Spring Break
Students gain experience in PPA
By: Laura Swift
Issue date: 9/9/08 Section: News
To get into PPA, students apply during the fall semester of their junior year and interview with a professor or accounting advisor. The average GPR of PPA students is 3.5.
Trenton Wright, a senior accounting major, applied for the program in the fall of 2007.
"I first had an interview with a professor and was told I would be notified if I made it at the end of the semester when grades came in," Wright said. "A big determinant of whether or not you make it in is what grade you make in intermediate accounting, after the grades come in from that class, PPA advisors look at your overall GPR."
After being accepted into the program, students meet with an advisor and plan their remaining semesters to ensure that 150 total credit hours are completed.
"They try to plan it out so you only have to take six hours during your last semester, so you'll have time to study for the CPA exam," Wright said.
One of the busiest times for PPA students is the recruiting process, which takes place in the spring of junior year.
Representatives from accounting firms travel to College Station to interview potential intern candidates in the first round of recruiting. If a firm likes a student, they are invited to make an office visit to get a better grasp of the firm's environment.
"They will put you up in a hotel, take you to lunch and show you around the office," Wright said. "You get to know the partners better and meet other employees."
The office visit is essential for students with the opportunity of choosing between different firms because they can find one that suits them best.
Wright, who landed an internship with Ernst and Young in Dallas, said the experience has been great so far.
"You can't beat having firms come and recruit you," Wright said.
The first graduating class of PPA students was in 1997 and the program, along with its success, has grown each year. This year, there are more than 260 students enrolled in the program.
Trenton Wright, a senior accounting major, applied for the program in the fall of 2007.
"I first had an interview with a professor and was told I would be notified if I made it at the end of the semester when grades came in," Wright said. "A big determinant of whether or not you make it in is what grade you make in intermediate accounting, after the grades come in from that class, PPA advisors look at your overall GPR."
After being accepted into the program, students meet with an advisor and plan their remaining semesters to ensure that 150 total credit hours are completed.
"They try to plan it out so you only have to take six hours during your last semester, so you'll have time to study for the CPA exam," Wright said.
One of the busiest times for PPA students is the recruiting process, which takes place in the spring of junior year.
Representatives from accounting firms travel to College Station to interview potential intern candidates in the first round of recruiting. If a firm likes a student, they are invited to make an office visit to get a better grasp of the firm's environment.
"They will put you up in a hotel, take you to lunch and show you around the office," Wright said. "You get to know the partners better and meet other employees."
The office visit is essential for students with the opportunity of choosing between different firms because they can find one that suits them best.
Wright, who landed an internship with Ernst and Young in Dallas, said the experience has been great so far.
"You can't beat having firms come and recruit you," Wright said.
The first graduating class of PPA students was in 1997 and the program, along with its success, has grown each year. This year, there are more than 260 students enrolled in the program.
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