<p>I would probably get different responses if I posted this in the NEU forum, but here it goes. I need to decide between these two schools. My thoughts are as follows:
Education: Right now, B.C. is ranked slightly ahead of NEU; however, US News rankings are not the be all, end all. I think that B.C. will provide a more rounded education, and teach me not only how to get a job and career, but also, how to be a better, more well rounded, person (love those Jesuits). On the other hand, I love the idea of the NEU co-op system, and have no doubt that it will prepare me better for the job market. It is listed as #2 in the Princeton Review career services and #10 entrepreneurial programs. Also, while B.C. has enjoyed a top 35ish spot in US News rankings for the past 5 years, during the past 7 years, NEU has climbed from the 90s to the top 40something, and is the fastest rising univ. in rankings in the country.
Location: Suburban Boston versus Campus in Boston proper. (this is also a hard one). As a UT. girl, I would attend a school in Boston, so that I can enjoy, but not be overwhelmed, by Boston. While NEU certainly has an urban campus feel (unlike B.U.), B.C. has more of a NESCAC school feel that is very close to Boston (which is nice). If I get into NYU (RD), I will also have this dilemma with NYC.
Feel: B.C. wins athletics, hands down.
Diversity: NEU wins hands down, but I fit into the B.C. stereo-type. </p>
<p>if you fit the BC stereo-type, NYU is a long way away…</p>
<p>besides social, what is it that you want to do academically? NEU has an Eng major, for example, while BC does not. BC is strong in biz and traditional liberal arts. What about $$?</p>
<p>Yes, NEU’s coop system is great, but it can be difficult to graduate in 4 years, if that is a consideration.</p>
<p>Thanks for the input.
Not to change the subject, but there are plenty of athletic, affluent, white, catholic kids (my def. of B.C. stereotype) at NYU, so I don’t understand your first sentence.
Getting back to B.C./NEU, both are pricey private schools. I will not get any financial aide, so the cost differential is negligible, and not a consideration for me, or my family.
I will major in chemistry, with a minor in German. My dream career is developing non-petroleum based, hypo-allergenic cosmetics. Otherwise, I am interested in developing polymers.
I will definitely study in Germany for one year. If it takes 5 years to achieve my goals, so be it. I’m in no hurry, and just want that which is right for me. Getting back to costs, it is my understanding that with the co-op, a student pays for 4 years of college, even if the co-op plan takes 5 years to complete.</p>
<p>if you are considering polymers, then organic chem at BC is the way to go , IMO. Small program; lots of faculty attention. Plenty of high tech companies in town available for internships.</p>
<p>Wasn’t try to pry about your personal financial situation, but just trying to understand if you needed merit money to attend school (BC really doesn’t offer any), or need-based aid (of which BC meets full need.) Financials also play a role in paying for room & board for the 5th year at NEU.</p>
<p>The Village and the student culture at NYU make it significantly different than BC, IMO. And you will find fewer Catholic kids there, by a large margin. :)</p>
<p>My son was accepted to both BC and NEU in the same major he applied. He decided to attend BC and is very happy there. I think you have done good analysis about the schools and you will pick the one that fits you best.</p>
<p>We are from Boston so we visited the schools multiple times and have many friends graduated from both schools. Both are excellent schools but NEU feels very commercial to us. If getting a decent job right after graduation is what you are aiming for, the co-op program in NEU definitely helps. Don’t forget BC offers plenty of internship opportunity as well. </p>
<p>From the small sampling of the people I know, I also found that NEU likes to accept kids who are affluent and then place them in spring admit. There was an interesting article in WSJ “College Rise as They Reject”. It is all about ranking game.
thttp://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324731304578189282282976640 </p>
<p>Again, both are great schools and contributed to the glamour of Boston Higher Education. Personally, I found the Jesuit Education more appealing.</p>
<p>Thanks for the thoughtful responses. I think that I will need to spend more than a few hours at each school before deciding. Visiting schools has proven very surprising, deceptive and difficult. On our NE swing, we visited B.C., B.U., Tufts, Dartmouth, Middlebury, UVM and NYU. I spent no more than 4 hours on each campus, and some additional time scoping the surrounding area. Before going, I thought that I was going to love MIDD and Dartmouth, really like B.C. UVM and NYU and be indifferent towards Tufts and NEU. My first impressions surprised me, to say the least. Initially, I did not like the personalities at MIDD, and left with the impression that there is nothing to do that is fun. B.C., NYU, NEU and UVM were great for different reasons, and B. U., Dartmouth and Tufts were not great for different reasons. The point is that I am sure that each of these institutions are wonderful in their own right, and I am sure that I did not get a good/proper feel for any of them during the short time that I spent there.</p>
<p>Sure. Let me start off by saying that I’m sure, for many, Tufts would be a wonderful place to study; however, I am not one of these people. I visited both B.C. and Tufts during President’s Week, 2013. It was February, and it was cold. I am not one to dwell on negatives, so my impressions will be a direct comparison between B.C. and Tufts.
While B.C. is very catholic or christian, Tufts is mostly Jewish.
While the B.C. student body is athletic, the student body at Tufts is non-athletic, nerdy and jappy.
People at B.C. appeared out-going, friendly,and equally interested in studies and a good time, while at Tufts, I got the impression that the school is full of Ivy League rejects, who are very pseudo-intellectual and into themselves. Surprisingly, I found the students at Tufts to be very plastic and elitist…not down to earth, at all.
Both campuses are wonderful. It is farther to downtown Boston from Tufts, but the train is a bit quicker (less stops). It doesn’t matter, because the students at both schools rarely actually go into Boston.</p>
<p>Just my impressions.</p>
<p>Anyway, like I said, my impressions could be totally off, but I would not ask my parents to pay for me to study at Tufts, and B.C. is in my top 4. (I applied to 10 schools)</p>
<p>Anyone out there who is in the honors program in Carroll School of Management? Need to decide between honors program at CMOS with no merit aid, and honors program in Northeastern business school, with pretty decent merit scholarship. CMOS program seems to feature leadership, public speaking opportunities, very small group of about 40 freshman. Not sure what Northeastern offers other than living community and maybe some classes together. Any insights would be welcome.</p>
<p>NJSoccerParent:
Our son recently graduated from BC, and our daughter recently graduated from Tufts.</p>
<p>Both of them loved the schools and their experiences. We saw each of them grow and thrive in their own ways through the many friends and activities they got involved in. Both schools prepared them sufficiently to become gainfully employed after graduation as well.</p>
<p>Every school has its pros and cons. Whether your child chooses BC or Tufts is really an individual decision for them. You won’t go wrong with either.</p>
<p>Good luck with your decision! To your point that the students rarely go into Boston, D at BC goes in quite a bit. Of course, not on a night when there is a game to attend. Athletics seem to rule-she loves the football, basketball, and esp. the “insane” hockey games. I agree NYU and BC are like night and day.</p>