Hey! I can’t speak to GWU/American, but I know NEU/BU well - I currently attend NEU and I toured BU and am over in the area often enough.
Campus:
Both are pretty nice campuses, but there’s certainly some differences.
BU’s campus is more integrated into the city and centers around a long stretch of a single street (Commonwealth Ave). If you’re looking to get the city feel 24/7, BU will offer that a bit better. The downside to the campus style is that it can be a long walk from here to there - as much as 20 minutes. BU has its own bus system that runs up and down the street in fact due to the length. The T runs all down the street as well with BU on about 5 stops.
NEU’s campus is slightly more traditional, but is still very much a city school. NEU’s campus centers around Huntington avenue, taking up about 4-6 total blocks in a square pattern in addition to other buildings here and there. To walk from one place to another on campus usually takes 5-10 minutes, with the maximum of 15. The center blocks have nice quads and you feel like you are on a full campus. Once you walk off those blocks, you’re right in the middle of the city. NEU has the same T line (different branch) for direct accesses into the city.
Both campuses offer city access, great views and hangout areas, good surrounding neighborhoods (both are equidistant from the Fenway neighborhood - I’ll be working there this summer actually alongside both other NEU students and BU students), and a modern architecture style. Personally, I could honestly do either, but many have preferences one way or the other.
Culture:
I think this is one of the bigger differences between the two schools.
NEU is very much a school based around the academic philosophy of merging academics and practicality - what you want to do while you’re there is as important as your plans and how you’re preparing for after. You don’t need to know what your plan is exactly, but almost all students value the concept of planning ahead. The core curriculum and co-op patterns are very flexible, and it allows you to set your own path in unique ways. BU is more focused solely on academics and research, though they also offer good professional and practical experiences (not as good as co-op, but they are of very good quality).
Both schools have a lot of research going on and have very driven students.
Socially, I find NEU kids to tend a bit more towards the “nerdier” side, which I like. Frats are much more prevalent at BU, though at both schools greek life doesn’t control social life by any stretch of the imagination. BU has more school spirit than NEU by far in terms of sporting events. To give you an idea of the scene, BU and NEU compete yearly in the Beanpot, a hockey tournament between the two schools, Harvard, and BC - when BU and NEU play, each has a chant - BU chants “SAFE-TY SCHO-OOL” at NEU - NEU chants back “WE HAVE JO-OBS” to BU. I always laugh a bit at that one - even in sports, Northeastern students bring that academic philosophy into play lol.
Both schools have a very diverse student body with a high portion of international students - I regularly hear 2-3 languages being spoken in casual conversation on my way to class or walking through BU.
Hope that helps! Obviously, I preferred NEU for many reasons here and there, but NEU and BU, despite the jesting, share a pretty good mutual respect / rivalry between each other. Most BU and NEU student interactions jokingly end up talking about how we’re both better than BC and how it’s funny that BC says it’s “in Boston”.
If you have any more questions / want more details on anything, ask away!
