mappleby wrote:
A couple of points. What do you mean by you will start in the Spring? Spring semester is almost over and Spring quarters have begun at all schools that offer quarters. You also mention that you will "finish up" the MSA. So again, have you actually enrolled in your MSA or not yet? If you haven't, turn down your acceptance into the MSA and go get a full-time job. I can't speak for Stern but last year Columbia only admitted 1 student with no full-time experience and from my understanding they have not admitted anybody for this coming year without full-time employment. So if you work part-time and get a Master's Degree and then apply you will not get in. It just won't happen. The only people getting accepted with no experience have somehow managed to save the world in their spare time while in school. An on-again/off-again job in the insurance industry won't do the trick. Honestly I don't see many, if any, jobs where the MBA and MSA will make you a stronger candidate than an MBA with accounting work experience.
In short, I think that getting the MSA will waste valuable time you cannot recover and will not further your long-term goals while costing money. This sounds like a losing proposition all around. You can easily get a job in accounting without the MSA. Spend 3-4 years working full time in accounting then apply. Full-time work, a 770 GMAT, just add in some decent extra-curriculars and you will be a very strong shot at CBS and NYU. If you get another degree, don't work full-time and then apply you honestly have maybe a 5% chance at best.
Thanks for your honesty, you made me reconsider my options now lol, can anyone substantiate this so I can decide what to do next? Oh and when I said Spring semester I meant next spring, I'm graduating this Fall. And I haven't actually enrolled in the MSA, my school has a pre-admission thing where one can get admitted to the program during undergraduate years given that everything else is in order such as GPA. If full-time experience is really that important I'm confident I can get one while doing the master's program.