[Anonymous]

I am currently a senior at a state school in PA. I have to pay for my own schooling and I did not want to come out in debt over $100,000. I have heard people say that you can’t get into the Big 4 or big companies with a degree from a state school. I have a decent GPA, 3.62, and I also got an internship this summer with a private company for Accounts Receivable. Does anyone have any experience graduating from a smaller state school and any advice?

[mmcgrad1]

Some of the best accounting programs in the country are at state schools. I don't agree that the Big 4 doesn't hire from state schools. I know a bunch of people that went to state schools and work for the Big 4. Also a lot of big companies do hire from state schools. I know certain large companies, like Caterpillar, hire a lot of people from state schools in Illinois and Iowa. I'm sure this happens fairly often.

NIU CPA Review Correspondence is awesome!

I passed all four sections on the first attempt

[Anonymous]

Ok that's good news. A lot of my friends go to private schools and bigger universities, and it seems like they just got internships a lot faster than I did.

[MeaDebitum]

What do you mean by “smaller” state school. Quite a few state schools have really good accounting programs, but a smaller school could receive less recruitment.

[nimmle02]

I think it depends on the school, but in general if your school has a strong accounting program then it shouldn't be a problem to have a chance with a B4. I attended a larger state school in NYC and landed a job at GT. I know many people from my program that have received internships and full time offers from all of the B4 companies.

Most of the time it comes down to you taking advantage of networking opportunities. Based on your previous internship experience and your GPA if you take the time to network during recruiting season at school you will have a good chance of landing an interview. With your summer internship you are already ahead of the game than those who have no experience in the field. Be sure to use any career resources your school provides.

REG - 5/21/2012 - 85
FAR - 7/24/2012 - 86
BEC - 8/27/2012 - 85
AUD - 10/5/2012 - 72....rematch 1/3/13 (waiting)

[Anonymous]

Well like Penn State is a state school, but they have like 40,000 kids. My school ranges from about 9,000 to 12,000 kids somewhere in that range, not exactly sure of the number. I know our career fair did not have one true recruiter for accounting internships, most were for sales.

[Anonymous]

the school u go to isnt all that important (given its not some funky for-profit school like university of Phoenix or devry or something like that, but even with those school if u network ur ass off u can probably land something). What is very important is the amount of networking that you accomplish while at said school.

[Anonymous]

I just created a linked in account but other then that I don't have much networking going for me. How else can I improve my networking?

[Anonymous]

There is a limit of jobs.

First the job has to exist…. 🙂

[Mayo]

It all depends on how much your school gets recruited. Check job/listings in your career center. Then compare it to how many students are inyour accounting class. That'll tell you what the level of competitiveness is.

Mayo, BBA, Macc

[Anonymous]

I graduated with two guys that both landed jobs at a Big 4. Deloitte and PWC. We went to a state school that had a great accounting and finance department and is well known for it. They both worked their way through college and both graduated debt free. Worked for them. Good luck. 🙂

[jeff]

You would be hard pressed to convince me that the difference in ROI from an “elite” undergrad and an AASCB accredited state school is that material.

Get good grades … Be a good interviewee … Get the job.

[Anonymous]

Second on what Jeff just said… I went to a state school that wasn't even AASCB accredited and still got offers from various employers including big4

[Whatdidyou]

hmm.. what a silly question. Of course! Big 4 hire MOST of its students from state schools. I cannot imagine anyone with any ounce of knowledge on this subject would tell you that you can't get hired from a state school.

“I did not want to come out in debt over $100,000.”

To be honest, you shouldn't even get close to half of that number if you're going into accounting. Be careful with the debt people!

“smaller state school”

This is what can hurt you. Often times companies don't hire from small schools period. If big 4 firms don't recruit at your school (you can find out easily), then chances are you won't get hired unless you know someone.

REG - Passed!!
BEC - Passed
FAR - Passed
AUD - Passed

Study Materials: Becker basic course

[SonjaBlue]

My advice:

1) Don't let “people” tell you what you can and cannot do with your career.

2) Always exceed your employer's expectations and continue to build your network.

Your career goals will grow and change throughout your life, and many job opportunities will come your way.

I got my degree from a state college and have had a great career so far (with lots of job opportunities along the way).

Remember that your career isn't something that happens in a single moment in time and then the opportunity is lost; your career will be something that you build upon as you go through life.

I started in a mid-size CPA firm and left after two years (I hated the whole “billable hours” thing). I ended up with an interesting position in Corporate Accounting at a large US company (great pay, benefits, promotional opportunities, and work-life balance). A handful of the friends I made at the CPA firm went on to a Big4 firm after 2-3 years at the mid-size firm, one opened up her own CPA firm, and the rest chose careers in large corporations like me.

In the long run . . . it won't matter to any recruiter that you attended a state college . . . it will matter what you did with your career after you graduated. And, you can use the money you saved attending state college to put a down payment on a new house.

FAR 02/26/13 78 [05/25/12 67]
AUD 07/07/12 85
REG 05/28/13 80 [08/25/12 72]
BEC 11/26/12 81

[Author]

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