<p>I'm looking at prospective colleges and I notice Northeastern is a decent engineering school, ranked #56 along with Boston University. </p>
<p>I'm just wondering if the rankings really mean anything, because I'm also applying to UIUC and Purdue whose rankings are in the top ten, but the location and coop program of Northeastern is really alluring me to that school as well. </p>
<p>The size also is smaller than the rest so I'm hoping it'll be more 'personal', and professors will actually take time to help you and classes might be a bit smaller.</p>
<p>But how's the reputation of northeastern? Is it good even though it's lower on the rankings for engineering?</p>
<p>Purdue and UIUC will be better for you, especially if you can get the financial aid. That being said, Northeastern is a fantastic engineering school in one of the biggest markets in the country. Northeastern’s reputation is fantastic on the east coast, but it won’t have as much carry in the midwest as a big ten school. On the west coast or south, they are probably pretty similar in reputation.</p>
<p>Son is at Northeastern in their engineering program and is having a great experience. He is sophomore and is about to start interviewing for co-op positions. He goes out in January and has send his resume to at least 12 places. Can’t say enough about the engineering program. Profs are caring; advisors are great.</p>
<p>Northeastern has a very good reputation here on the east coast. It may be smaller than your other schools, but it’s still quite large and is in the largest city in New England, so you will feel like a small fish in a big pond. I’ve visited there and it was great. Just keep in mind it is VERY expensive and it takes most people 5 years to graduate…you could be paying up to 200k.</p>
<p>although it does offer something more than most colleges with its co-op program, its still in the category of criminally expensive tuition. this is especially because it takes most students there 5 years, and Boston is expensive itself. In the end i turned it down because after all my tours and visits there, i didn’t see one attractive girl, not joking.</p>
<p>Let’s get this straight people: at NEU you won’t be paying 5 years of tuition. </p>
<p>Northeastern’s program is 5 years, but at least a year (some students squeeze in almost 2) of that is co-op, during which you don’t pay tuition. And there are plenty students who graduate in 4 years - just depends how much co-op you want to do and how motivated you are. </p>
<p>One advantage of Northeastern is that most students graduate already with a job offer even in the last two years when many engineering students were having difficulties finding work. </p>
<p>That said, Boston IS a very expensive city - and OP’s other options are also very, very good choices. This is a decision that should be based in part on finances - and in part on where you want to spend the next 4-5 years of your life.</p>
<p>You don’t have to do five years. You can graduate anywhere between three and five years depending on how many co-ops you do. I’ve met people who graduated in three years from this school by not doing any coops, and I’ve met people who graduated in five by doing multiple coops. It is up to the student.</p>
<p>I’m an international student, so unfortunately no financial aid for me :(. That said, money isn’t an issue so finance will not influence my decision. Honestly, I’d rather be in boston than West Lafayette or Urbana which are in the middle of nowhere…</p>
<p>I completely agree. As an international student, you can’t get much better than Boston. I’d steer clear of the midwest and the south altogether.</p>
<p>I’m not a big fan of the mid west in general, but there ARE great pockets you should consider: Ann Arbor (U of Michigan) Madison (U of Wisconsin) and just about anywhere in the city of Chicago. These are world-class academic communities with a great deal to offer. (Cold though, in the winter. Brrr.)</p>
<p>Yes and the winters in Fairbanks are on average colder than Madison, so what? These are all cold places. It’s not like you’re comparing NC to WI for example. The winters in the northeast and midwest are cold.</p>
<p>Madison and Chicago have a completely different and much more brutal winter than Boston. These aren’t really comparable. Saying they are both cold is MISinformative.</p>
<p>“Madison and Chicago have a completely different and much more brutal winter than Boston”</p>
<p>Please look up the Koppen-Geiger Climate Classification maps using google. You really have a lot to learn informative and saying that that these two cities have completely different winters is once again misinformative. While I agree that Boston does have milder winters on average than Chicago/Madison/Detroit, they are certainly NOT mild. My original point was that I would not say anyone should prefer Boston over Madison because of the milder weather. The differences are not that great.</p>