For Dennis Harlow, upper training wasn’t near to incomes a point—it was once about remodeling his occupation, increasing his skilled community, and immersing himself in a program that aligned together with his existence. From his early days as a highschool financial institution teller to his in depth enjoy as a business banker, Dennis at all times had a willing hobby in finance and serving to his purchasers be triumphant. Nevertheless it wasn’t till he got to work along CPAs—examining monetary statements, serving to industry house owners allocate belongings, and navigating post-acquisition methods—that he learned he sought after to dive deeper into the sphere of accounting. That’s when he found out the Master’s of Accounting (iMSA) at the University of Illinois Gies College of Business.
The Adventure to Gies: A Highest Have compatibility
Dennis to begin with took on-line categories right through COVID-19 to get again into the rhythm of faculty, having been out of the instructional international for over twenty years. His first enjoy with on-line training was once together with his undergraduate alma mater, however he discovered the enjoy missing—no interplay, no staff paintings, no flexibility, and simplest pre-recorded lectures.
Regardless of already being permitted into his former undergraduate faculty’s grasp’s program, he was once made up our minds to seek out one thing higher. He explored a number of choices however the requirement for in-person presence was once a dealbreaker, given his full-time process and different private commitments. In Spring of 2023, simply weeks earlier than he was once because of go back as a full-time on-line pupil to his alma mater, he determined to proceed his analysis for different on-line industry methods, noting Gies consistently ranked among the best. With a robust popularity—together with being a top-three accounting program within the U.S.—networking alternatives, and a powerful on-line enjoy for grasp’s scholars, Gies stood out above all. Dennis briefly pivoted his plan, left his alma mater, and as a substitute enrolled within the online iMSA.
A Dynamic, Enticing Studying Enjoy
From the beginning, Dennis discovered the recruitment and admissions workforce at Gies to be extremely useful. They defined the potential of stacking course progress into the degree, the interactive are living classes, and the in depth networking alternatives. Not like his earlier enjoy, Gies equipped a in reality attractive atmosphere. His classmates had been numerous, coming from far and wide the sector, and his professors incorporated spectacular leaders like tax legal professionals or PhDs enthusiastic about writing tax regulations.
“The professors had been hilarious and attractive,” Dennis recalled. “They made even the driest subject material dynamic and thrilling.” He in particular praised professors Matthew Hutchens and Danielle Inexperienced and their skill to carry real-world enjoy into the school room.
He additionally liked this system’s construction, which allowed him to steadiness paintings and college. He created his personal agenda, running intensively on weekends and finishing tasks right through the week. The versatility of this system enabled him to deal with a prime GPA instantly thru to commencement.
Networking and Group: The Gies Distinction
Some of the number one standout sides of Dennis’ enjoy at Gies was once the robust sense of neighborhood and networking alternatives. He was once blown away through iConverge, an annual tournament that brings on-line scholars in combination in consumer. “The sheer awesomeness of all of it—the outstanding audio system, the alumni connections, and the historical past of the college—was once unbelievable,” he mentioned.
Regardless of being a web based pupil, Dennis felt deeply attached to his friends and the Gies community. He actively participated in iGBA networking opportunities, Chicago meetup teams, or even attended Cubs video games with fellow scholars. Dennis famous, “The beauty of the College of Illinois and the Gies program is that they are trying to stay you in combination and attached with the college,” he mentioned. “We lend a hand each and every different. It’s an overly cohesive neighborhood.”
The facility to hook up with different pros throughout industries and places made the enjoy really feel like extra than simply a web based program. Actually, as Dennis famous, “it felt like circle of relatives.”
Getting ready for the Long run: CPA Examination and Past
The iMSA program at Gies no longer simplest keen Dennis for a occupation shift but additionally provided him for the CPA examination, which he’s scheduled to soak up April. He liked that this system didn’t require an accounting background and that it was once designed to make sure scholars had been well-prepared for the CPA and real-world packages.
Past the CPA, Dennis is already taking a look forward—he plans to go back and entire the web iMBA program at Gies, additional increasing his experience in industry and finance. He was once specifically serious about his skill to stack 24 credits from the iMSA toward the iMBA and entire a 2d credential even quicker than his first one. His pastime for running with purchasers, examining monetary methods, and serving to companies be triumphant has simplest grown more potent.
A Proud Graduate
Graduating in December 2024, Dennis celebrated this milestone through buying a commemorative brick at Illinois Memorial Stadium, marking each his adventure and his circle of relatives’s legacy. Together with his brother being a 2004 Illinois graduate, and with Dennis graduating from the similar faculty twenty years later, he was once excited to cement this lasting familial bond that he and his brother now percentage on the College of Illinois. Reflecting on his enjoy, he’s thankful no longer only for the training however for the relationships, mentorship, {and professional} enlargement he received thru Gies.
With 15 years at his present company and a deep pastime for tax and advisory products and services, Dennis is keen to proceed serving to purchasers navigate monetary selections. His mantra stays the similar: “How are we able to get you there?”—a really perfect mirrored image of his determination to guiding others towards monetary luck, and his determination to making improvements to himself thru upper training.
For any person taking into account a web based industry or accounting program, Dennis’ adventure is evidence that Gies School of Industry supplies no longer only a top-tier training, however an enjoy this is versatile, attractive, and deeply attached to a thriving skilled community.
