16 Comments
 
GoddardBoltHello all,
  • Does recruiting for these positions really start in September as I have been told?

If so, I am an undergrad Economics major with only Financial Accounting I under my belt; will this hurt me? My GPA in Econ is a 3.9+ and overall is 3.8+ (no finance related work experience) .

From what I remember from undergrad, all Big 4 internship interviews were in the fall, immediately following Big 4 full-time interviews. I would imagine it is the same for MSA. I'm not sure how (or if) they treat that differently than undergrad.

I don't think your limited accounting coursework will hurt you. Interviews at Big 4 firms are usually mostly behavioral/fit focused. GPA looks great, but another big consideration is how much a target your school is for Big 4 accounting. My point is it is hard to predict your chances of success or how intensely they will scrutinize your coursework just based off the limited info you provided. If you are coming from a well-known school that they actively recruit at, it shouldn't be an issue. However, if you are coming from a lesser known school, then recruiters have more of a reason to look through your transcripts to see what kind of classes you took.

Hope that helps. FYI- This is more so based off lots of anecdotal evidence, rather than personal experience, but from tutoring/career coaching, I am pretty familiar with the Big 4's recruiting processes. The best resource for you is an older student at your school enrolled in the same program with a similar background and future career focus.

TCB... you know taking care of business
 

It really depends. If they need people the process shouldn't be hard.

Sometimes they dig deep into technicaliies and sometimes they just want to share some funny stories with you and want you to just work hard for them.

 
GoddardBoltI will be coming from an upstate SUNY school (Binghamton/Albany) Career services says that somewhere around 85-90% of students get into big 4. Also, I will have my cpa sitting requirements ready to go by the time I graduate as the program was specifically centered around that.

I wouldn't knock the process off as easy but you should be ok as long as you've prepared, obviously.

Possible topics to ask about include: -What determines consolidation of VIE'S/SPV's, always a fav esp. at some of the more complicated financial services companies, and related issues -GAAP/IFRS convergence (SEC is expected to make a decision very soon)

Good luck.

 

The school you go to is a HUGE factor. I don't know anything about your school, but if the stats you quoted are accurate you will be fine.

Back in the day I was a MUCH less compelling candidate before I got to IU for my MAcc. I worked hard at interviewing and got 3 Big 4 offers. As long as you network and interview well you should be ok.

btw - If possible, DEFINITELY go Big 4. Consider GT and McGladrey fallbacks. No matter what anyone says, they are not the Big 4 and don't provide the same long-term opportunities.

Random question, but why is your MSA 2 years? Is it a 3+2 program or is it a separate program that's actually 2 years?

twitter: @CorpFin_Guy
 
accountingbydayThe school you go to is a HUGE factor. I don't know anything about your school, but if the stats you quoted are accurate you will be fine.

Back in the day I was a MUCH less compelling candidate before I got to IU for my MAcc. I worked hard at interviewing and got 3 Big 4 offers. As long as you network and interview well you should be ok.

btw - If possible, DEFINITELY go Big 4. Consider GT and McGladrey fallbacks. No matter what anyone says, they are not the Big 4 and don't provide the same long-term opportunities.

Random question, but why is your MSA 2 years? Is it a 3+2 program or is it a separate program that's actually 2 years?

Thanks, my school has 1 year and 2 year programs. I am in the 2 year because I had no accounting background.

 
Best Response
accountingbydayThe school you go to is a HUGE factor. I don't know anything about your school, but if the stats you quoted are accurate you will be fine.

Back in the day I was a MUCH less compelling candidate before I got to IU for my MAcc. I worked hard at interviewing and got 3 Big 4 offers. As long as you network and interview well you should be ok.

btw - If possible, DEFINITELY go Big 4. Consider GT and McGladrey fallbacks. No matter what anyone says, they are not the Big 4 and don't provide the same long-term opportunities.

Random question, but why is your MSA 2 years? Is it a 3+2 program or is it a separate program that's actually 2 years?

Speaking from experience I would have to slightly disagree on the def Big 4 comment. While a lot of corp fin look for Big 4 it doesn't make too much difference in other areas. In fact, in some cases mid-size would be better as Big 4 while good is also just a name, and if you did midsize you can talk about a variety of stuff you did instead of having to say uh, well all I did for 6 months was audit BAC cash. Just playing devil's advocate. This is assuming audit, not T&A.

 
NabooruIn fact, in some cases mid-size would be better as Big 4 while good is also just a name, and if you did midsize you can talk about a variety of stuff you did instead of having to say uh, well all I did for 6 months was audit BAC cash. Just playing devil's advocate. This is assuming audit, not T&A.

Emphasis on "some" - unless you really want to do accounting/audit long term in a smaller city, the actual work you do takes a back seat to what market you're in and what clients you are on. A lot of recruiters will ask for Big 4 even though they know that it's the same menial work (at the lower levels) where ever you go.* No rhyme or reason; why do BBs recruit from Harvard and Wharton to fill IB spots a trained monkey could do?

At the upper levels public accounting is just as superficial as finance when it comes to getting jobs in industry, and I'd really encourage you to think ahead for that day when you get fed up with public and want to move to industry.

  • "Wider range of experience" and "closer to the client" are just boilerplate talking points that regionals use to get you to come to their firms. Even in a Big 4 in a major market, you can easily be staffed on a four or five person team and have the chance to work on any area you show an interest in.
 

Just out of curiosity has anyone here worked for NYC big 4. I was wondering which schools have the most representation. I have a buddy that interned the past two summers and he said at E&Y Baruch, Binghamton, and UAlbany were the most well-represented. Is this the case?

 
GoddardBoltAnybody have any idea?

I recall a lot of SUNYs, Ohio Sates, U of I's, etc. You're right in assuming that it's mostly state schools like this - the line of thinking among my colleagues was that you'd be pretty dumb to pay a premium for (just) an accounting degree that is literally the same curriculum as a Notre Dame or Penn. Nobody really cared about what school you went to.

 

Qui tenetur sit et aut qui. Quaerat ut ut aspernatur molestiae. Dignissimos quia minima cumque qui consequuntur laudantium quibusdam.

Maxime architecto quia voluptatibus sit modi harum quidem. Et deleniti et doloremque odit. In rerum quo aut a.

Pariatur perspiciatis doloribus libero molestias sunt quia iste. Tempore architecto repellat numquam dolor. Suscipit ratione qui vitae ut sit voluptas rerum. Voluptates eius ipsam labore maxime in.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (77) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (71) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”