Ditching HYP for accounting

[Anonymous]

As a HYP grad, I wouldn't let my kids attend if they are just going to get a major in econ to go into business. I succeeded very well and ended up in PE. It was single-handedly the worst mistake me and many of my friends made, even if we were paid handsome sums. I would've preferred going into accounting and living a happy life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a HYP grad, I wouldn't let my kids attend if they are just going to get a major in econ to go into business. I succeeded very well and ended up in PE. It was single-handedly the worst mistake me and many of my friends made, even if we were paid handsome sums. I would've preferred going into accounting and living a happy life.

??

I'm not sure why it's no acceptable to you for HYP students to major in economics and ultimately go into business?
Because you did and regret going into PE??

Nothing wrong with studying economics @ HYP. It by no means precludes a happy life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a HYP grad, I wouldn't let my kids attend if they are just going to get a major in econ to go into business. I succeeded very well and ended up in PE. It was single-handedly the worst mistake me and many of my friends made, even if we were paid handsome sums. I would've preferred going into accounting and living a happy life.

??

I'm not sure why it's no acceptable to you for HYP students to major in economics and ultimately go into business?
Because you did and regret going into PE??

Nothing wrong with studying economics @ HYP. It by no means precludes a happy life.

Some parents here are lawyers and would never let their kids touch a law degree. They get it.

It's just not a healthy career option and is a degrading field for women in my personal opinion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a HYP grad, I wouldn't let my kids attend if they are just going to get a major in econ to go into business. I succeeded very well and ended up in PE. It was single-handedly the worst mistake me and many of my friends made, even if we were paid handsome sums. I would've preferred going into accounting and living a happy life.

NP. Similar view. Econ major, went to law school, was paid handsome sums. Back in olden times, my father kept suggesting accounting, though at the time I had no idea what was involved and dismissed it without further thought. Hindsight is 20/20.

One of my kids is now an accounting major. Figured out this path on his own after trying to find internships going the econ/finance route. The door to stable employment is open, as are doors for other opportunities down the road.

I think the OP's niece gets some respect for coming to her conclusion. The only drawback, like most fields, is not having realistic exposure before deciding on the major.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a HYP grad, I wouldn't let my kids attend if they are just going to get a major in econ to go into business. I succeeded very well and ended up in PE. It was single-handedly the worst mistake me and many of my friends made, even if we were paid handsome sums. I would've preferred going into accounting and living a happy life.

??

I'm not sure why it's no acceptable to you for HYP students to major in economics and ultimately go into business?
Because you did and regret going into PE??

Nothing wrong with studying economics @ HYP. It by no means precludes a happy life.

Some parents here are lawyers and would never let their kids touch a law degree. They get it.

It's just not a healthy career option and is a degrading field for women in my personal opinion.

DC recently told us that he is interested in going to law school. The face my husband, a lawyer, made was so comical I wanted to take a photo and hang it on the wall.

Let's just say they had an hour long conversation and DC is going anywhere but law.

[Anonymous]

Why not ask her to go to HYP for a year and see if she changes her mind, and then transfer if she doesn't? It's certainly easier to go from HYP to accounting than the other way around, but this way she gets a chance at testing if she's right about what she wants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a HYP grad, I wouldn't let my kids attend if they are just going to get a major in econ to go into business. I succeeded very well and ended up in PE. It was single-handedly the worst mistake me and many of my friends made, even if we were paid handsome sums. I would've preferred going into accounting and living a happy life.

??

I'm not sure why it's no acceptable to you for HYP students to major in economics and ultimately go into business?
Because you did and regret going into PE??

Nothing wrong with studying economics @ HYP. It by no means precludes a happy life.

Some parents here are lawyers and would never let their kids touch a law degree. They get it.

It's just not a healthy career option and is a degrading field for women in my personal opinion.

But the reference was to the economics major, not a career. PP said they wouldn't let a student major in Econ at HYP.

One can pursue many other careers than PE with an Econ major. PP's career may have been a poor fit for them, but to conclude that studying Econ at HYP is therefore a "bad choice" is faulty logic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a HYP grad, I wouldn't let my kids attend if they are just going to get a major in econ to go into business. I succeeded very well and ended up in PE. It was single-handedly the worst mistake me and many of my friends made, even if we were paid handsome sums. I would've preferred going into accounting and living a happy life.

??

I'm not sure why it's no acceptable to you for HYP students to major in economics and ultimately go into business?
Because you did and regret going into PE??

Nothing wrong with studying economics @ HYP. It by no means precludes a happy life.

Some parents here are lawyers and would never let their kids touch a law degree. They get it.

It's just not a healthy career option and is a degrading field for women in my personal opinion.

But the reference was to the economics major, not a career. PP said they wouldn't let a student major in Econ at HYP.

One can pursue many other careers than PE with an Econ major. PP's career may have been a poor fit for them, but to conclude that studying Econ at HYP is therefore a "bad choice" is faulty logic.

Let’s get real. A significant sum of the HYP students are using that Econ degree to go into IB, PE, or consulting. You don’t do Econ at an Ivy to go into a marketing position lmao.

[Anonymous]

All the accounting jobs are in Bangalore now.

Accounting is very protective with its degree requirements, and then you are stuck with only an accounting degree.

You can major in math/stats/data science, do actuary licensing on the side, and have much more opportunity.
Can go for MBA later for accounting if you want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a HYP grad, I wouldn't let my kids attend if they are just going to get a major in econ to go into business. I succeeded very well and ended up in PE. It was single-handedly the worst mistake me and many of my friends made, even if we were paid handsome sums. I would've preferred going into accounting and living a happy life.

??

I'm not sure why it's no acceptable to you for HYP students to major in economics and ultimately go into business?
Because you did and regret going into PE??

Nothing wrong with studying economics @ HYP. It by no means precludes a happy life.

Some parents here are lawyers and would never let their kids touch a law degree. They get it.

It's just not a healthy career option and is a degrading field for women in my personal opinion.

Hmmm, I did -- Harvard grad w/ econ degree, career in marketing.

But that really isn't the point. PP throws econ degree under the bus bc he wasn't happy in PE career. Faulty logic.


But the reference was to the economics major, not a career. PP said they wouldn't let a student major in Econ at HYP.

One can pursue many other careers than PE with an Econ major. PP's career may have been a poor fit for them, but to conclude that studying Econ at HYP is therefore a "bad choice" is faulty logic.

Let’s get real. A significant sum of the HYP students are using that Econ degree to go into IB, PE, or consulting. You don’t do Econ at an Ivy to go into a marketing position lmao.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a HYP grad, I wouldn't let my kids attend if they are just going to get a major in econ to go into business. I succeeded very well and ended up in PE. It was single-handedly the worst mistake me and many of my friends made, even if we were paid handsome sums. I would've preferred going into accounting and living a happy life.

??

I'm not sure why it's no acceptable to you for HYP students to major in economics and ultimately go into business?
Because you did and regret going into PE??

Nothing wrong with studying economics @ HYP. It by no means precludes a happy life.

Some parents here are lawyers and would never let their kids touch a law degree. They get it.

It's just not a healthy career option and is a degrading field for women in my personal opinion.

But the reference was to the economics major, not a career. PP said they wouldn't let a student major in Econ at HYP.

One can pursue many other careers than PE with an Econ major. PP's career may have been a poor fit for them, but to conclude that studying Econ at HYP is therefore a "bad choice" is faulty logic.

Let’s get real. A significant sum of the HYP students are using that Econ degree to go into IB, PE, or consulting. You don’t do Econ at an Ivy to go into a marketing position lmao.

I did (Harvard grad, econ major, career in marketing), as did several of my classmates.

But that really isn't the point. PP throws econ degree under the bus bc he was unhappy he chose a career in PE, then concludes the fault lies in getting an Econ degree at HYP. Hmmm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All the accounting jobs are in Bangalore now.

Accounting is very protective with its degree requirements, and then you are stuck with only an accounting degree.

You can major in math/stats/data science, do actuary licensing on the side, and have much more opportunity.
Can go for MBA later for accounting if you want.

These are all achievable with an accounting degree however. Accounting is great for not having to struggle to get your foot into the door, which is 99% of a career challenge

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a HYP grad, I wouldn't let my kids attend if they are just going to get a major in econ to go into business. I succeeded very well and ended up in PE. It was single-handedly the worst mistake me and many of my friends made, even if we were paid handsome sums. I would've preferred going into accounting and living a happy life.

??

I'm not sure why it's no acceptable to you for HYP students to major in economics and ultimately go into business?
Because you did and regret going into PE??

Nothing wrong with studying economics @ HYP. It by no means precludes a happy life.

Some parents here are lawyers and would never let their kids touch a law degree. They get it.

It's just not a healthy career option and is a degrading field for women in my personal opinion.

DC recently told us that he is interested in going to law school. The face my husband, a lawyer, made was so comical I wanted to take a photo and hang it on the wall.

Let's just say they had an hour long conversation and DC is going anywhere but law.

Not every lawyer is miserable.

I love my job and would have no issues if my kid became an attorney.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

Do not give up HYP at a 50% to 60% discount.

Suggest that she take accounting courses during her summer between freshman & sophomore year to determine whether or not she finds accounting to be of interest.

[Anonymous]

There are plenty of jobs in accounting. The first three years at Big 4 accounting firms (usually in audit/assurance) is not pleasant, but opportunities open up after 3 years to switch practice areas (such as M&A or International or special industry consulting).

CPA licensing requires 5 years of college (150 semester credit hours). Most get a BS or BA degree after 4 years, then earn a one year masters degree in accounting or taxation in order to have enough hours to qualify for the process to become a licensed CPA.

Not many CPAs go to law school. Much different psychological mindset. Accounting & finance are a better match than accounting & law. Tax attorneys do not need even a single accounting courses beyond "accounting for lawyers" in order to do well.

Accounting & data analytics or data science is a more natural and more in-demand combination than is accounting & law.

OP: For one interested in math, I suggest accounting and data science.

Econ, math, & physics are great majors at HYP for investment banking or consulting positions.

Accounting is a major that requires a lot of work. The best accounting schools are not elite colleges/universities; they are schools such as the University of Illinois, University of Texas, Villanova, or any school with an accredited business & accounting program.