S has been accepted to 9 schools and has narrowed it down to these three. I know that they are VERY different but he has things that he likes and dislikes about all three. He is interested in studying biochemistry with the plan of pursuing a graduate degree, maybe even a phd, and becoming some type of research scientist. He likes the idea of the co-ops at Northeastern that would allow him to get paid experience in different types of research/lab settings but is not a huge fan of the city. At Brandeis, he was offered a Qbrec fellowship that would get him into a lab on campus the spring of freshman year with a research mentor. Brandeis also has great graduate school placement. However, he didn’t get a great vibe from the people on campus when we visited and thinks that it might be too small overall. At Uconn, he got into the honors program and very much liked the feel of the campus. He would be able to join the marching band and pep band which would give him a sense of community and allow him to continue with music. He doesn’t think he would have the type of research/lab opportunities at uconn that he would get at the other two schools. As far as cost, Brandeis would be the most, followed closely by Northeastern. Uconn would be about $15k less than the others. We are going to accepted students days at all three in April and I’m hoping that he will get a better sense of fit but, until then, any advice or experience with these schools would be greatly appreciated!
It sounds like UConn would be the best fit - large socially, suburban/rural setting but can travel to more populated areas in the northeast if desired, honors program, and 15K cheaper. While I think the concern on opportunities is fair, I think that a student good enough to get the fellowship at Brandeis and into Northeastern would be a big fish at UConn and should still get some very good opportunities there. If all goes well after the visits that’d be my pick in this situation.
Good luck!
We live close to UConn. Neither of my kids likes big schools but we did tour because it’s our state school and presumably the most affordable. We did the info session and tour for the Honors College and I was very impressed. There are real advantages to it. The students we met were a wonderful group. With the lower price, I think it’s a great choice. D has two friends currently attending the Honors College, and they’re very happy.
@Off2college19 UCONN has many great research opportunities for students. The Honors program is great too. Have you looked into the Office of Undergraduate Research? There are so many programs and opportunities that students can pursue at Uconn and I recommend it.
Sounds like UConn ticks all the boxes. If it’s ultimately his final decision, it sounds like the best overall.
Thanks for all of your input. It sounds like Uconn has a lot to offer. We don’t get back to visit until April 13th for accepted students day. I think my gut feels that uconn is the best overall fit for him (which may have come through in my post) but I suspect that he is a little tied up in prestige. Because we don’t get need-based aid, he had to take a lot of prestigious names off his original list-no merit offered. Everyone around him, from teachers to coaches and grandparents, expect him to choose Northeastern because it’s the “best” school of his choices. Hopefully our visits will help him to see the importance of a good “fit.” Not to mention he would have some extra $ to put towards graduate school!
If he really has aspirations for a PhD, the NU co-ops become, in my opinion, less attractive as it adds another year in the process. UConn seems like the best match from what you’ve said.
@Off2college19 While Northeastern may offer the most “prestige”, it’s a very non-traditional school in many ways (co-op, city school, no big sports emphasis generally) that fit should absolutely motivate the decision. As a Northeastern student myself I absolutely love it, but it’s a very well fitting glove in my situation, and everyone has different criteria. I recommend it to many people, but it is not a fit for everyone, and someone who doesn’t like the city vibe and is thinking about doing a Ph.D. is a perfect case of “less fit” than for the “traditional” model. Talking through that may also help in valuing fit over prestige more 
@jmk518 While many do choose to do 5 years (typically with 3 co-op’s), any major at Northeastern can be done in 4 years with 2 co-op’s, sometimes less with AP/IB credit. I know one person who actually did 3 years 1 co-op to get to grad school earlier. I wouldn’t rule out the advantages of co-op even for a potential Ph.D., but I think in this specific case there are other factors that do indeed make UConn the best fit.
Prestige is funny thing. It’s in the eye of the beholder. At one point in my life Northeastern was a commuter school for me and my friends. UConn was a shiny object outside of our purview.
Obviously it’s a different era and NEU is now seen as elite. And it has a lot to offer. It’s really great.
Yet, its really just perspective.
I’ve personally seen, in a prestigious corporate environment, that the top students from prestigious state flagships get a lot of respect in the real world. And they seem pretty proud of their alma maters. And the extra 60000 dollars after tax is a boatload of money. Even if it’s a drop in the bucket. Just my two cents.