<p>I was accepted to Northeastern EA, but I'm not sure how comfortable I would be there. I come from a very diverse suburb, and I love Boston, but I was wondering- is there was self- segregation at NEU? How often does interracial dating occur? In my school, while it is seen, it isn't common- which is fine, but I want to know if at NEU, I will be socially confined in terms of who my friends are and dating based on race(and while I'm at it, economic status too.)</p>
<p>Interesting question.</p>
<p>I notice this more with international students staying together more than anyone else. However, people aren’t going to refuse to be your friend.</p>
<p>The term you used, after all, is “self-segregation.” If you don’t want that, then don’t self-segregate. It’s in your control. There are jerks at all schools who will judge people for all kinds of things, but you’ll find your friends who won’t, whether they have similarities in background to you or not. It’s true on all campuses. I think self-segregation occurs everywhere, and I think integration occurs everywhere. It’s an individual choice of people who choose not to mingle with others for whatever reasons, so you can’t really make the evaluation of anything as a whole. If you make an effort to be friends with people, though, it will be fine.</p>
<p>Bump bump bumpppppp</p>
<p>In terms of the self-segregation, it’s mainly just international students versus domestic students, and it is completely by choice of the international students. So for example, if you come on campus you might notice that all the black students are hanging out by themselves near WVF and not mingling- but it’s not because anyone is mean or anything. In fact Northeastern is much much more welcoming than any school near where I grew up. But a high majority of the black students here are international students from Africa or domestic students with very close ties to family in Africa, so they have a school club together. People not in the club don’t really get invited.</p>
<p>But there has never been any hostility or anything. And diversity among DOMESTIC students rarely every affects friend groups at all. People actually care way more about what sports team you grew up supporting than what official race you are.</p>
<p>neuchimie has it right pretty much. international vs domestic. however my friends are white, black, Indian, Arab, Russian… I’m usually the only white American girl in a room.
I have a lot of international friends, but That comes from my first friend being an Arab girl. however, I also have friends who are international but have “close family ties in Africa”. they do have a club, and you’re only invited if you want to party with them (which you do, because they party hard.) </p>
<p>as for dating, most international students only date other international students, unless you integrate with them as a friend/friend group. if you want interracial dating, just do it. like it was said before, no one looks at the color of anybody’s skin here. we’re a very open minded and accepting community. in fact, diversity is one of the things that makes Northeastern very special.</p>
<p>Yeah, I didn’t mean to imply that no one talks to each other. haha One of my best friends is international, and from her I’ve met dozens of really great people at parties, etc that are international.</p>
<p>But you pointed it out even if you didn’t mean to- you were the only domestic student in the room. Meaning, it was mainly international. Just like there are a lot of times when it’s mainly domestic.</p>
<p>Thank you so much!</p>
<p>If what neuchimie says about finding friends based off of your sports teams is true then it looks like I might have a lonely couple years ahead of me…can’t imagine there are too many Bengals or Reds fans in New England…</p>
<p>At least you’re not a Yankees fan.</p>
<p>I think neuchimie was just trying to make the point that race isn’t a big issue on campus- since students are so integrated into Boston and make friends from many different schools, I highly doubt they will exclude you based off of sports team affiliation(unless, like the above poster said, you are a Yankees fan.) I’ve always caused trouble among my school because even though I don’t watch baseball, I cheer for the Red Sox because I love Boston in general(this is considered to be almost a sin to some people considering that I live in NY.)</p>
<p>Don’t worry about it. 
I was a Rays fan (back when they were the Devil Rays!), with a massive extended family of Yankees. My freshman year was when the Rays beat the Red Sox in the ALCS for the first time. Just try to keep the cheering down when everyone else looks like they might cry.</p>