I am starting a MAcc program at a top-25 school. My program is recruited by Big 4, national, and local firms. I want to get into a big 4 or national office in NYC. My grades have always been high (undergrad 3.89, cum laude) and I plan to network diligently. My campus adviser told me this was possible, and that I need to impress the local recruiters so that they will be my advocate for getting me into a NYC office. She said that the better reasons I had for moving to NY, the higher the possibility of it happening, as they want people who are committed to staying and won’t leave after 6 months because they ended up not liking the location. My reasons are that I have two brothers that work in NYC that are also young and married like myself. They aren’t accountants but are investment analysts at 2 large banks. I have visited them and love the city, the lifestyle, and been exposed to the demands of FS jobs. My wife also grew up on the East Coast and would love to go back. Another reason is the market. It’s a large market and I’m interested in the industries and opportunities there. What are my chances of getting into a NYC office? Are my reasons good enough?
I don’t think you have to justify why you want to live in NYC to Big 4 accounting programs. NYC is enough of a desirable location to scores of people that I doubt they’ll doubt your commitment if you move there, and applying to the NYC office in and of itself is an indicator of wanting to be there. Besides, family ties don’t always get people to stick around in places anyway, and visiting NYC is very, very different from living there every day.
We can’t really speak to your chances; it depends on the competition for the NYC offices and what your personal credentials and interviews are like. Desirable offices like New York, Boston, San Francisco, etc. tend to be more competitive.