<p>“Thanks for the information valleyaccountant but I also have a few questions. The cal baptist websites states that everyone who graduated with an accounting degree got themselves a decent job. What is do bad about it? The reason i dont want to go to SDSU is because I feel like there are too many slackers there and too much partying. Socializing isn’t a problem for me and trust me I have plenty of friends; that really is my last priority. I am really just worried because the program is much better at San Diego then cal baptist and I want to be sure I can find a job.”</p>
<p>Did Cal Baptist provide any employment statistics to back their claim up? What qualifies as a decent job? Good schools provide lists of employers that recruit at the school, interview schedules, and/or employment statistics of its grads.</p>
<p>Don’t worry about the slackers. SDSU has a ton of students, which is a benefit. You can be selective about who you spend your time with and ignore those you do not.</p>
<p>Socializing is critical to your success and SDSU is going to give you more opportunities to network with people in the industry. Unless your friends are able to get you a good accounting position out of college, you are really limiting yourself by going to Cal Baptist.</p>
<p>That said, you can get a decent position going to either school. Just be prepared for a tougher road going to Cal Baptist.</p>
<p>I would rank them between 3rd and 4th category. Raxxar provide me with a link that shows Cal Baptist claiming everyone gets jobs. Even in top programs “everyone” does not get jobs. There are always a couple duds in the top program. Like the weirdos I mentioned before that don’t interview well.</p>
<p>From what I understand about cal baptist there are a lot of non-traditional students and it is a very small school with a not so good alumni network in accounting. You can get a job out of that school but you will have to work harder and look better than an SDSU or Cal Poly kid. These colleges cost 1/3rd of the price and are way better. SDSU is located near a bunch of big 4 offices and cal poly is a prime source school for KPMG and e&y. Piper Jaffray an investment bank even recruits there. </p>
<p>It is up to you I think I have made my point. No more talk buddy.</p>
<p>Not sure if this has been asked before. I haven’t gone through this entire thread. But, I am going to accounting and was wondering if there is any way to try and prepare myself. I don’t necessarily want to teach myself, but is there anything out there that could help learn some of the material before I get to class? I would just like to familiarize myself with accounting before I go into class not knowing much,
I’ve found this site [Learn</a> Accounting Online for Free | AccountingCoach.com](<a href=“http://www.accountingcoach.com/]Learn”>http://www.accountingcoach.com/) which seems good. Are there any other recommendations or should I just wait until Fall and learn in class?</p>
<p>Focus on your math knowledge. My daughter is studying accounting now and she is amazed at how the students who are not strong in math are held back by this. They have a much harder time in their accounting classes.</p>
<p>You don’t need to do anything, just wait for your classes, they’ll teach you & provide you all the resources you need to do well (just be sure to do your homework, readings…etc). It’s not rocket science. </p>
<p>Only if you don’t understand basic algebra will “math” be an issue. What you do to one side of an equation, you can do to the other side. - That’s really as deep as it goes (But your right bookreader, it’s amazing how many students get through highschool without understanding this). Mathematically it doesnt go beyond addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. </p>
<p>If you REALLY want to prepare. Check out an old introductory financial accounting textbook from the library & read through the first couple chapters or so. That’s honestly the best thing you could do if you’re worried & would give you a headstart on your classmates.</p>
<p>I’m currently at a California Community college, poised to transfer to San Francisco State University and pursue a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting.</p>
<p>I’m questioning if SFSU is an adequate school to get my BS (and eventually my MSA) from and have Big 4 recruiting opportunities. Should I stick to my plan or try to go to another school?</p>
<p>I’m keen on staying near the Bay Area. Also not interested in UC Berkeley due to the fact that it would take another year at my CC to have a chance to transfer there. Any other UC or CSU recommendations would really be appreciated.</p>
<p>This is coming from a senior tax accountant at a national firm that has passed the CPA. The math involved is no more than basic algebra ask any CPA. I would recommend if you want to get ahead pick up a cheap accounting textbook on amazon. I did this so I could maintain my GPA while working and attending school. I would pickup the textbook a month prior to the class and get ahead. </p>
<p>SFSU is a good school if you go there you can get in with a big 4 or another national firm if you have a good personality and good grades. If you can go to UC Berkeley I would go there. UCB isn’t that expensive for 2 years and the Haas school will give you better opportunities than you will ever see at SFSU. </p>
<p>UCB is really hard to get into as a transfer business student. You will need a 3.8 GPA+ extracurriculars + SAT+ something that makes you stand out like being a minority. Berkeley can get you consideration for management consulting and investment banking. Generally I don’t like ragging on school ranking but Berkeley is cheap and high ranking so I put it in a different category. If we were talking about USD and 160k in tuition it would be different but Berkeley is bang for your buck especially if you already live in the bay.</p>
<p>Thanks for the response. I was originally going to transfer to Cal, but when I researched that it didn’t really matter what school I went to to learn accounting, I opted out. I know that I would have an exponential amount of opportunities if I went to UCB over SFSU, but like I said before, I don’t think the extra year of CC to satisfy their prereq’s is worth it. It isn’t an expense issue at all; it’s more of a time issue.</p>
<p>Honestly, without reciting my entire education profile, I probably have a really good chance at making it into Haas, or other prestigious UC’s. Should I just suck it up and stay at my CC for another year in order to transfer?</p>
<p>If you are 100% for certain you want to do auditing or tax then I say go for SFSU. However if you want the option of management consulting and investment banking you can go with UCB if you get in. However outside of UCB and UCLA there isn’t much of a chance at I banking. The school you go to for accounting doesn’t matter that much. I went to a junky school and I work at a national firm. </p>
<p>Just be sure you know what you want. Another issue is that the CSU and UC systems keep getting worse every year. It may be wise to get in and get out QUICKLY. I was there more than a year ago and it was horrid. I had to kiss some major ass to make sure I got all my classes.</p>
<p>You are lucky with your young age. In accounting if you get into public and work hard by age 30 you could easily have a six figure job. At age 35-40 if you stay in public you could make partner and earn 250k starting. Then spend 15-20 years at partner and retire. I went to a Community college and I saw a ton of old people majoring in accounting at age 40+. The competition for entry level jobs isn’t as fierce as everything says.</p>
<p>If you are under age 28 + 3.5 gpa + accredited school+ leadership and personality you can have an excellent career. It isn’t that hard to get a job.</p>
<p>A friend of mine I met a bar a while back works for a major investment bank in the bay area. He is 29 and graduated from a top tiered school but not ivy. He started at age 22 and last year his bonus was 600k . He was a top performer though in SF. When I heard the amount of his bonus I threw up in my mouth a little.</p>
<p>Management consulting and investment banking seem like lucrative jobs, but the work load sounds exasperating. I’m not greedy; 6 figures is good enough for me (unless inflation jumps up tremendously, lol). I’m not really 100% on which aspect of accounting I want to specialize in yet; I’m waiting to see what catches my interest when I start taking upper division classes, but I know for sure that I want to be a CPA.</p>
<p>I didn’t realize the CSU and UC systems have been degrading in quality; all the more reason to get my MSA as fast as I can. I have a free ride for all of my school expenses for 3 years, so I better make the most of it. </p>
<p>Thanks for all of the advice, Valley. It’s greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>For those who have passed the CPA exam or are planning to take it, what is the best way to approach this?</p>
<p>I am currently doing an internship and will be a senior this fall. As of now, I plan to apply for full time positions by the time I graduate in May 2013. Problem is, I’m not sure if that’s a good idea or not because I will be short around 30 units for the CPA requirement. So the question is, should I apply for jobs upon receiving a bachelors, or should I continue my education to get the units required for the CPA?</p>
<p>I’d say continue your education, pick up the additional credits so you don’t have to go back to school later (cause then it will probably never happen). Also: most all public accounting companies (if thats the way you want to go) will only hire you if you are CPA eligible by your start-date. </p>
<p>I would do another internship next summer and then do a 1-years masters program to pick up the extra credits. but that’s just me…</p>
<p>Get your units get another internship. Having CPA license eligibility is of the utomost importance. You will have to meet licensing requirements before you get on board with a large accounting firm and they check your transcripts. Ironically under the new 2014 California CPA requirements you could have a masters of accountancy and still not be eligible for a CPA license provided you didn’t have a business undergraduate. I find it ironic that I was CPA license eligible with my 30 extra units of community college (I went their 3 years) yet someone who majored in art and then pursued a MSA is likely not eligible.</p>
<p>does bookkeeping experience during my time in undergrad help with getting a job/internship for the big 4? I use accounting software such as quick books and do bookeeping at an intermediate level.</p>
<p>"does bookkeeping experience during my time in undergrad help with getting a job/internship for the big 4? I use accounting software such as quick books and do bookeeping at an intermediate level. "</p>
<p>If your GPA is high enough, it wouldn’t hurt. If your GPA is too low, it wouldn’t matter.</p>
<p>^ bingo. GPA is king. Then, as far as work experience goes, being in a leadership position at any type of “regular” job would be better than bookkeeping. Not that bookkeeping is bad. It’s just not a requirement to have accounting experience</p>
<p>Hi I have a question for you. I am an International student at the Pennsylvania State University, do accounting firms sponsor International students. Also, am I eligible to take the CPA?</p>
<p>This post is for TaxGuy or another tax attorney. </p>
<p>Hey taxguy my employer has offered to pay half my tuition at the local law schools located down the street from where I work. One is ranked 26-50 out of all law schools and one is a third tier stenchpile. Do you believe that it would be worthwhile to me to get a JD for my tax career? Do you think law firms would value my tax compliance and planning experience? How was your experience working while attending law school?</p>