<p>I'm considering transferring to U of I for accounting because they are ranked #2 in the nation. However, I asked a few students about the professors who teach ACCY 301, 302, 303, etc and they said that there are some great professors, but most of them are just 'average'. (These students I asked aren't slackers)
When I visited the campus a few months ago and went to a few classes, the professors seem just like the professors at my current school. I didn't get a "wow" factor from these professors.
I also checked on ratemyprofessor for the accounting professors and most have okay ratings. I know I can't 100% rely on rmp.com, but it does give a general perspective of the professors.</p>
<p>The feel I get from these professors is that they aren't that much different from other lesser known accounting schools. And I believe the courses are similar to other schools (financial, managerial, intermediate, tax, audit) </p>
<p>So what makes U of I have such a prestigious accounting program? Is it because many firms recruit there that makes U of I such a 'hot spot' for students? And they offer a lot more opportunities than other schools, like having connections with the Big4 or firms in NYU/LA/Chicago?</p>
<p>In no way am I trying to bash U of I. I just want to know if it is worth $40k/year for me to transfer there from a much lesser known school (George Mason University, VA)</p>
<p>I think a lot of the prestige of a school has to with the caliber of the students that you are surrounded by. UIUC has a high caliber of students that adds to its reputation!</p>
<p>Is U of I business school just like any other average business school then? </p>
<p>Doesn’t having a low acceptance rate and the fact that many firms recruit there make it somewhat ‘prestigious’?
Why is it that a few sites and magazines rank U of I accounting program top 5 in the nation if it just an average school? </p>
<p>For those that been to the business school, do you think of its program and your job opportunities afterwards?
If U of I accounting program is like other average schools, I might just stay at my current school, GMU. I want to know if it is worth it to transfer there. </p>
<p>Just because a few professors didn’t give you a ‘wow’ factor, doesn’t mean the school isn’t good. Illinois is a HUGE school, and you will meet some amazing professors and some not so great ones. Its the nature of a big school. I actually live quite close to George Mason but am going to attend Illinois this fall, and from talking to current students and the several relatives of mine who went to U of I Business school, they all said its great and quite deserving of its reputation, especially for accounting. Many large companies recruit there, and the education you receive is also of high quality. I know kids at Mason and at U of I, and I can definitively say that the ones at Illinois are smarter and more motivated, and that the program is better, although you need to decide for yourself whether its worth the money.</p>
<p>You can go to any college and program in the nation including any at Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Stanford and find that there are very good professors and those that are just average and in fact you will usually also find some that are just downright lousy. The one factor that is not weighed in any of the rankings, including USNews, is the quality of teaching which is very often an individual thing. UIUC has a very good program that has name recognition and thus it can aid in gaining employment over a number of other schools…</p>
<p>However, that does not mean you cannot do well coming from George Mason or elsewhere. My personal view is that it is going to be far more important for you to come out of college with little or no debt than it is to graduate from a prestigious program. If you are paying in-state tuition at GM, you should likely not go elsewhere and spend $40,000 a year particularly if much of that has to be borrowed.</p>