Formed in August 2000 to facilitate student input on the future of the accounting profession, the 35-member Emerson Student Advisory Board represents 20 top universities in the United States. Its second annual review of Big Five campus recruiting surveyed nearly 500 top accounting, finance and business students using a secure Web interface during the month of February 2002.

Students rated the Big Five firms on an overall basis, as well as on such things as campus and office interviews, recruiting Web sites, and recruiting literature. The resulting report found PricewaterhouseCoopers was a stand out. Student responses consistently indicated that PwC recruiters personally connected with the students.

"We take great pleasure in presenting PricewaterhouseCoopers with this award," said James C. Emerson, founder and president of Bellevue, Wash.-based The Emerson Company. "A firm cannot succeed in campus recruiting without a strong, firm-wide commitment to excellence. Additionally, the consistency of responses from students across the country was particularly impressive for PwC."

According to Christopher Ames, Board facilitator, the Board members chose to expand the survey this year by including many other student leaders on their campuses. "The organization of hundreds of students across the country, which the project would require, was a lofty goal," said Ames. 

"We are aware of no other organization that has even attempted a college recruiting evaluation project of this scale," said Emerson. "In just two years, the Student Advisory Board has established itself as a thought leader helping to ensure that the accounting profession retains and improves its status as an attractive career. We look forward to working with them as they tackle future challenges."

Click here for more information regarding the Emerson Student Advisory Board.

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