Chances at NE + FA?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Northeastern University
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<p>I recently found out about this school, and it sounds like a school I would be interested in. I noticed it's still fairly selective, but this school seems more score-heavy than one of my other top choices: BC. I wanted to know if I had a decent chance with pretty good aid (merit or need) because I'd rather not spend more than $500 on applications.</p>

<p>Stats:
Asian
Female
State: WA
SAT: 2280 (CR: 710, M: 770, W: 800) one sitting
PSAT: 219 ugh (possibly NMSF but I'm so borderline that I won't know until September)
GPA: 3.95 (UW)
Courseload: Most rigorous (13 APs by the end of senior year with many honors classes also)
Rank: Top 1% of 507 probably
Awards: Possibly NMSF, AP Scholar with Distinction, Bausch & Lomb Science Award</p>

<p>ECs:
Golf - Varsity/State Qualifier for all four years (9, 10, 11, 12)
Math Team - Secretary/Treasurer (11, 12)
National Honor Society (11, 12)
Non-Profit Organization (going to be vague for privacy sake) - Project Manager, ??? (9, 10, 11, 12)
Academic Coaches (11, 12)
Tutoring 4th/5th graders in math (9, 10, 11, 12) ~Hours vary throughout the school year</p>

<p>I'm currently interested in Computer Science or other STEM areas.</p>

2

<p>You def have a chance at University Scholars (<a href=“University Scholars Program - Northeastern University”>A Day at the ICA - University Scholars Program), especially as a female STEM student. It has lots of advantages and you should look into it with your scores and grades.</p>

<p>It’s hard to say on FA, but they aren’t amazingly good nor amazingly bad.</p>

<p>At the very least I would expect a good chunk of merit aid. Between merit and financial, NEU should be affordable for you.</p>

3

<p>You definitely have a very good chance at aid. If you are a NMF, that is an automatic $30K scholarship. Northeastern has a very strong computer science program. As an aside, if you are interested in STEM, specifically CS, you might want to consider schools other than BC. They have a really small department with few professors, no grad students, and no engineering programs whatsoever. In addition if you are looking for financial aid, BC offers almost none. Tufts might be a better match, strong STEM programs and gives merit aid.</p>

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<p>@swimchris‌ Ah, thank you for that info! I think BC will end up being one of those schools I’ll have to drop due to affordability even if I do get in, but since it is so high on my list, I’ll probably still apply just in case. But I would assume their CS department is probably still bigger than most LACs? Or maybe not. As for Tufts, it actually is on my list, but it’s a school that I’m guessing I won’t get into it because of its low acceptance rate and seemingly random admissions criteria. But I think I should definitely consider Northeastern based on what you said. The only thing I don’t understand too well is their co-ops program? I’ve tried researching what it is, but I don’t understand the pros/cons to it. I mentioned it to my cousin and he seemed slightly against it, but I didn’t fully understand why.</p>

5

<p>Northeastern’s co-op, especially for CS, is an amazing program. A co-op is essentially a 6 month internship, which gives you a lot more time than say a summer internship. The school prepares you for this (interview prep, research, listings, housing if it isn’t in Boston), and you can do up to three in your undergraduate degree, which does lengthen the time you are in college by a year in many cases and depending on how many co-ops you take. While you are on co-op, you have no classes. The idea is to get an idea of exactly what your major does, and to apply the skills you learned in the classroom to the real world. And you can see other parts of the country and world if you wish while you are doing it, as co-ops are offered locally, nationally, and internationally.</p>

<p>In CS, it is all about what you can do and less about the piece of paper and the name on it. The bonus of work experience is crucial to your abilities and your resume. CS co-ops also tend to pay well, as much as $20-$25 an hour. In addition, you don’t pay tuition while you are on co-op, so you usually end up gaining money while you are on co-op.</p>

<p>About 50% of NEU graduates receive a full time job offer from one of their co-op companies, in all majors. Co-op is a key piece of NEU and a reason many like it. It was a significant draw for me for sure. I don’t see a reason to be against it beyond the extra year, which can be avoided with AP / IB / Dual Enrollment credit, fewer co-ops, or taking a summer session or two more than usual. The school’s academic calendar is designed around co-ops and there are two summer sessions, each two months long for classes to be taken in.</p>

<p>One final pro: you get to find out if you like your major’s work and/or what type of work in the major. Even a co-op you don’t like tells you something about yourself and your studies. You would now know that Job X isn’t for you, and that may make you consider another major you would be happier with, or maybe just a different job within the same field.</p>

<p>If this sounds up your alley, it may move Northeastern up your list. If not, you can still go and not do a co-op if you still like the other aspects of the school. About 90% of the school goes on co-op at least once, so 10% do choose not to.</p>

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<p>@PengsPhils‌ Wow, thank you for the very thorough response! That was super informative. After reading your response, I think I can say Northeastern has definitely moved up on my list. I’ll definitely research the school a bit more on my own, but I’ll most likely apply now. Now my only concern is receiving enough FA through both merit and need aid.</p>

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<p>@student197 Just to clarify when i made the BC FA comment, I was just referring to merit aid. They try and meet full need of the student in terms of need based aid (but what that means changes from school to school). I believe their only merit-based scholarship is the handful they offer to the absolute best. I would be weary of counting on a mix of merit and need based aid there.</p>

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<p>@swimchris‌ Oh okay, that makes me a lot happier haha. I thought BC was one of those schools that claimed to meet full need for students (by their own standards of course). From what I know, they offer very little merit aid so I wasn’t expecting any. </p>

<p>I guess I will have to hope for the best for all my schools! </p>