Military Veteran Students

Welcome back, future accounting superstars! This week, we have a guest star. Jon (not me) is a current MAcc student and veteran who served in the US military before starting grad school.

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Law enforcement patrol of the Delaware River

I am from a little town called Pinconning, MI. Before my military service, I went to Delta College, and while it was a great experience, I wasn’t 100% confident on what type of career I wanted. This lead me to to join the US Coast Guard. I served in the Coast Guard for a total of six years, four of which were spent on active duty and the other two were in the active reserves. During my active duty time I spent a little under two years in Port Angeles, WA on a 110’ patrol boat, and the next two years I was stationed on a 65’ icebreaking tug in Philadelphia, PA.

After my active duty time I moved back to Pinconning and finished my undergrad studies at Northwood University. While studying at Northwood, I worked at The Dow Chemical Company and as a peer tutor at the Timberwolf Learning Center. I also took a semester off to work a winter internship with Plante Moran.

What resources does Ross/UM have for veterans?

Vets.umich.edu is a great resource for veterans that are interested in attending the University of Michigan. I used it extensively to better understand the process of how to use the Post 9/11 GI bill benefits that I received from my time in the Coast Guard. Philip Larson, who is the Program Director for Veteran and Military Services, is great at sending out interesting job opportunities as well as fun events for veterans to attend.

Maintenance in Dry Dock in Ketchikan, AK

How has the transition from the military to grad school been?

I would say the transition was very smooth. I didn’t have any issues getting my GI bill benefits switched from my undergrad institution to U of M, and any questions I had were immediately answered. The biggest challenge for me was the amount of group work that Ross incorporates into the classroom. It wasn’t something that I was accustomed to, but I have really learned that working in groups is a great way to get new perspectives and to grow as an individual.

Lowering a small boat into the water for training

What are your post-MAcc career goals?

I can’t say that I have a specific career goal or path right now. I am currently working towards finishing the CPA exam, and I hope to have that completed before graduation. After graduation I will be working at Plante Moran, which I am really excited about! From there we will see where my work experience, a CPA license, and the MAcc can take me!

Thanks to Jon for sharing his story with us and for his service to our country. Best of luck as you prepare your applications and GO BLUE!

You Auto Come To Michigan

Welcome back, future accounting superstars! The University of Michigan Ross School of Business is in Ann Arbor (AA or A2), but Detroit is only a 45 minute drive away (and the Detroit International Airport is 30 minutes from AA by car). I’ve had the pleasure of going to Detroit a few times this year and I’d like to share with you my trip there last weekend.

Kia decided to "go blue" with the new Stinger

Detroit is known for its role in the industrial Revolution and for being the birthplace of the American automobile, with Henry Ford creating Ford Motor Company in 1903. One of the largest car shows in the world, the North American International Auto Show, takes place annually in Detroit.

Learning about cars has always been a hobby of mine. I went with a couple friends from the MAcc program who were a lot less into cars than I was, and they still enjoyed it! It was super interesting to see what was new from all the automakers. Many companies brought concept vehicles that showcased their latest and greatest technologies, but might not ever reach the market.

Detroit river, Canada behind us

A lot of advancements are currently underway in the self driving or autonomous vehicle arena. Automotive and tech companies are racing to develop hardware and software to enable cars to drive without human input. If this effort is successful, then the amount of fatalities from car crashes should significantly decrease as a result of removing human error from the equation.

I walked along the Detroit river for the first time, where I witnessed large chunks of ice being carried by the current. You can see Windsor, Ontario across the water. It’s amazing to think that Canada is just across a bridge or through a tunnel! Toronto is about a four and a half hour drive from Ann Arbor.

Detroit is in the midst of making a comeback as a great American city, and one of the ways this is evident is in the restaurant scene. I am a foodie and love trying new and interesting restaurants. We ate at Townhouse, which combines “American comfort food with fine dining”.

Veggie burger with bacon

Appetizers included brussel sprouts (balsamic brown butter, parmesan, pistachio) and cauliflower (Moroccan olives, golden raisin caper compote, feta, arugula) and my entree was a veggie burger (Black Beans, Brown Rice, Mirepoix, Topped With Sriracha Aioli, Bibb Lettuce, Tomato, Avocado Purée) with bacon and fries. Considering my addition of bacon, I’m not a vegetarian, but I do love a good veggie burger and Townhouse did not disappoint.  Dessert was a key lime pie, which I highly recommend trying.

It was a great day trip, chance to bond with MAcc classmates, and opportunity to explore a great American city. Detroit, Chicago, and Canada are all a short drive away if you live in AA! I had a lot of fun and look forward to future visits to Detroit.

Best of luck as you prepare your applications and GO BLUE!

A New Hope

Welcome back, future accounting superstars! I hope you all had a wonderfully restful and enjoyable holiday break and that the new year is off to a great start. I enjoyed running lots in California’s “winter” and spending time with friends and family.

Since I my last post, I have received good news--I passed my first CPA exam! It was Business Environment and Concepts, or BEC. I took it while in the MAcc program and studied for about a month and a half. Many students take parts of the CPA exam while in the MAcc program and a couple of my classmates have already finished the exam, which I applaud them for (they started before the MAcc program; some states will let you do that).

There are a few things I wanted to emphasize for those who have yet to submit their applications. Most importantly, there is still hope. There are plenty of spots left for the next generation of great business leaders and CPAs (same thing!) to be accepted into the Ross MAcc program and there are even scholarships still available.

The Ross MAcc program does rolling admissions, with a decision time of 1-8 weeks depending on how many applications are being reviewed. If you receive expiring admissions offers from other schools before you have received a decision from Ross, let our program know and we’ll do what we can to accommodate.

The 2017 application deadlines are March 1 for international students and April 1 for domestic students. One on one online video advising sessions are available for those who can’t visit. For those who can, we are happy to host you on campus anytime! Simply contact Cheryl Bullister, our admissions advisor, to schedule a tour.

Best of luck as you prepare your applications and GO BLUE!