<p>How common are international co-ops or co-ops outside of MA? Do the co-op advisors help students obtain them if so desired? Do the students have to have higher than normal GPA's (ie, 3.7+). I'm asking about engineering specifically. Also is there help in trying to set up living arrangements? Son has just about decided on NEU, but wants to know if there will be opportunities outside of the Boston area.</p>
<p>I was wondering those same things. I called the engineering office and was connected to someone that answered all my questions , spent a great deal of time with me actually. Yes, co-ops outside of Boston, many in California and New york, however , only 10-15 % of kids do co-op outside of Boston. They like it there, have made friends, have great opportunities and therefore stay in Boston. You can create your own co-op and have it certified by your advisor, so thats a plus.</p>
<p>I do not think the help with housing overseas is that great.</p>
<p>I am not sure if the better opportunities are tied to better GPA’s. Good question. </p>
<p>Son has chosen Northeastern and is excited to go for Engineering, we are from New York.</p>
<p>Here are some coop statistics fron the NU website:
[Experiential</a> Education > Quick Facts](<a href=“http://www.northeastern.edu/experiential-learning/coop/quickfacts/index.html]Experiential”>http://www.northeastern.edu/experiential-learning/coop/quickfacts/index.html)</p>
<p>There are a lot of coop jobs in the New York and DC areas. As Wilparkmom suggests, many students from outside New England come to like Boston a lot, have new friends etc. and end up preferring to coop in the Boston area, despite their orignal intentions. </p>
<p>Northeastern is definitely pushing international coop and attempting to expand it considerably. </p>
<p>While some coop employers, in engineering and accounting among other areas, specify a minimum GPA, it is usually 3.0. Remember that the best coop jobs go to the best applicants. The 3.9 student who does not come across well in an interview will likely lose out to the 3.3 student who knows how to present and sell himself.</p>
<p>Concerned,</p>
<p>I thought you said your son did his first coop - i am confused!</p>
<p>this is my second son.</p>
<p>Just another note on GPA, it DOES matter for the first job and it can actually matter a lot. As Tom suggested, once you get to the interview, your prep and personality will be the deciding factor. But GPA is a huge selection process for seeing who gets the interview offers, since no one has real experience.</p>
<p>I know it sounds super lame, but try to impress on your son that it can really matter a lot. I had a LOT of friends my second year who beat themselves up a lot because they suddenly realized that the “oh its college so I don’t have to go to class” attitudes of freshmen year were preventing them from getting jobs.</p>
<p>Oh, but “higher than normal” is pretty rare though- especially for engineering. At Northeastern, summa cum laude is 3.75. A lot of people fight for honors, so they have above 3.4- but the 3.8+ range is less common. So if he’s got a 3.6, he really shouldn’t worry about it.</p>
<p>So what do you think the chance of getting a good/high paying engineering first coop is for 3.4-3.6 GPA?</p>
<p>Like if you have a 3.4 to 3.6, what are the chances of getting a good one? I’d say great. Meaning- you have a great shot at getting on the interview list when compared to other first timers. But there are two major, major things to consider (and I’m sure Tom would agree with me):</p>
<p>1) If the job is one that 2nd timers would be interested in (something intermediate level, or at a really well known company for example), then your chances of getting the job plummet. Of course you can still do amazing and impress everyone and beat the others out- but the fact of the matter is they have experience, and you don’t. That’s why the first co-op is the hardest to get, and why you need to be the least picky for the first. No matter what your GPA is, you should consider yourself lucky for any job offer- cause you’ve got nothing really to offer them yet.</p>
<p>2) As Tom said, a 3.3 could beat out ten students with 3.9s if they do well at the interview. People, especially well qualified people, tend to get really cocky. They don’t prepare, or they don’t know how to prepare, and they mess it up. I’ve been to interviews with my co-op employers and I’ve talked to them afterwards about candidates, and I can promise they NEVER say “well that one kid had a 3.8”. It’s all about the conversation, how you answer questions, if the personalities fit, etc. The GPA will just help you get your resume on their desk.</p>