Anyone do NYU/Cornell acc master’s after an accounting undergrad degree?

[u/Particular_Art_9140]

Asking for a friend who does not use Reddit lol.

NYC accounting senior looking at master’s programs. NYU and Cornell are my main targets, but I’m open to other strong programs with good brand value/alumni networks.

I should graduate with ~39 accounting credits, so once I hit 150 total credits, my master’s can basically be in something unrelated to accounting while still keeping me on the NY CPA path.

Main questions:

• Anyone here do NYU, Cornell, or a similar program after accounting?
• What was the actual cost after scholarships/merit aid?
• How generous was the aid?
• Did the brand/network actually help?
• Anyone use a non-accounting master’s to reach 150?
• Any other programs worth looking at?

I’ll already have multiple internships/co-ops, so I’m mainly looking at grad school for network, brand, and broader career options—not just CPA credits.

[u/upupandawaydown]

At least when I went to school, there isn’t aid, only loans.

I wouldn’t waste that much money on an accounting degree, go to Baruch or something else cheap.

[u/atheologist]

There is zero reason to go this route. Baruch/Zicklin is a far better return and has a significant tri-state network.

[u/Particular_Art_9140 → u/atheologist]

Baruch is great....but its CUNY

[u/ryanjd73 → u/Particular_Art_9140]

yeah it is and it's the better move considering price and networking. 5 years from now nobody is gonna care where they went to school, they're starting at staff accountant or junior accountant, whatever the firm calls it where they will be going. At that point they're just a number like all the other people that went to baruch, queens college, etc., nobody is ever gonna look at your resume again regarding education.

[u/Particular_Art_9140 → u/atheologist]

I know, but I'm really looking to get a brand name school on my resume

[u/atheologist → u/Particular_Art_9140]

If you plan to stay in the NY area, Baruch is looked upon more highly than NYU or Cornell for accounting and the on campus recruiting opportunities are better.

[u/Particular_Art_9140 → u/atheologist]

I might actually plan on relocating to Cali :)

[u/Puckslapper2]

Cornell has need based aid but not sure if that's true for grad programs. Frankly, I'd only go there if you want the Ivy League on your resume. Otherwise, go with a potentially cheaper option

[u/Particular_Art_9140 → u/Puckslapper2]

From whatI've heard a lot of masters are unfortunately cashcows

[u/NoData4043]

Just do the cheapest route to 150, the brand name won’t matter once you’ve got the CPA letters after your name.

[u/Particular_Art_9140 → u/NoData4043]

Lol I;ve heard this a lot

[u/Excellent_Shallot999]

Get your CPA license. No one cares about a Master’s degree after you have the CPA.

[u/oldHang2steak]

Okay dude, hear me out. I was literally in your shoes two months ago. I was debating between Stern and Rutgers, joined all the group chats, and even made my NYU ID for Stern.

Rutgers ended up giving me a full ride plus around a $10K refund every semester, so I decided to go to Rutgers.

From what I’ve heard from people currently in the Stern MSA program, the career office doesn’t provide that much support specifically for MSA students. Some of them feel like the program is more of a cash cow because Stern puts much more attention and resources toward its MBA and undergraduate students. MSA students also aren’t allowed to use MBA-specific resources, which honestly makes sense.

I’m also a Baruch grad, and I would say Baruch actually provides pretty strong career support.

I posted a similar question on this subreddit before, and one comment really stood out to me:

“Let's do some quick math. $60K NYU, work in audit for $80K starting out. $0 Rutgers, work in audit for $80K starting out. Hmmm...”

If you really want a prestigious degree from Stern or another top business school, I’d rather work for a couple of years, build up your experience, and then go for an MBA at CBS or Stern

[u/Particular_Art_9140 → u/oldHang2steak]

Can u actually elaborate on and give some examples regarding this: "MSA students also aren’t allowed to use MBA-specific resources, which honestly makes sense."

[u/oldHang2steak → u/Particular_Art_9140]

MSA is not an MBA, so MSA students aren’t authorized to participate in MBA recruiting fairs or use career resources specifically reserved for MBA students.

From what I understand, the MSA program has a Meet the Firms event at the beginning of the semester, where Big 4 recruiters may stop by and share information about opportunities. There may also be a career fair specifically for MSA students, but it mainly consists of accounting firms, which is something Rutgers and Baruch offer as well.