October 2000

Hofsta University Hosts COAP Alumni Homecoming

To further the goal of providing ongoing college and career advice to its graduates, the Career Opportunities in the Accounting Profession (COAP) program recently hosted a reunion for the class of 2000 at Hofstra University.

Sponsored by the NYSSCPA, FAE, academia, and the profession, COAP introduces minority high school juniors to the benefits of an accounting career and helps provide for a more diverse profession. COAP centers around five-day summer residency programs at Hofstra University on Long Island and Pace University in Westchester, where students attend classes in accounting, business, and interpersonal skills taught by CPA role models and visit accounting firms and other businesses. Follow-up programs and mentoring provide the guidance that helps alumni pursue careers in the accounting profession.

The informative session on September 23 was attended by the alumni, now high school seniors, and their parents. The program, which included lectures and a question and answer session, focused primarily on college preparation. Lectures addressed topics such as choosing a college and applying for admission, financial aid, and scholarships. The program was hosted by COAP Long Island Chair Ed McDougal and featured guest speaker Dean Bennett, a former assistant dean of admissions at Hofstra currently at Bascom, on the importance of developing a timeline to meet the goal of attending college. Bennet provided a calendar for achieving this goal.

“A number of students and parents said that it was enlightening to hear things from an admissions perspective,” McDougal said. “The calendar of college application steps was helpful in organizing and prioritizing their college admission activities.”