Ditching HYP for accounting

[Anonymous]

My niece is an incoming freshman at HYP. Earlier today she told the family that she is seriously considering not going and pursuing an accounting degree instead!

We are all pretty shocked by this. She is definitely not joking. She said that she’s been weighing the cost of the degree vs the benefits and is not so sure it is worth it. She was planning to do econ and/or math.

The thing is the cost is fortunately not an issue for her parents. She got 50-60% in financial aid, the rest they are paying out of pocket. Not a small sum but it’s something my sister and BIL have planned for and saved for. Plus my niece is an only child.

The thing is she has always been a pretty serious and responsible kid so we are struggling what to make of this. I personally feel she is getting cold feet. We don’t want her to throw away this opportunity that she is so lucky to have. Or are we the crazy ones? She is seeing some of her friends taking more practical/trade routes so perhaps that’s part of it. And I am sure the whole discussion about the rising cost of college vs benefits has impacted her and her peers.

[Anonymous]

That is not a good idea.

She should go to HYP, major in Econ and math, and then go to grad school later if she wants an accounting degree or CPA etc.

Encourage her to stay the path

[Anonymous]

She should go to HYP!

Signed,

HYP grad

[Anonymous]

A decision for her and her parents

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She should go to HYP!

Signed,

HYP grad

Why?

In my view, she is raising good questions. Definitely listen and have a conversation with her.

More kids should be questioning what’s the right path for them.

[Anonymous]

I know a Psych major from Nescac who got hired at PWC, they helped her get her CPA. It's not mutually exclusive OP. She can and should go to HYP and also pursue accounting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know a Psych major from Nescac who got hired at PWC, they helped her get her CPA. It's not mutually exclusive OP. She can and should go to HYP and also pursue accounting.

She IS raising good questions and the answer is HYP. An HYP econ or math grad can easily expect to start at $120k+, while even a new Deloite CPA will earn half of that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a Psych major from Nescac who got hired at PWC, they helped her get her CPA. It's not mutually exclusive OP. She can and should go to HYP and also pursue accounting.

She IS raising good questions and the answer is HYP. An HYP econ or math grad can easily expect to start at $120k+, while even a new Deloite CPA will earn half of that.

Cite?

[Anonymous]

Hear her out and explain the career options available to her from HYP that she won’t have just getting an accounting degree from any old school (BTW if she had picked Wharton she wouldn’t have this existential problem).

If she does attend HYP you have to make sure she has the right mindset. The MC kids like her often have the worst outcomes from those schools. Make sure she knows to engage with the school and network which it seems will be something that won’t come naturally to her.

[Anonymous]

She may be responding to a feeling of pressure and responsibility. It is a lot of money. If her parents want her to go maybe it would be helpful for them to sit down with her and explain that they want this for her. She may perceive that $30-$35,000 a year is still a lot of money to give up for a HYP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That is not a good idea.

She should go to HYP, major in Econ and math, and then go to grad school later if she wants an accounting degree or CPA etc.

Encourage her to stay the path

+1. I am very close to a girl who did just that - graduated from an Ivy with a degree in economics, and, after a brief flirt with academia and a short stint as a consultant, has switched to the accounting side and is now working on her CPA. It’s not hard to move in that direction, but it’s much harder to do the opposite. If the money is truly not an issue, she should stick with her original plan.

[Anonymous]

She can do like everyone else and go to business school after HYP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a Psych major from Nescac who got hired at PWC, they helped her get her CPA. It's not mutually exclusive OP. She can and should go to HYP and also pursue accounting.

She IS raising good questions and the answer is HYP. An HYP econ or math grad can easily expect to start at $120k+, while even a new Deloite CPA will earn half of that.

I think neither of these statistics are accurate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a Psych major from Nescac who got hired at PWC, they helped her get her CPA. It's not mutually exclusive OP. She can and should go to HYP and also pursue accounting.

She IS raising good questions and the answer is HYP. An HYP econ or math grad can easily expect to start at $120k+, while even a new Deloite CPA will earn half of that.

I think neither of these statistics are accurate.

+1 That poster can’t provide any citations.

[Anonymous]

Why can’t she major in accounting at Harvard and then go work at the big four?