recently i was accepted into both my top schools which is really exciting!! i have a hard decision to make as i love both of these institutions and want to share a bit of what has been stuck in my brain these past few days.
as a little background i was admitted to northeastern as a business admin + design major and to cornell as a fashion design management major through human ecology! my goal is to become a marketing director for a luxurious fashion company when i enter the workforce. i also definitely plan on obtaining a masters or mba in marketing or management in the future. both have their pros and cons for me. know that financial aid is not an issue for my family (both gave me similar aids anyways)
northeastern:
boston, perfect for networking, huge hub for business and fashion, can take classes at other amazing schools like mit
the co-op program, #1 in the country and probably the one thing making me love this school more than cornell. by the time i graduate with a 4 year degree i will also have one year of work on my resume. i can have experience working at fashion-based companies like nike. unlike cornell where i will be stuck in ithaca and have to wait until the summer for internships, i believe this can make me a stronger and competitive applicant at the end of the day.
dialogue of civilization program, can you tell i want to go abroad haha? can travel the world and learn about new cultures and their impact on my major.
lowkey don’t have any really big cons with this school worth mentioning other than the fact that it’s less prestigious than cornell
cornell:
dream program, i love how cornell implements design, humanities, science, and business in their fashion management program (i can also concentrate within my degree to have a more business aspect rather than more design)
ivy league education, i want a masters or mba from a top institution (harvard,wharton, uchicago etc) so im assuming this would look better since they’re peer institutions.
my fashion design management degree allows for me to obtain a minor in the dyson school of business which furthers my knowledge in business
if everything goes wrong, i can internally transfer to dyson
less fashion opportunities and will come out of the school will less work experience
the fashion program is a very small program which is both a pro and a con for me. i am worried this program may not be recognizable for future employment but also love how i will become really close to my professors and peers.
study abroad to china or india where fashion students can learn about the fast-fashion industry and its impact on the world
can find barely any information on their website about the recent graduates and their future careers from my program which makes me really nervous
ithaca. cornell is very beautiful and i also see myself here but after visiting both campuses everything around cornell is very bleh in my opinion.
at the end of the day, i am aware that cornell is an amazing school and the education may be realistically better than the one at northeastern. however, as i was accepted through a very niche major, i am wondering if cornell’s education is actually worth it. what i mean by this is that cornell is known for the their strong engineering and business programs, but some people don’t even know the fashion program exists. i am a person that is very adventurous and am constantly trying to find opportunities to travel, work, and learn as much as possible. so, i guess i am scared i may feel limited by going to cornell.
anyways, would love to hear opinions on my situation! i am confident that i would thrive at both institutions, but at the moment i am currently leaning towards northeastern.
at the end of the day, i am aware that cornell is an amazing school and the education may be realistically better than the one at northeastern.
When people make that statement about any two schools, it bothers me. That’s a perception based on ranking. My friend went to U of Montana and I went to Syracuse for journalism. Syracause is “elite” for journalism. I went to visit her and spent a day in class - their education was far superior - oh, and 100% of their 20 grads got jobs in industry. Just saying this to say your education wouldn’t necessarily be better at Cornell - maybe it would or wouldn’t be.
Assuming costs are the same - going to an Ivy, just because it’s an Ivy, will likely get you attention in life. Northeastern is amazing - but honestly not really known by people that aren’t into the ranking thing. Historically, Northeastern wasn’t that great - it was solid - it’s only in the last 15 years or so it’s rep has grown - and only with those in the know.
Sounds like you love Boston - so if that’s your pull. Then that’s great. I wouldn’t put much stock in taking classes at other schools such as MIT - logistically that can’t be easy. And from what I read on line, it’s for Women’s Studies classes at MIT.
You’re asking for opinions from people who don’t need to spend the four years.
But if you want mine, assuming $$ are similar, I’m going Ivy…
Personally, I would choose the school that is most likely going to get you the best job you can get right out of college. Plenty of non-Ivy-undergrads get into Ivy MBA programs. I happen to know a bunch of them. On the other hand, Cornell is more prestigious in general and that may or may not make a difference in your field. And you may just want to attend an Ivy League school for the overall education or whatever and that’s fine, too.
(I grew up not far from Ithaca and love both Ithaca and Cornell, but it is definitely isolated and the surrounding miles and miles are not Ithaca)
Like Northeastern, and I do not know anything about your family’s financial picture. In my family, there is no scenario where I would send my daughter to Northeastern over Cornell.
Yes, even in a niche major, the education at Cornell is worth it IMO.
As an NU alum and parent of a freshman, I will respond to the comment above that NU is not as well known. Due to the co-op program, you will graduate with a lot of experience in your field and an impressive resume and references that future employers will appreciate. I am an alum of the law school and my co-op employers included the Justice Department in D.C. so even if someone was not familiar with NU law school they could appreciate my training and experience during law school.
Many NU parents could not be happier about their student’s study abroad experiences (including the Dialogues of Civilization) and post-grad job offers. You can do the co-ops anywhere so you can explore different types of jobs and different locations while in college. NU students are smart and motivated. Boston is a great city to explore. Good luck with your decision.
I wouldn’t say always - my daughter has chosen fit. Granted her choices didn’t include an Ivy - but they did include a top LAC (at $81K vs. her choice $34K) - she’d have chosen her choice anyway.
In general yes but not always…if the person will hate Ithaca…just saying Neastern is a great school and there are advantages.
I agree though in general…it’s just not absolute.
In what way is Cornell so much better? I know someone whose daughter was miserable there and there was a NYT article a year or two ago written by a student who had a rough time making friends there. The best college search is about finding the best fit for the student.
Hopefully this student has a chance to talk to students at both schools and can decide which feels like a better fit for them.
You are 100% correct - as I pointed out with my daughter below.
Going to college is a crapshoot - you have Ivy League workiing for Southern Illinois type in many places. You can have a bad prof, roomie, etc. and be miserable. Go to the worst rated school on the list and meet your spouse of 50 years.
A ranking is just that - but unfortunately many use them. As noted above, my daughter is going to her 2nd lowest ranked of 17 accepted - it’s right for her. I’m not necessarily in agreement - but that’s just because I’m like the rest.
I also noted above one shouldn’t say you get a better education at one over the other - because rank and quality of education really don’t go hand in hand. We just perceive it does.
It’s just people giving their opinions. There will be great and not so great stories about each school.
It is four years - and ultimately each student needs to make the best decision for themselves.
The CC just gives people things to think about. I don’t personally disagree with your thought and it seems the questioner likes Boston. I simply said the prestige of Ivy is a nice talking point that will always come up whereas to most in society, they don’t know much about Northeastern.
btw - I know someone WL at Neastern but into Dartmouth - so it’s obviously a fine school…or at least has really smart kids.
His comment was right in that they are not peer schools. I see, as a parent, that you take offense that Cornell is better. I go back to my story of Syracuse journalism, my friend who dropped out due to finances and finished at Montana. I visited, went to class with her, and their education was off the charts better than mine at the “elite” journalism school. Also, my MBA roommate buddy went to Wharton - and they, according to him, barely did anything but spent all their time on the job search from day one.
I think he’s just saying - in general perception - Ivy League trumps - and he’s not wrong as far as how society sees it.
Hopefully, these kids find and pick the right school for them. We put way too much into the pedigree - but ultimately, on average, kids from the higher pedigree schools outperform.
It’s why I worry about my daughter at College of Charleston vs. not elite, but much “higher ranked” schools she got into.
@Mom270 , you can love and appreciate Northeastern, as I do, and still think it should not be in the same conversation as Cornell. I went UG to Babson College and think the school is amazing. If you ask me what a student should do if they get into both Babson and Wharton, I would never suggest Babson. It would be absurd. Note there is similar distance between the options being discussed.
No point in arguing with anyone here about this comparison or blanket value judgments. Some people are very rank conscious and the rankings will always trump all else. Personally, the elite schools that my son applied to, including Columbia and Georgetown, did not have freshmen on campus this year and NU did a much better job navigating the pandemic than schools with larger endowments. I had one co-worker who had two Ivy League degrees and fell asleep at his desk, so to each their own.
Again, good luck to this student in finding the right school for them - because fit is what it is all about.