<p>I was put on Carnegie's Priority Waiting list. I have excellent grades, extracurriculars, and recs, but feel I got unlucky. Regardless, I still think I have an excellent shot. </p>
<p>BUT the priority list seems to be "binding"none of the other threads on here have fully explained this, but I plan to call them on monday. </p>
<p>I was accepted to Northeastern University in Boston... with full ride and free study abroad. Using their co-op, I could graduate in the black. I was accepted to their honors program. </p>
<p>So, should I go for CMU? Their size and academic prowess attracts me, as well as the name (I'm interested in math). But Boston trumps Pittsburgh with hardly any argument, and Northeastern would give me a lot of privileges in their honors program and with full ride. </p>
<p>At CMU I would be in the Mathematical Sciences school (major... unsure).
at NeU I would do a dual degree in Math & Economics. </p>
<p>Any opinions? Do CMU's academics trump the social life I could have in Boston? Is the workload for a nice name worth it if I could do study abroad and such in nice dorms at Northeastern?</p>
<p>do you know what profession you want to end up in? </p>
<p>you’d be surprised how much there is to do in Pittsburgh,</p>
<p>and I’m just curious, did you get the trustee at Northeastern?</p>
<p>Not sure about profession… really honestly unsure. Finance, maybe?</p>
<p>I did get the trustee, yup.</p>
<p>Congratulations, I definitely think that calling is the right course of action. But, based on the language in CMU’s waiting list FAQs, I don’t get the impression that the priority waiting list is binding.</p>
<p>with that said, personally, I’d go for Northeastern. Though CMU’s financial engineering program is excellent, one of the best, in fact, Northeastern’s Co-op program might be just as useful in terms of job placement and you get paid for it. Additionally, you’re building a network in a city that actually has jobs in finance. </p>
<p>Going to college for free, hell, getting paid to go to college including a co-op, is a tough deal to beat</p>
<p>Ah thank you so much! It’s great to hear real thoughts from real people. And I do think the co-op experience would outweigh the name in the job market. </p>
<p>It’s still a difficult call for me though, mostly because of Carnegie’s excellent accompanying Arts School (alas, another kink in the question!)… I would love to supplement my hard science-heavy curricula with some handiwork, which I love. At Northeastern, that would have to be done outside of the university. Just another consideration!</p>
<p>Congrats.
What’s your q. You’re got a $170k program vs a long maybe that you will have to pay.
Don’t screw it up. Sometimes scholarships come with conditions, as they ought to be.</p>
<p>I’d go NU. It’s not that less selective than CMU (like 27% vs 34% acceptance rate or something?)</p>
<p>CMU is a great place for engineering, but it’s not THAT great… and full ride anywhere is hard to beat, especially if it’s at a decent school like NU.</p>
<p>Go to somewhere that wants you.</p>
<p>Bump for a little extra info. </p>
<p>Money is not a big thing. With my parents I can graduate from any school debt-free. College for free would give me more $$$ after undergraduate for whatever, as well as more money for fun stuff and extra classes during my experience.</p>
<p>My d had a similar choice and chose CMU. It would have been nice to graduate debt free, but CMU has such a great reputation in the business world. Whenever someone asks me where she goes to school, I always get the “Wow, she must be really smart”. Northeastern is a great school and she loves Boston, but we never got that kind of reaction when I told people she was considering Northeastern. She has friends at Northeastern that could never get into CMU. Northeastern has a great co-op program which was one reason she was considering it, but I believe CMU’s reputation would go a long way to getting a good internship. Pittsburgh has a lot to offer too. Of course, no debt would have been nice! Good luck in whatever decision you make.</p>
<p>My son has opposite problem - he’s in at CMU and also at Northeastern, but did not get into their Honors program (nor a full ride). Also will study math. We have visited and he is torn due to location. Would everyone above have still suggested Apollosarrow go to Northeastern if it werent a free ride/Honors? Are the two schools that close academically? Up to now we have heard there is no comparison - CMU is much better.
Thanks for your help!</p>
<p>I would definitely say there is no comparison unless cmu is SIGNIFICANTLY more money. On my visit current students told me how going to cmu is a brand name. It doesn’t matter your major, you will always AT LEAST get an interview for a job or internship. </p>
<p>Just as another point of reference, you didn’t happen to see NU listed under “Cc’s top Universities”, did you?</p>
<p>seemsobvious…minus free ride/honors, with all due respect to NU, and I’m sure it’s a fine school, there is no comparison. I hate to reference USNews but you’re talking #23 vs #69. There’s a lot in between. Boston is great but Pittsburgh really is too—ok it’s not Boston but your son has the rest of his life to live wherever he wants. </p>
<p>Near Philly, where we live, you have the University of Pennsylvania, and, in the same neighborhood, Drexel. DU has a long established coop, like NU, and a good reputation in this area. Still I’d go to Penn and so would most people given the choice, all else being equal. I’m not up on my coop schools but I can’t think of a top 25 U that has the option. What CMU does have is heavy recruiting by biggies like Microsoft, Google, top banks and engineering firms. Check out Career Services post grad surveys.</p>