Hi,
I am trying to decide what college to attend for undergrad in the fall and I am stuck between Boston College and Northeastern. I am majoring in biochemistry. I am not on the pre-med track and am not planning on going to med school.
I like the environment and experience that Boston College offers. I love the traditional campus, the school spirit, the football games and Jesuit values. Overall, I can picture myself at BC and like that it offers more of a traditional college experience, however it is very expensive and I did not get aid or a merit scholarship. I also worry that I may come out of BC not knowing what I want to do as a career.
I like that Northeastern prepares its students for their future career through co-ops. I think that I would have a better chance at knowing what I want to do from Northeastern and could have a better resume and more chances at a job offer. I think that overall, it seems that Northeastern would prepare me better for a career. However, I worry that the co-ops take away from the social life and results in less of a college experience. I am afraid that my friends will be circulating in and out of school because of co-ops. I have also heard that Northeastern is very academic focused and does not have a huge social life. While academics are important to me, I want a well rounded experience.
What do you guys think? Should I go to BC or Northeastern?
Also I forgot to mention I got a scholarship of 20,000 annually to Northeastern
I would say Northeastern even though it might not have a traditional environment, I feel like at Northeastern you’ll get a great education and you won’t be paying that much.
First, you did a great job breaking down the pros and cons here.
As a Northeastern student with friends at BC, I can assure you that you’ll be able to be plenty social at either. I wouldn’t call Northeastern any more “academic” than BC in that meaning. Northeastern absolutely allows you to be well rounded socially and academically.
In terms of co-op and social life I think it’s fair to be worried about it, but there’s some nuance worth noting:
- No one goes on co-op until your fourth semester at least, so your first 3 semesters you can form friendships just like you would at any college.
- If you/your friends co-op in Boston (as many do), you are still very socially available, sometimes more since you don't have any homework :)
It sounds like while BC may be the better social fit here, you’ll still be able to have a good time at Northeastern and will have other pro’s. The question for me would then become how important cost is. If cost is important, go Northeastern and make the most of it. If you can afford the difference, I’d probably go BC in your shoes based on your preferences of fit. That said, maybe the nuance above means that the advantages of co-op for you outweigh the social aspects.
Congrats and good luck!