<p>I'll post this in both threads to see the different responses from current students.</p>
<p>Basically, I want to go to BU. I've been accepted to both. However, BU is giving me 2k in loans (which isn't even financial aid), and nothing else. Northeastern is giving me 12k in a scholarship.
Financially, NU makes sense. If you have any opinion on that go ahead to comment.. :</p>
<p>But I really want student's opinions on the schools.</p>
<p>1) Truly, how is comparison in the social life? The night life? The size of the schools?
2) Which school will prepare me more for a job? (I'm a bio major but not pre-med, and I don't know how i feel abotu the co-op program at NU)
3) How does the administration treat it's students? Is it a blur if you need help, or will you get it? Is it easy to go abroad?
4) What has greater diversity? What kinds of people are at each school? Or are they similar? I want to be exposed to the world- which is why I'm chosing between these two.
5) Which has the better science program?</p>
<p>I know this is a lot of questions but i really need help!!
Please please feel free to post questions or comments- this is an impossible descision for me, I truly don't know if BU is worth about 100k of debt, although I can just picture myself there more. Hmm.</p>
<ol>
<li>Both the same</li>
<li>NU by far</li>
<li>This is varied at schools. </li>
<li>Both has similar diversity</li>
<li>Science programs are probably similar. Edge would go to NU due to coop and research opportunities.</li>
</ol>
<p>If you like BU more then just go there but the 100k in debt does seem a bit yucky</p>
<ol>
<li>They are both pretty much the same in this respect because they are both basically in the same location. BU has more students i believe, but they are both large universities nonetheless.</li>
<li>Northeastern.</li>
<li>No idea.</li>
<li>Similar.</li>
<li>Both seem equally strong. While Northeastern will focus on the importance of co-ops, BU will put you more in the classroom/lab. It just depends on what you’re looking for.</li>
</ol>
<p>BU probably has a “better” biology department… there is strong research going on there and with a medical school affiliated, there’s a lot of science opportunities. Probably better funded than most of the science/research departments here just because of the medical school.</p>
<p>You didn’t specify what you’re interested in doing with a bio degree–and it’s not important for you to know now, but would help me answer the bio “job” question. MOST science students go onto more school once they’ve completed their bachelor’s. These students usually divide between med school, PA school, pharmacy school, Ph.D programs, or MPH. In the case of all of these, work experience is important. Should you go straight into the work force (maybe biotech or research), work experience is important. </p>
<p>As far as research opportunities, they’re both about equal. BU has a good department with a lot of research in the med school (not necessarily medicine related) and you’ll have the options of getting involved there. At Northeastern there’s some good bio research, but a lot of us who are serious about careers in science do co-ops in academic labs (Tufts, Harvard, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital are all big time co-op employers, and Harvard is the research mecca of the country), or in biotech (big research, big money), so we’re in no shortage of good opportunities.</p>
<p>As a BU student, you have access to jobs with these places too, just by where you’re located. But for co-op, we are almost literally handed jobs with top science employers.</p>
<p>I don’t know which offers a better education for science majors. They’re both fine. They both are in Boston which is a great place to be a scientist. But, I can say that without my co-op job, my resume/application would not be nearly as strong.</p>
<p>I’m in the same boat as you, except I’ll only be about 30K in debt at BU, while at Northeastern, I’ll have like 90K. I really want to go to Northeastern for the co-op program, but i just don’t know if the 90K is work it. Does anyone know how much co-op might or might not deduct from that 90K?</p>
<p>Juelin, depends on your major. If you’re engineering, expect around $17 an hour in the beginning so over 6 months, expect around $15,000 after tax per co-op for 40 hours a week. I think business students get paid around $14-$15 / hr but not sure.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t expect co-op $$ to make much of a difference. </p>
<p>This is a link pulled from the FAQ thread with a lot of great advice about taking on debt from NU. I broke down why NOT to expect co-op to change your loan situations:
<p>Yeah, I didn’t expect co-op to make a huge dent in my situation. I mean from personal experience, do you think co-op has that big of an advantage over someone who goes to BU or any other school? Enough of an advantage to take on almost 100k of debt? </p>
<p>juelin:
Northeastern and BU business schools are overall academically comparable. NU has the advantage in international business. Coop definitely gives NU the advantage overall. That said, If NU would result in mega debt compared to BU, I am tempted to recommend BU. You have the opposite problem of the OP laurenp. She got a good scholarship from NU but nothing from BU. For her, I would recommend Northeastern.</p>
<p>juelin - $90K debt (plus I assume more for interest etc)… wow, that just seems like waaaaay to much… especially for just undergrad. NEU is a neat place, and co-op is great. I just can’t see burdening yourself with $90K debt.</p>
<p>^I agree. The differences between NU and BU are minor enough that if you like them both fairly equally, you might as well save some $$.</p>
<p>I would not want to graduate with 90k in debt… paying off loans isn’t fun. Most of us have to do it, but you might as well limit it as much as you can. When you’re 24, just out of college, whatever, you probably will have much more exciting ways to spend your paycheck than giving it straight to The Man.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot! I think i’ve decided on going to Northeastern, despite the $$. I mean it wouldn’t exactly be debt, as me and my parents are gonna pay it off monthly. My mom just doesn’t want to deal with interest or any type of payments post graduation. </p>
<p>ahh! my thread has been hijacked haha
someone help me!
I don’t know if BU is worth the debt?!
also I want to graduate in 4 years so I will only be doing one coop, so that’s not the make or break for me. also any info on going abroad?</p>
<p>^Sooooo many opportunities to go abroad at Northeastern. I’m doing a Dialogue this summer (right after my freshman year!). Let me know if you have any specific questions. Check out [Office</a> of International Study Programs (OISP)](<a href=“http://www.northeastern.edu/oisp/]Office”>http://www.northeastern.edu/oisp/)</p>
<p>this needs a serious bump.
after going to the BU open house and finding there’s no way I’d ever get merit money from them, the cost became a reality at 54k a year and rising 3-8% every year.
the open house only assured me I wanted to go to BU even more, but after doing the math, it seems like I will be leaving BU with about 110+ of debt while NU will only be about 60. am I crazy for still wanting to go to BU?</p>
<p>^What is it about BU that makes you want to go there so badly? BU’s gonna cost you twice as much for the same education and experience (and in my opinion, NU will give you a better experience, but that’s just a personal opinion, because I just wasn’t feeling BU when I visited).</p>
<p>Ditto to blinkangel, BU and NU aren’t really that different. They’re both big, urban schools with more or less equal academics and opportunities. It’s not like BU will make you super happy and NU will make you super miserable. I think if you can be happy at BU, you can be happy at northeastern.</p>
<p>I don’t think you’re crazy for still wanting to go to BU despite the $$… but I do think it’s easy to underestimate how much 100k in debt is.</p>
<p>You graduate college at 22ish (or 23ish if you do co-op). You’ll have a social life and want to go out for lunch or dinner or drinks with friends, you’ll want to travel, you’ll want to go to concerts and events, you’ll want to apply to jobs/grad school in cool other places. You’ll have rent to pay, you’ll have cable/internet/gas/electricity bills, maybe car payments, maybe phone payments, etc. Most of us can afford to do these things on the (very small) salary of new graduates. We’re all totally broke, but we can do it, and it’s totally worth it because it’s a fun age and it doesn’t last forever.</p>
<p>But with 100k in debt, you’re going to have serious financial obligations, and you’ll have to sacrifice some of these great things to pay of your loans. Going to a school that makes you happy is great, but not if it’s going to make your life suck once loan repayment starts. </p>
<p>Personally, I would be terrified of graduating with that much debt. If we were talking about two completely different schools in different places with very different feels, that’s one thing… but BU and NU aren’t different enough to warrant all that debt, in my opinion.</p>
<p>ever just get the feeling you belong somewherre? that’s how I feel about BU. also, and in all honesty, doesn’t bu have a slightly higher level of acadamia, more recognized professors, etc? also, I’m graduating in four years, so I’d
only be doing one coop at nu. I’d likely do an abroad internship at bu.
but hearing Emily, and thank you for the Long response, I think I am underestimating the debt. I’m sure northeastern will make me happy, I’ve just been picturing myself at bu for so long I thunk that’s really clouding my vision.</p>