Mr. President, I'm glad you were to get an interview through a school referral. I also agree with a lot of what you said.
However, I took exception when you said “the whole goal of an MSA program is to get your CPA”‘ because, although people get their Masters degree to fulfill the credit requirements (if in a 150 degree state), there are cheaper ways to get these requirements.
One could theoretically go to a community college and have zero access to recruiting or valuable networking and be totally fine if they just need the credits.
My point was that when choosing to get a MSA/Macc at a university versus just taking courses at a community college, one should expect a return on their investment beyond just the CPA.
This return usually comes in the form of on-campus recruiting, which is how 90% of big 4 firms hire entry level staff. Other firms might have a lower percentage, but the trend is definitely towards on campus recruiting for entry level positions.
And while anyone can argue that school rank only determines so much, it still increases the chances of being recruited.
Look, I agree with you that one can go to a TAMU-C or other similar university and still do well and get recruited for a lot less paid in tuition. However, the chances of being recruited from a top ranked program are still statistically greater at a top program due to the sheer number of people being recruited.
In terms of the op, that's a determination he or she needs to make, but pretending or insinuating that rank does not matter is incorrect in my opinion.
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