u/ManualDrive777

Would love any advice from accounting upperclassmen/alumni!

Context:

• Rising sophomore, accounting concentration, 5 year/3 co-op plan
• Currently on fall co-op cycle, considering switching to spring
• Did freshman year at Oakland so extracurriculars are not that strong (no accounting clubs/orgs, no boston networking yet)
• 3.83 GPA
• Coming back to Boston this fall
• Long term goal is big 4 audit then eventually FP&A

Why I'm thinking about switching:

From what I've read, spring cycle lines up with big 4 audit busy season, which is when firms hire more and co-ops actually get substantive work. Fall cycle is during audit shoulder season with fewer slots and less aligned with how big 4 recruits. Recruiting timelines also seem to be better for spring since postings drop in aug/sept of sophomore year.

However, if I switch, I'm in recruiting ~4 months from now with basically zero accounting related extracurriculars from my time at Oakland. BUSN 1103 slots also close soon for fall, so the decision is essentially due in the next week or two before it's too late.

What I'm trying to figure out:

• Is spring actually that much better for accounting/big 4 at neu? Would love to hear from anyone who's done either cycle, especially accounting specifically.
• Realistically, what are the odds of landing a big 4 co-op with a thin resume? Are midtier/regional firms the more realistic target? I'd take midtier but just want to know what I'm actually playing for instead of going in delusional.

Would appreciate any advice. Thanks!