I need advice in choosing between Columbia and Northeastern Biomedical Engineering. My D would like to pursue a fully funded MD/PhD program after undergraduate school. At NEU she would be a top student at the Honors Program with lots of perks, including a generous merit scholarship, two 6-month paid internships at top science companies, a 2-month and a 4-month research opportunity in top hospitals/labs, one free dialogue, great housing, smaller classes, and exceptional advising all infer years. Columbia is an Ivy League school, top rated science labs and professors. We assume there will be lots of science research opportunities at Columbia as well. Class size about half of NEU’s, all top students, different alumni network, open more doors(?). She loves both schools. We do not know anyone who went to either of these schools. Thank you for any input and opinion.
Northeastern’s co-op program is not a perk of honors and “top science companies” is not guaranteed. Engineering co-op’s are consistently paid well but you apply to them just like any other job. It’s a great experience and what you learn in the process is important too, but it’s important to understand the details there. Same goes for research positions.
Generally, Northeastern’s honors program is very nice for scholarships and perks like housing and the free dialogue, but there’s no magical “top students” divide. You’ll find similar caliber students at both schools. Advising as far as I’m aware is not honors specific either.
The real differences here seem to be cost, a bit of a housing upgrade for a year or two, and probably most notably the difference of co-op vs not in terms of the overall experience. Where is she drawn to more? If affordability is not important, that gut instinct on fit could inform a good deal here.
Hi PengsPhil, thank you for replying. She would like to be in a city, she was also accepted to Princeton and is still considering that as well. She was going to make a decision after visiting her final choices in April, but that is no longer possible. She will attend all virtual admitted student events at these three schools. I think she is drawn to Columbia and NEU about the same. NEU, because she had a great meeting at the Engineering school’s assistant dean’s office in November, and after she was accepted there in late January (she was deferred from Columbia ED in December), she really started to picture herself there. She is drawn to Columbia, because it was her first choice, and did a 6-week summer science internship in NYC that was fantastic, but we paid for it.
The cost would be a $200K difference between Columbia and NEU, and about $160,000 between NEU and Princeton. We received the cost from Columbia for all four years, senior year is $94,000 +.
She wants to be a physician-researcher, and to apply to a MD/PhD program, I believe what is important is the MCAT score, GPA, and recommendation letters, and research accomplishments. She has done three science researches, published author, but those are during high school (although outside of high school). It will matter what research she will accomplish during college.
NEU poured hundreds of millions into a new science school, and engineering school. And we hear a lot about how much advantage it is to be able to do CO-OPs, and research semesters at NEU. Although at Princeton Engineering the whole senior year is about a individual science research one on one with a professor, if I understand it correctly.
My husband and I will cover the cost of Columbia or Princeton, we saved enough for an ivy education, but our D is hesitating, in case she does not get into the fully-funded MSTP NIH-Funded Programs, because she does not want a student loan.
Thank you for your valuable advice you are providing, I have read your posts previously many times.
I know that if you call Columbia and tell them its ur D first choice, but that money is an issue, they will sometimes match financial aid. I had a friend who had Columbia increase their financial aid to match brown. For engineering, I visited Northeastern, and on admitted students day last year, and the co-op program/programs in general are no where near as engaging as the classes/programs I saw when I visited Columbia. I think Columbia or Princeton would be her best bet
Thanks so much!
She is coming to the same conclusion as she is attending virtual admitted student programs every day at all three colleges. Unfortunately she did not receive financial aid anywhere, only merit scholarships. But we still can’t afford $355,000 for Columbia without getting a loan, or a second mortgage. And we are willing to do that, but we also started wondering if NYC will be able to open colleges/schools in late August. Everyone is in the same boat in that regard. Will students attend more affordable local state colleges or still go to their first choice college that is a lot more expensive and far away or in a large city? I think many of us started thinking about that.
If you are willing to let your child use some of the cost savings to pay for a medical degree than the choice seems like Northeastern is the way to go. During this current time, I see article after article about debt loads for those that work in healthcare. To not have those debt loads is dramatically freeing, $200K is significant. I know doctors who likely would have chosen a different practice field if it were not for student loans.
Great point. Thank you.
Without the resources to pay without loans then NEU seems the better choice. As you pointed out, “what is important is the MCAT score, GPA, and recommendation letters, and research accomplishments”. And both schools offer those; it’s up to the student to take advantage of the opportunities.