Co-ops!

<p>Hey guys I'm currently picking between NU and Rice, and a major factor is the prevalence of co-ops at NU. Can anyone speak on the importance of co-ops? How does it help prepare you for a job? If you're looking for a job after graduation (outside of the co-op company), is it any better than an internship on a resume? I don't care about the paid factor of the co-op, this is assuming pocket change isn't an issue (it probably will be, but this is looking at the long term). Thanks!</p>

<p>Co-ops are an amazing opportunity and I don’t know the actually statistics, but a very, very high percentage of them result in a permanent position after the co-op is over (with the same company naturally) If you don’t want to stay with this company, you will look like someone 1 year out of college instead of right out of college. I would think it would have to be an advantage. NU has a summary on how the co-op works – because you are working some quarters, it takes 5 years to graduate. The chart shows which quarters you are off. It also describes the pay which is not insignificant. I think you start at 50% of usual starting salaries in your first co-op quarter and go up each quarter you work. </p>

<p>Yes, but if it takes you five years to graduate then chronologically you end up in the same place. Also the fifth year, the first year of a job could equal the total pay you would get from the co-ops</p>

<p>Also could you link me to that chart?</p>

<p>What type of engineering? I think from either of those schools you can get summer internships, which would accomplish a similar thing but graduate earlier than with a co-op. Also, I don’t know whether you are on financial aid, but I’m not sure how they will treat the co-op money and the lower tuition if you are on FA. It could be you end up paying an extra year’s worth of “discounted” tuition because of the co-ops. I know you would go to school less, but if you’re financial aid results in less than 2/3 of the NU full price, it seems you could end up paying more overall.</p>

<p>A co-op is basically 12 months of interning with a company over the course of five years–interspersed with college coursework. You either go to classes for the quarter, or you work at your co-op, during which time you don’t take classes. You don’t collect financial aid while you’re on co-op, since you aren’t taking classes during that time.</p>

<p>Co-op paychecks are treated just like a summer internship’s paychecks would be. Essentially, co-op is four quarters of work inserted throughout your career. You have to interview for it, just like you would for a typical internship or full-time position.</p>

<p>I know what a co-op is – I did one, well two actually. And they were at two different companies, not a single one. But my point is, let’s say your financial aid puts you at paying $30k a year. Well two quarters is still $42k a year, so you pay the first $30k. But now you get to pay $30k out of $42k for 3 years instead of $30k out of $63k for each of 2 years. So you paid an extra $30k for school.</p>

<p>What school charges tuition while you are on coop? I never heard of that. </p>

<p>@tomofboston – Read it again more slowly. For the two quarters you are NOT on co-op, you still owe $42k for the year, which is more than your EFC plus loans, etc. Financial aid is by year … or do you think they just say, “well you did two years of school in 3 years, so we will just call it two years.” I doubt it. I think you don’t want to do co-op if you are on financial aid.</p>

<p>Sorry for being as fast reader. The only extra cost should be the cost of food and housing while on coop. Total tuition is the same for a bachelor’s degree with or without coop. </p>

<p>I hope you are correct, but son and I are visiting tomorrow, and will ask FA that exact question.</p>

<p>Co-op is BETTER than internships for the following reasons:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>It’s easier to get a co-op position. With internship, you would be one of the many applicants from different schools for the same positions during the same summer term. The applicant pool is a lot larger. With co-op, the companies have a special relationship with NU and are willing to take you “during” the school year.</p></li>
<li><p>Depending on the internship, some may not give you the kind of work that their entry-level engineers actually do. But with co-op, they give you increasing responsibility as outlined by the co-op agreement. </p></li>
<li><p>Unless you make a wrong choice to begin with, you will likely return to the same company. You can be with the same company for as long as six quarters interspersed with academic terms. I can’t imagine a company that has invested in someone for six quarters wouldn’t give him/her a permanent job offer. At the same time, the person is free to apply for other jobs and with that many quarters of work experience, the person is going to be more marketable than many of his/her peers, which can lead to more ideal opportunities with better companies.</p></li>
<li><p>Because co-ops alternate with school terms, they give you more opportunities to apply what you learn in schools to jobs and vice versa. The experience and extra time can also let you figure out what you do and DON’T want to do more easily before you graduate.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Here is a link to the NW engineering coop program description (with schedules):
<a href=“Programs Overview | Engineering Career Development | Northwestern Engineering”>Programs Overview | Engineering Career Development | Northwestern Engineering;

<h2>It shows a total of six quarters of coop work periods (of which three are during summers) and one summer internship after freshman year. NW eng coops spend 12 quarters on campus in classes (just like any other eng student), but it is over five academic years.</h2>

<p>Concerning programs that charge fees during the coop period, per UIUC engineering co-op link :
<a href=“https://wiki.engr.illinois.edu/display/coeecs/Co-op+Program”>https://wiki.engr.illinois.edu/display/coeecs/Co-op+Program&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>"Cost of participation
Students who participate in the co-op program need to register for the appropriate Engineering course if they wish to maintain student status. Undergrad tuition and fees for such courses is approximately $1,500-$1,700 per semester and is sometimes paid by the employer</p>

<p>Met with financial aid last weekend, and they said the financial aid agreement is for 12 quarters. Even if they are spread out over 5 years, they are treated as 4 years. But with the new information above, that you register for a “class” to get credit for the co-op, it adds a new wrinkle. Still FA seemed to know about the engineering co-ops and didn’t see any problem.</p>

<p>The new info regarding the extra class is for UIUC, not Northwestern. In fact, some co-ops are even out of state; it’s impossible to register for a class (don’t think NU has many on-line classes for undergrads). </p>

<p>Got it. Not sure why it is in the NU thread, but it is somewhat clear as I look back more carefully. That is great to know it isn’t for NU. NU does make you take an extra class (maybe .5 credit) before you can co-op.</p>

<p>The 0.5 credit may simply come from the fact that co-op is technically part of your academic experience. It shows up on the transcript.</p>

<p>I think it is also about expectations on internship, resume, interviewing, etc.</p>

<p>Daddio3, the class you are referring to is called Intro to Career Development, <a href=“Getting Started | For Students | Engineering Career Development | Northwestern Engineering”>Getting Started | For Students | Engineering Career Development | Northwestern Engineering, and is not for credit. As far as I know, for the quarters you are working on coop, you do not have to pay tuition. According to <a href=“Programs Overview | Engineering Career Development | Northwestern Engineering”>Programs Overview | Engineering Career Development | Northwestern Engineering, you are required to sign up for another for credit course while you’re on coop so that the school can track the number of quarters you work and so you’re still considered a student. The coop quarters are not considered “class credit” in that they do not count towards the 48 courses you need to graduate in engineering and do not affect your GPA. </p>

<p>Also, according to this, <a href=“Programs Overview | Engineering Career Development | Northwestern Engineering”>Programs Overview | Engineering Career Development | Northwestern Engineering,
any money you earn while on coop DOES NOT count against your financial aid. </p>

<p>Even though the schedule on MCD’s website shows working six quarters, the coop program only requires 4 quarters, two of which must be back to back. From my experience as an undergraduate, many people who coop take 4 years plus one or two additional quarters instead of the full five years to graduate.</p>

<p>HomestarNU. This was very helpful. Thanks!</p>