Applying While Working: 5 Years In, She Got Into UIUC’s MSA

Updated 2026/10/16

Today’s guest is Ms. L, who built five years of work experience in Taiwan before applying to accounting master’s programs in the US. She shares how she prepared while working full time, how she thinks about studying abroad, and what UIUC has been like so far. There’s a lot of practical detail here, so read to the end.

In this article

📂 Finding a turning point: from work to studying abroad
📂 Facing the challenge: preparing while working full time, and staying sane
📂 The application: getting past obstacles, finding resources, lessons learned
📂 Studying at UIUC: what the courses are like and career plans

UIUC: Master of Science in Accountancy (MSA)

The MSA at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) is a STEM program designed for students of all academic backgrounds, so you don’t need an accounting bachelor’s degree to apply. UIUC is one of the top schools for accounting: it ranks second in U.S. News Best Undergraduate Accounting Programs and third in the U.S. News graduate ranking for accounting. 91% of its international students find a job within six months of graduating. According to the school’s website, UIUC is the most common alma mater among partners at the Big Four accounting firms.

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Work experience and applying while employed

You spent more than five years in the tax department of a large accounting firm. Why apply for an accounting master’s in the US?

I didn’t study accounting in college, and at work I kept feeling the gaps in my technical knowledge. Many of my colleagues at the firm had also studied abroad, and hearing about their time overseas and the work experience that came with it made studying abroad my dream. After a few years on the job I was sure I wanted to build my career in tax, so I decided to apply to accounting and tax graduate programs in the US.

Some friends asked why I didn’t apply straight to tax programs. While researching, I found that most US tax master’s programs require an undergraduate degree in accounting. I also wanted to deepen my accounting knowledge, so after weighing both, I went with accounting programs.

Why accounting rather than another degree, such as an MBA?

I did go back and forth between an MS and an MBA for a long time. After asking classmates and friends who had done one or the other, I chose accounting because:

1. I already knew which field I wanted to study
2. My undergraduate degree wasn’t in accounting, and I wanted to fill that gap
3. I still planned to build my career in accounting and tax

So I applied to accounting programs. Some people may think an MBA is the better choice, and that’s for each person to decide.

Getting through the loneliness: how did you cope mentally while preparing for a master’s and working full time?

Find out which scores and materials your programs need

Because I knew exactly what I was applying for, before taking any exams I researched the score requirements and test materials of the schools I might apply to. That told me the minimum I needed, so I wasn’t blindly chasing a high score. I also found that some schools waive the GMAT or GRE for applicants with work experience. Researching what your programs require is very important, because it tells you roughly what score is enough. A higher score is always better, of course, but when you’re studying while working, I think you need a stop-loss point so the fight doesn’t drag on. Otherwise you burn out, and you end up unable to keep up with either your job or the exams.

Find study partners

Encouragement from peers was another big motivator for me. Some people are fine studying alone, but for me, cheering each other on and discussing problems with study partners helped a lot. It became a positive cycle. Everyone has different blind spots, so when we brainstormed together, someone else often knew the GMAT questions I couldn’t solve, which saved me a lot of time. For TOEFL speaking and writing, I also got other perspectives on how to answer, which I collected as material for my own answers.

Remember why you started. How much do you want to study abroad? Between study sessions, research programs and gather application documents

The first hurdle for studying abroad is the GMAT/GRE and the language test. Like many people, I had times when my scores were disappointing and I wanted to give up. I’m a fairly optimistic person, so I kept pushing myself, and encouragement from my study partners and support from my family helped a great deal. Also, between study sessions you can look up which programs you want to apply to and what application essays and documents they need. It gives you a breather.

While working full time, how did you plan your application timeline? How much time did you set aside for language tests?

Friends had told me that if you’re taking both the GMAT and the TOEFL/IELTS and also preparing your application documents, a year gives you a comfortable timeline. Having been through it, I agree a year is about right. Here’s how I broke down the main parts:

Research and list the early deadlines of the programs you want

Some schools waive the application fee if you apply early XD. Whether to aim for the first round is up to you. For most accounting master’s programs the first early deadline is in September. (Some schools have just one deadline, so you can put their documents later in your queue.) The one thing you must confirm is the final deadline.

Some past applicants say online that applying earlier improves your chances. For schools with several rounds, I tried to apply by the first early deadline, and every school I applied to in the first round admitted me. Applying early also gives you a sense of where you stand, so you may not need to apply to the safety schools you had planned on.

GMAT/GRE and the TOEFL/IELTS language test

I took the GMAT. (Which of the GMAT or GRE to take depends on each program’s requirements, and plenty of people have shared online how they chose, so I won’t go into it here.) The GMAT is harder than the TOEFL/IELTS, and I wanted to save time and trusted the cram school’s expertise, so I took a prep course. Classes plus the exam took about seven months, and the TOEFL/IELTS took about two months from prep to test, so the English tests took about nine months in total.

The GMAT took longer than I expected, so I really recommend taking it while you’re still a student. Working and studying for exams at the same time takes a lot of willpower XD

Other application documents (CV, résumé, recommendation letters, etc.)

Required documents vary by school. Some ask for a recorded video, for example, so you need to research this in advance and set aside time to prepare. In my experience, all the application documents took about a month; if you’re a student without a job, it could be shorter. I also hired an editor for my essays. That’s a personal choice, but I felt editors bring real expertise, and because they’ve helped others apply, they knew better than I did how to structure and frame the essays. They also edit for other clients, so you need to leave time for them.

I first listed every school’s required essays and the order in which I needed final versions, and gave that to my editor. Most essays aren’t finished in one pass, so you also need to agree on when you’ll get the final versions (and make sure that’s well before each school’s deadline). I allowed about six to eight weeks.

Besides the CV and résumé, recommendation letters are a very important part, because you have to tell your recommenders the latest date by which they must submit. In my experience, US graduate programs now take recommendations online. Once you’ve created your account and entered your recommender’s email, they receive an email with a link, and each school has its own form for them to fill in. You can only submit your application after they’ve finished, so check regularly whether each recommender has completed it so you don’t miss the deadline.

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The application (preparing documents, difficulties and challenges, what she learned, and advice to share)

What difficulties did you run into writing your résumé and application essays? How did you overcome them?

I had never applied to a graduate program abroad, so I was facing a lot of things for the first time: the English tests, how to write the essays, how to schedule everything. But there are many resources online now, and generous people like you, Jason, collect and share past applicants’ experiences. Because I had work experience, I also had friends, colleagues, and managers who had studied abroad, so I asked them. People are usually very happy to share.

When you apply while working, who should write your recommendation letters? How do you ask, and how do you guide them toward a strong letter?

Recommendation requirements also differ by school. Some require a letter from a manager if you have work experience, while others let you choose a professor or a manager. The number of letters varies too, so research this in advance and list how many you need.

Since some schools required a recommendation from a manager at my company, I asked managers I had worked with as well as professors from college. Managers and professors tend to be very supportive of people going abroad for further study, and everyone I asked was happy to write for me. What I did was first talk with each recommender about the work we had done together, then draft a letter based on that conversation. They revised and finalized it.

Any thoughts on the application process, or strategies and advice you’d like to share?

1. Decide what you’re applying for, learn each program’s test requirements and documents, then plan your timeline
2. For the English tests, believe you can do it, manage your mindset, and set a stop-loss point
3. Besides searching online, ask friends and colleagues when it makes sense. Don’t be shy about asking

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Studying at UIUC and career plans

What has been your favorite course in UIUC’s accounting master’s so far, and why?

UIUC’s MSA is a one-year program. Because it’s shorter than two-year master’s programs, it starts in June, and in the summer you must take two courses, one required and one elective. What I like about UIUC compared with other schools is that it tailors your required accounting courses to your background. In my case, I didn’t major in accounting and had only taken introductory accounting, so for students like me who come from a non-accounting business major, Intermediate Accounting is required. Taking it over the summer was a great experience.

Compared with Taiwan, UIUC’s Intermediate Accounting is very tightly scheduled, and there’s much more homework each week. It pushes you to review what the professor taught every week. The professor was very patient and explained things in a way that was easy to follow. After each concept, there’s a short quiz right away to check whether you understood it. I found that very timely: it forces you to concentrate in class and understand the concept on the spot, and if you don’t, you ask right then. Classes are also small. Each class has about 20 students, so the professor easily remembers everyone and interacts with students. I prefer small classes because students and professors get to know each other better than in large lectures.

What role will the UIUC master’s play in your career? Can you share your career plans?

I can’t say for sure yet where my career will go. From talking with alumni, though, I know UIUC’s accounting master’s has stayed in the top three in the US for accounting and is very well known, so many large companies recruit from the department every year. The program is career oriented, and the career services office has a lot of resources and many career advisors. From the start of the summer term you can book sessions on your résumé, career plans, and mock interviews. I’ve found UIUC’s resources here very thorough and useful.

All my work experience is in tax, and I’m clear that I want to keep building my career there. One reason I chose UIUC’s MSA is that it offers different specializations. Once you complete the required credits, your diploma lists your specialization, such as data, tax, or finance. Given my career plans, I’ll choose the tax specialization, and UIUC offers many US tax courses to choose from.

After graduating, do you plan to work abroad or return to Taiwan? What are you weighing? How is the job market abroad right now?

One reason I applied abroad was that I wanted a few years of work experience overseas, so after graduating my priority is to work abroad for a while. Beyond broadening my experience, I want to see what working overseas is like and work alongside people from different countries, which keeps pushing me to grow.

How does accounting at a Taiwanese university differ from an accounting master’s abroad, in content and teaching style?

After the summer courses, I’d sum up the differences like this:

1. Content: accounting courses in Taiwan are taught under IFRS, while the US has its own standards, GAAP, so professors compare the two in class.
2. Teaching style: as I mentioned, US professors give a short quiz right after each concept to check that you understood it. It forces you to concentrate and understand the concept in class, and if you don’t, you ask right away.
3. Assignments: besides a lot of individual homework, each course has two or three group projects, and the group work leans toward real industry practice. For example, you get a case with several questions and must cite the relevant US accounting standards to reach your own conclusions. It’s very similar to how I wrote tax advice for clients at the firm. The professors want to strengthen our practical training on top of the theory.

Anything else you’d like to share?

1. US professors really enjoy talking with students, about everyday things as well as course material, so don’t be shy about chatting with them!
2. Studying abroad adds to your professional knowledge, and it’s also a good chance to become independent. When problems come up, you have to handle a lot on your own: gathering information, finding people to ask, and so on.
3. Stay humble, meet different people, and talk with them. Everyone grew up differently and has been through different things, and through those conversations you learn a lot about life that books don’t teach.
4. Practice your small talk. In my three months in the US, I’ve noticed Americans love small talk. On a plane, on the bus, or standing in line, some will come up and ask how you’re doing and where you’re from, and a short conversation starts. A very different culture XD