Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Bookkeeping And Accounting Clerks
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Ivy Tech Central Indiana, Ivy Tech Northeast, Ivy Tech East Central, and Ivy Tech Northwest.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Vincennes University, Ivy Tech Northwest, and Ivy Tech Central Indiana.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Ivy Tech Whitewater, Ivy Tech Kokomo, Ivy Tech Northcentral, and Ivy Tech Northwest.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Trine University, Ivy Tech South Central, Vincennes University, and Ivy Tech Whitewater.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Trine University and Vincennes University.
Excellence
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Trine University.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Ivy Tech Community College • Valparaiso, IN
Studying Accounting (completion in 2010)
• 10/5/2011
"It was cheap and it was fast and I have a job. I can't really complain. It's a far cry from the ideal school, though."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | If you don't have to, I would say not to. It's a step up from many things, but it's a step down from many things, too. It's not fun or glamorous, but it will keep you fed. |
| Program Reputation | 2 | Sad but true. I remember I was talking with the aunt of a friend of mine, who's a successful accountant, and after she found out what I was going to school for, she asked me where I was going, and I told her, and she began her advice with, "First, go to a different school." That's the reputation. |
| Program Quality | 3 | Ivy Tech is a statewide community college system with a bad reputation that is deserved. It isn't a scam by any means, it's a real school; it just isn't a rigorous education. I had previously attended a branch of Indiana University and the difference was night and day. |
| Instruction | 2 | They're trying; they just aren't very good. Again, I can compare my Ivy Tech professors to the ones I had at the IU branch, and again, the difference is not favorable. |
| How Difficult | 7 | There are some tough classes in any accounting program, and as a whole I think it's a relatively difficult thing to learn how to do. That said, I don't think it's as difficult as its reputation would suggest. You start to get the hang of it. But there is certainly a lot of information to absorb. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Accounting is sort of a mix. It's an intellectual thing, so you learn how to do it out of a book, but the amount of work you put in privately and in your own time can determine how well you do, and how hands-on the subject is. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | You can go whenever, wherever, and however you want. This is a wonderful feature. I took some classes online. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | The Valpo campus actually offered students a lot of support and great facilities. I won't vouch for any other campuses, though. I went to Gary briefly and it was a mess. |
| Social Life | 2 | People are people, but nobody's really going to a 2-year glorified trade school to make friends. There may have been athletics or social events connected to the school, but I never heard about any of them or noticed them. |
| Placement Services | 6 | Job placement, per se, isn't great, but there's an internship at the end that I found to be of critical importance in landing a job right out of school. For most of their degrees I would rate Ivy Tech really poorly, but for some (among them, accounting and nursing) I think they do all right. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | I don't have a great deal of experience with this yet, but I don't think it would be good. Ivy Tech seems like it would be much more apt to produce employees than employers. |
Indiana University • Indianapolis, IN
Studying Business - Accounting & Finance (completion in 2011)
• 10/24/2011
"The school is in a very good location and is small enough that you can walk from building to building easily. They cater to working students, which worked well for me. Everything was easy to use and the staff was very helpful."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Kelley School of Business has one of the best accounting programs in the United States. The classes are tough, but you learn so much. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | I have heard from numerous companies in the Indianapolis area that anyone who graduates from Kelley School of Business is worth hiring. It is a very respected school in the area. |
| Program Quality | 10 | Indiana University Kelley School of Business is one of the highest-rated universities in the state. The professors are all very professional and many of them work in the real world as well as teach. There are a lot of group projects that help you prepare for the real world. |
| Instruction | 9 | The instructors were top notch for the most part. I had one or two professors who didn't seem to care too much about teaching, but most of them were very enthusiastic about what they did. |
| How Difficult | 9 | There were a lot of group projects which were very time consuming. Many of the accounting classes were difficult because they are intended to prepare you for the CPA exam. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most of my classes used a textbook and normal lecture setup. The group settings were nice though, because there was a lot more discussion and research. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | The Kelley School of Business in Indianapolis is geared towards working students, so there is an abundance of classes in the evening. I only wish they offered some classes online. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The school has a very large library with very helpful staff on every floor. They also have a lot of computers with printing available. At the beginning of each semester, each student is given a printing allotment which is nice. |
| Social Life | 8 | There are many social events although I wasn't able to participate in many of them because I worked full-time and went to school full-time. Many of the activities are during the day which means the evening students tend to miss out. |
| Placement Services | 10 | They work with many local companies to directly recruit students from the business school. Their system is easy to use and they will email you with available jobs. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | It's very expensive to join. However, there are a lot of Kelley alumni who hold high positions in big companies that you can be in contact with. |
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