juangalt wrote:
UTMPA2011 wrote:
juangalt wrote:
Has anyone applying for Summer/Fall 2013 heard back from schools yet?
my stats:
gmat: 700
gpa: 2.8
undergrad degree in economics and philosophy at UT-Austin
3 years work exp.
applied to:
UT-Austin
USC
UNC
Vanderbilt
Wake Forest
UT-San Antonio
interviewed right before christmas with USC for the MBT program, said they'd let me know the 2nd week of january
haven't heard from the other schools, just that the applications were complete. has anyone applied to the same schools and heard back? got in? what were your stats? any opinions of my chances? I'm pretty curious about Vanderbilt and Wake Forest since i don't know much about the schools
I can't tell you about current admissions with certainty, but I applied to schools on your list when I wanted to pursue a MAcc. Don't hold your breath on Vanderbilt. I would be willing to bet that Wake Forest will offer you a scholarship, even with your GPA. As a former UT student, you might get a leg up in admissions. However, your GPA is certainly an issue. I would say that your chances are good at USC and UNC. I do have to ask: Why UT-San Antonio? It is very out of place given your other schools. If you want to work in Texas, you should also consider applying to Texas A&M. I know, Longhorns and Aggies are rivals. However, when it comes to job placement, the two schools are not very far apart. Texas A&M is cheaper and easier to get into, so it is worth considering. Texas A&M also has high placement in Big 4.
I was accepted to USC's MBT with partial scholarship (heard back last week). Still waiting on UT's MPA, as of Friday my status now says "forwarded to Graduate Committee for Review" so I'm not sure how much longer I'll have to wait (applied 12/3). I want to do taxation and am really interested in USC's program, so if I got into UT it would be a tough choice (in-state tutition would be hard to turn down, even with the USC scholarship).
I'm still interested in Wake, the more I read about the program the more I like it. How is their reputation nationally compared to USC? Based on rankings it seems USC is better but I realize that might not be the whole picture.
If I work in Texas it would probably be in San Antonio (hometown) so that's why I applied to UTSA as a "fallback". A&M is a good program but they had a few more prerequisites and I didn't have time to take them. From what I've heard it sounds like I would be able to get a good job in San Antonio with a degree from any of the schools I applied, so I'm just interested in picking a school that has a good tax program and will offer more opportunities nationwide (thinking about IRS/feds).
Wake Forest is not ranked as high as USC. However, the placement is incredible. Also, some people are not aware that if you complete your MSA at Wake Forest, you can continue in their MBA program and complete it in a year. The MSA/MBA combination gives you a serious advantage over most MAcc programs.
I was in the tax track of the UT MPA program. I was accepted at Michigan, UT, USC, and Wake Forest (dinged at Vanderbilt - LOL!). I was offered a full ride at USC; however, it was only extended to me after I told them that I had been accepted at UT. If you are accepted at UT, you can negotiate your scholarship offer at USC, but be careful. UT offered me in-state tuition, a $15k scholarship and a TA position. While the cost of attending UT was slightly higher, I could not turn them down. You should consider the cost of living in LA at USC versus Austin (UT). I would estimate the cost of living for the USC program to be between 20k-25k, so choose wisely. If you have your heart set on working in CA, then seriously consider USC. If Texas is where you want to be, then UT is the best choice. If you go to Wake Forest, it will be quite difficult to work in Texas. Not impossible, but not likely.
In case you are wondering, I was offered a 75% scholarship at Wake Forest. I did not accept because the UT offer was too good. Michigan claims to give everyone who is accepted a $7k scholarship. If you want a full ride, you have to apply to teach an accounting class. In my opinion, Michigan is full of itself and not friendly. The cost is comparable to the MBA program, so I said no thank you. When the admissions member told me, "the accounting courses are MBA level courses, so the tuition is commensurate with the quality of instruction." My response: "Yes, but I won't be graduating with an MBA."
If you are looking to work for the IRS, don't hold your breath. The current state of affairs at the IRS is rather dim. They are not really hiring many people and the process is very time consuming. You could always take a public job and apply after gaining some experience. It's not impossible, but most programs don't really support government placement. The bread and butter of most accounting programs is Big 4 placement. I will say that UT does give you the opportunity to apply for industry and finance positions. You also have the chance to take a few MBA courses.