Which school should I go to for accounting if I want to work in Big 4

<p>Hello everyone,</p>

<p>I am looking to get into accounting and need to transfer from my college because they do not offer the program. I am a rising senior and there are not a lot of schools that will take me because I have so many credits but transferring is an option that I prefer because I would have to take time off and study for the GMATs and wouldnt be able to apply to schools for a while since I am graduating at the end of 2010. If I transfer I can already be in a new school in January and be on my way to getting my degree.</p>

<p>These are the schools that I have looked at that allow transfers for what I need:
1. Lehigh University
2. Wake Forest University
3. Baruch College
4. Boston University
5. University of Maryland-College Park</p>

<p>I have a 3.85 gpa overall and am majoring in history.</p>

<p>Does anyone know anything about these schools in terms of how good their accounting program is and if Big 4 recruit/interview there. It is my goal to work for Big 4 in NYC. </p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

<p>If you want to work in New York, then Baruch is your best bet. However, I guess you will have to finish your history degree first because they usually do not accept transfers with more than 70 or 90 credits. But you should try!</p>

<p>“I am a junior accounting major at a good private college and am interesting in Big 4 accounting”</p>

<p>“I am looking to get into accounting and need to transfer from my college because they do not offer the program”</p>

<p>I’m confused?</p>

<p>The second statement is correct, didn’t feel like explaining the situation in the first post as I only desired more detailed career information to compare with what I know from my friends/school alums that work for Big4.</p>

<p>All the big 4 companies, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan recruit at CUNY Baruch. I am sure that if you keep your 3.85 GPA in accounting, you will definitely get a chance, and you will catch your friends that go to Stern, but you are going to be wiser to spend 5k per year at Baruch than 40k at Stern.</p>

<p>I would really trust someone who doesn’t even know who the big 4 are, Toshtemirov</p>

<p>He was saying all the big 4 along with the rest of the companies he listed recruit there. He wasn’t saying those are the big 4.</p>

<p>Toshtemirov do you know how the interview process works at Baruch. Are you scheduled based on gpa or do the employers/recruiters pick based on gpa. I am very unfamiliar with Baruch the only thing I know is that my friends sister went there for business and still can’t find a job anywhere; however, I assume that has nothing to do with Baruch but maybe she isn’t very gifted academically.</p>

<p>binks09,</p>

<p>How could you even think about that? A comma not always represent a list. If I wrote, for example, “All the big 4 companies:Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan,” then it would be wrong. You have to ask Whistleblower to give you some lessons in reading comprehension. :)</p>

<p>n1cktm, “I assume that has nothing to do with Baruch but maybe she isn’t very gifted academically.”</p>

<p>I guess that is true. She probably did not have any internships, and had a low GPA.</p>

<p>2) “Are you scheduled based on gpa or do the employers/recruiters pick based on gpa.”</p>

<p>I do not know exactly, but definitely GPA plays a big role. People with low GPAs do not even get internships.</p>

<p>

You must have a Strong GPA for internships.</p>

<p>^Yeah, probably not less than 3.2. Otherwise, you have to find an internship yourself.</p>

<p>"You have to ask Whistleblower to give you some lessons in reading comprehension. "</p>

<p>I thought he had like a spidey sense for this kind of stuff? Where is he?</p>

<p>I went to DePaul University in Chicago. I knew several people who got jobs at the Big 4. Some work in Chicago, others in New York.</p>

<p>I worked for KPMG for 10 years in my earlier years. In my years there I have had students came from all Universities that offered Accounting and non-Accounting Majors, they can be from highly prestige schools like Wharton, Stern and Leventhal to name a few, they also recruite in lesser prestige schools like CCNY, St. John’s and Hofstra (I am from Pace). The criteria for a campus interview is the top 10% of a class. The prestige ones may get an edge, they may interview top 20%. To get a first interview is the ticket to enter Big 4, but after that it is YOUR individual performance that counts. As far as interviewer concerned, there is no difference between the guys from CCNY and those from Wharton. Its more so after you are employeed. To a supervisor, every Associate Accountant is on the same footing. You have to perform in a team and as an individual or else you are out. As a rule, the first year accountant attrition rate is over 50% and the second year is about the same. After the 2 years of “probation” you have about 25% who survived. Those who survived will be promoted to Staff Accountant. You may have up to 4 years to attain supervisor status and after that, you will be inducted to be part sales part technical and gradually leaving the technical end of the job. You can be all technical you want in a Big 4(and there are plenty of them in the company), but if you are not well rounded and can get clients on your own, you are basically out of the door in 6 or 7 years of the time. Most ppl who don’t like the sales aspect of the job check out in 2 years and work for industry.</p>

<p>^artloversplus,</p>

<p>Did you mean CUNY? Did you meet students from CUNY at KPMG?</p>

<p>I mean colleges like Queens, Hunter, Baruch, Brooklyn and others…yes, I had friends from those colleges, but it was almost 30 years ago…</p>