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Many people on here have had good luck getting into graduate schools, but it will depend on the school and program you plan to attend. Much of it will depend on other factors as well. Many of the people on here have years of professional experience when they apply to graduate school which I believe helps them get in. In my personal opinion, the Big 3 are great for older students and not so great for younger students. A graduate program is going to look at a 35 year old student with a Big 3 degree far different than they view a 20 year old with a Big 3 degree. Obviously, I am making some assumptions here, but hopefully you understand what I am trying to say.
TESC 2015 - BSBA, Computer Information Systems
TESC 2019 - 21 Post-bachelor accounting credits
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S8on Wrote:This will be a double post, but I have another idea and a few more questions. Are there any limitations of the test-out degrees from The Big 3? For example, would I be disadvantaged if applying to graduate schools?
There will be no issues with a TESC degree to apply to graduate school as far as legitimacy goes. However, there will be challenges to overcome to get into competitive programs in terms of name recognition, academic rigour, faculty quality, etc. which would raise questions to an adcom at best, and be looked at with suspicion at worst. Being non-traditional certainly is a mitigating factor, as is the source/amount of your graded credit, test scores and essays. Schools like TESC serve an important purpose and I'm very grateful for the opportunities TESC has opened for me, but I think they should be viewed as a means to an end rather than Plan A.
For disclosure, I am in my mid-20s and with my TESC degree, got into two top 20 full-time MBA programs (Indiana/Yale), but I did have significant credit prior to TESC which was not used in my degree and I also had a few "diversity" factors such as paying my own way through school, first-generation graduate, etc. going for me. However, if I had taken a more conventional degree completion approach and waited a year, I probably could be going to my dream business school at Dartmouth this year. I'm happy at IU and don't regret my decision, but I just can't help but wonder sometimes. This forum is a great place to learn if you decide to take the plunge, but it's a life-changing decision and you should weigh the options as such.
CPA (WA), CFA Level III Candidate
Currently pursuing: ALM, Data Science - Harvard University, Cambridge, MA (12/48, on hold for CFA/life commitments)
MBA, Finance/Accounting - Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 2015
BSBA, General Management - Thomas Edison State College, Trenton, NJ, 2012
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UptonSinclair Wrote:Many people on here have had good luck getting into graduate schools, but it will depend on the school and program you plan to attend. Much of it will depend on other factors as well. Many of the people on here have years of professional experience when they apply to graduate school which I believe helps them get in. In my personal opinion, the Big 3 are great for older students and not so great for younger students. A graduate program is going to look at a 35 year old student with a Big 3 degree far different than they view a 20 year old with a Big 3 degree. Obviously, I am making some assumptions here, but hopefully you understand what I am trying to say.
Thank you for the feedback. Your input is very helpful and appreciated. I think I get it. Context always matters a lot.
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