I wasn’t accepted into any direct-entry programs so I’d be doing the pre-med track under a BNS major if I were to go to Northeastern. I have a pretty decent scholarship but still, is it worth it if I plan to go to medical school which I know will burn me and my parents’ wallets?
Northeastern’s kind of my dream school…
What are your other options? And their cost?
This is a really difficult question that I struggled with myself 5 years ago… however, I TOTALLY think Northeastern was worth it and don’t have any regrets (which I guess is easy to say until my student loan payments start in a couple months!). I just graduated with a biology degree and am applying to medical school now, and I have told numerous people that I have no idea how anyone survives this process if they go to another university.
The main reason for this is co-op, which I would guess you’ve already heard about. I truly believe that I got clinical AND research experience (both very important to med schools) through my co-ops that I would not have been able to find anywhere else. For example, for one of my co-ops, I was able to work directly with newborns at Brigham & Women’s Hospital - a paying job that I would never have been qualified for at another university, unless maybe I was a nursing major.
Although Northeastern does not have a formal “pre-med” concentration, there is an advising program that works with you throughout your time there, and is particularly helpful and structured when you actually get close to applying to medical schools. Majoring in BNS is great if you’re pre-med - I actually wish I had done so myself - because all/most of your prereq classes should be built into the major (same with bio). But anyone at any university can succeed academically and study for the MCAT, and I think the extracurricular experiences that NU offers are what really makes people stand out in their applications.
Clearly I am a huge advocate for Northeastern! But with all of that said, I realize as well as anyone that the cost is outrageous. It’s great that you got a scholarship, but the cost/benefit analysis is a personal decision that you will have to make with your family. For me, the education and experiences I got at Northeastern seemed to be worth taking on extra debt, but it is definitely a factor, especially with the extremely high cost of medical school. Some people would disagree with me and say that you should attend your state school, if possible, to save money - because medical schools don’t really care where you went to undergrad. While I think this is true for the most part, the experiential ed. you get at NU is hard to find elsewhere, and in my opinion, gives med school applicants a HUGE leg up. These types of experiences are the ones that make me glad I went to NU. Good luck with your decision!