<p>I’ll make this quick… I was accepted to both and now I cant decide! Help me point out some things please? o.0</p>
<p>Both NEU and BU normally cost about 50k a year after room/board, tuition, fees, etc. </p>
<p>Boston University
— gave me 40k of grants/scholarships; little undergrad debt
— major in biology
(semi-low salary and/or grad school to get higher paying job)
(not too confident on the job market right now)
OR go premed (slim chance at med school + HUGE debt)
— more diversity and better academically
— Honors program
— better fitness and athletic facilities </p>
<p>Northeastern University
— gave me 23k of grants/scholarships; also required to find a way to take out 15k of loans on my own…; HUGE undergrad debt
— major in Pharmacy; 0+6 program
— Honors program + Honors suite housing<br>
— Co-op!!!
— Already very familiar with the campus originally 1st choice</p>
<p>$$$$$
I would owe 150k+ if I went to NEU but would make around 100k a year if I became a pharmacist but pharmacists are needed EVERYWHERE.
I would owe 30k+ if I went to BU but would make 40k a year at first as a biologist. The debt would skyrocket above 160k if I went to med school but I would make 150k + depending on my specialty. Im not too sure about the job opportunities available in todays economy.</p>
<p>I would not mind being a pharmacist. I would like to be a biologist, though I dont like the paperwork involved in biology. I think I could handle being a physician, but I dont like the long hours, high stress and huge debt (and years and years of studying). Unfortunately, money plays a huge role; biologists salaries just dont compare to the other two.
BU seems more happy. But this is because my tour guide for NEU was more somber and at BU the tour guide was happy and hyper.
BUs surprisingly high aid amount and Northeasterns low aid (lowest of all my colleges) are the only things blocking my enrollment to NEU. NEU was my first choice.</p>
<p>i think BU is your best bet. NEU dosent compare to BU. not only did they give you great aid, but if your dont like your major, you could always switch it.</p>
<p>My reading of the way you wrote your piece is that it doesn’t really feel like you know exactly what you want to do in work for the rest of your life. That is of course not a problem. You “wouldn’t mind” pharmacy but going to pharmacy school is a commitment to a career. Are you ready to do that? The economic problems won’t last forever and it’s a big world. You could go to BU, major in bio and do pre-med - and you might have a leg up because you’re at least genuinely interested in bio unlike many people who want to be doctors. You could go in any direction. Do you want that potential?</p>
<p>As for the debt and potential salaries, looks like if you borrow every cent beyond Northeastern’s grants, that you’ll owe over $125k. That’s a lot of money to pay back, $10k a year in interest only at 8%. Let’s say you make that $100k. You’ll take home maybe 2/3 of that, with all the deductions, and then you’ll need to come up with $10k a year to keep even on your debt. To pay it down in, believe it or not, 12 years - using straight line amortization to keep it simple - you’d need another $10k a year. (And some school loans require faster payback, though you might be able to refinance them.) Sure, you might have more in your pocket at the end of each year but would you want to carry that debt for that long? Think about how you’d want to buy a car and a condo and have kids. I’m saying that this level of debt could distort your life after school. What if you, like many people, decide that you want to change careers? If you’re carrying a big nut that won’t even go away in bankruptcy, how do you do that?</p>
<p>(As a note, I understand that many people have no choice but to take on debt. I’m talking here about the specific case this person presents where he has a choice.)</p>
<p>So if I read you right, pharmacy is what you see as the safe choice but I think you should think about the negatives of debt too. </p>
<p>You also say that Northeastern was your first choice. I don’t know how to weigh that for you.</p>
<p>I’m in the same situation as you. I was sold on BU but then I went to visit NU’s campus yesterday and I loved it. It has such a cozy feel and co-op seems like it’d provide a lot of amazing opportunities. Idk what I’m gonna do. Good luck wherever you go!</p>
<p>I’m in the same dilemma, but vice versa. BU is giving me much less money than NEU but I really want to go to BU. If I go to BU, it’ll be about 100k in debt, while NEU is barely any at all. I would choose NEU but I know BU has the stronger communications/international relations programs, which is what I want to do.
Advice?</p>
<p>Tough one. I assume you’ll have some debt for Northeastern so the comparison is not 100 to 0. </p>
<p>I’ve repeatedly said that you have to look at what you want and at which school has the program you want. BU has that in this case but only you can consider the $$$.</p>
<p>i’m in the same sort of situation except i want to major in mechanical engineering. i was initially set on bu but now i’m reading a lot contrary to that thought. any idea as to which is a better school for engineering since both have coops?</p>