Request some advice. My son has been accepted at Clemson for Computer Science which was his first choice, We live in Charlotte NC and will need to pay OOS tuition. He was not awarded any financial aid. He was fine on attending Clemson until he got accepted at Northeastern University. He is now very keen to attend NEU. He has concerns about how he would fit in at Clemson. He is not the partying type and is more focused on research and coop opportunities. How would a student who is not very interested in sports or Greek life fit in Clemson? I am keen about him going to Clemson both due to cost($20k more) and distance from home (Boston). It will be great to get your inputs. He loves NEU’s required co-ops, type of students close by from MIT/Harvard etc.
All of this besides financials points to NEU for me. Clemson isn’t known for CS at all, either, while Northeastern has a great program with amazing teaching and industry connections.
Forget far from home in my opinion, as long as he is okay with it. I know it sucks, but it’s his choice there, and you shouldn’t be trying to hold him back if he feels he is ready. Financials, on the other hand, are a very valid concern.
Where is the extra 20K a year come from? Will any of it be loans?
If Northeastern is affordable, I think it’s well worth it. Fit is an important factor alone, and the program is also much better as well. If he’s really motivated to go there, offer him an option to pay back some of the difference even. It’s a great way to allow him to pay the premium or part of it himself, if that’s something you are comfortable with. Again, all depends on the situation and I understand that may not be possible.
Thank you so much! True - he has absolutely no problem being far from home and also offered to pay back the $20k difference. He is so keen about NEU that he has even offered to take a gap year to work and pay a portion of the tuition. All his friends are also encouraging him to go to NEU. Hesitation is mainly from our(parents) end at this time trying to determine if it is worth paying $65k.
Doing that AFTER he graduates will likely net a lot more money. His ability to earn $ before he attends is minimal.
Thank you - fully agree!
Northeastern is indeed a good school, my husband is an alumn. It is also very expensive and Boston is too. (I grew up in the Boston area.)
With regard to Clemson, I would not be concerned about “fitting in” based on increased interest in academics/co-op over sports/partying. Many of our son’s Clemson friends are not into football and have had a perfectly lovely time at Clemson. Partying is there, or not, depending on your interests. There are several hundred activities there and it’s easy to find like minded individuals.
You might call the Clemson career center and/or CS department to find out where students have co-op opportunities and have been hired. This might help him compare. Also ask the department about research opportunities. In fact, since you’re reasonably close, I’d encourage him to go down and meet with some professors in CS. If they are willing to do that, it will help him decide. If they are not willing, it will also help him decide.
Our son, albeit in a different department, is very involved with research and expects to be published in his junior year. Clemson’s Creative Inquiry programs give easy access to many opportunities and he has found professors very accessible and willing to help. If he is a “star student” in the Clemson department, it could lead to some great opportunities. It’s always the “big fish, small pond” vs. “middle size fish in bigger pond” debate.
They are two very different experiences with regard to environment. If he wants “city” than it is definitely NEU. Clemson offers wonderful outdoor recreation options, which Boston does not offer nearby for the most part. Good luck, two good options.
Thank you so much! Hugely helpful. Many thanks for your detailed response - yes, thankful for two good options!
Not everyone at Clemson is big into parties. My advice is let him go where he wants to and let him borrow the money if you can’t pay the difference. I agree with the previous poster that mentioned NE computer program is more prestigious than Clemson’s.
I don’t know about Clemson, but NEU is excelent. My son was accepted, but we can’t afford. I attended open house and acceptance meetings, we like his programs a lot.
One of my nieces is a rising Junior at Clemson; her sister will be attending in the fall.
One is an accounting major, I think the younger one is finance or something similar.
The older girl LOVES it. She’s found a great group of friends, and will spend this summer at an internship in the area.
She’s a serious kid, who knows how important these 4 years are-- she’s not partying her time away.
My daughter LOVES Clemson. She doesn’t party, she isn’t a sorority girl… She has found her niche. She is very academic and has found like minded friends. But let him go where HE wants to go. I didn’t want her to go to Clemson for financial reasons. But I also want her to be happy… And she is.