55k in New York? Also, I know a lot of people who are wanting to go into investment firms. Investment bankers laugh at accountants who bitch about 80+ hour work weeks a few months out of the year. Be expecting to work -all of the time- but make good bank doing it IF YOU GET A JOB. You'll be going against some VERY qualified people for investment jobs.

What school are you going to? You'll be going against Ivy leaguers and all that bullshit whose daddy's work at the firms > : (.