firms in the Los Angeles area. </p>
<p>I’ll be finishing up my last few weeks of school, and then start preparing for the CPA exam. While doing that, I’ll be sending out my cover letter and resume to all the regional public accounting firms in my area.</p>
<p>What do you guys think? I hope to get some experience at least before I get my CPA and hopefully a mid size firm would be willing to pick me up and look past my GPA. Do almost every firm always ask for the GPA and transcript?</p>
<p>kennyyboy,</p>
<p>You said that you did bad only in your freshman year, which means that you suppose to have decent grades after. If it is the case, then you should include both GPAs, cumulative and major. If your major GPA is greater than your cumulative, it will soften your situation, for employers may see that you did well in accounting, but screwed up some unrelated classes.</p>
<p>I also agree with getting the masters. Only other option would be going to a smaller firm and hopefully obtaining your CPA and then trying to get into the Big 4 however it is much easier straight out of school</p>
<p>Would it be stupid of me to get my MAcc at Cal State Fullerton just to get another shot at campus recruitment and a higher GPA? Even though I already majored in Business Administration with an option in Accounting as my undergrad?</p>
<p>^^Idk, I guess I’d ask myself:
- would my gpa really go up?
- Does it even matter if it does (since recruiting mostly happens earlier in the year, so the gpa the companies will be analyzing will probably be your undergrad)?
- Does the Macc really provide me with opportunities that I dont have now?
- Can I get those same opportunities through hard work and persistence as opposed to spending thousands and thousands of dollars?</p>
<p>@Whatdidyou , regarding #2, would it be possible for me to apply for a graduate program and start during spring quarter? That way I would have some grades to show during fall recruitment?</p>
<p>My undergrad cal state went under the quarter system, so I’m really not familiar with the semester system and how the graduate programs work.</p>
<p>My friend got into Ernst & Young in Turkey with a gpa of 2,8</p>
<p>But he goes to Bilkent, which is like the harvard of USA.</p>