Hey everyone,
I’m a little new to this, so sorry if I’m not doing this right. I’m trying to make a decision between Lehigh University and Northeastern University for a degree in business, and I seriously need some help. If I go to either school, I’ll get a degree in Finance, but if I go to Lehigh, I expect to also get a degree in Comp sci as part of their CSB program. This is what’s tearing me:
Northeastern is in Boston, and has a great co op system.
Lehigh is in the middle of nowhere, but has a much much tighter alumni network
CSB at Lehigh supposedly has 100% job placement, and a much higher starting average salary
Northeastern has Co- ops
Lehigh seems to traditionally have much more acclaim than NEU, but in future years it seems to not matter (maybe)
If I were to do CSB at NEU, I’m worried it would cut into my co-ops, as well as there not being as specific a program for it. Lehigh also has much smaller class sizes and personal involvement (which may help with jobs).
Northeastern is ranked 19th for undergrad business.
Lehigh is ranked 38th.
Neu is more expensive for me than Lehigh, but only NEU has offered a merit-based scholarship.
Neu is in Boston which means a lot for jobs after school as well as being a college town
Lehigh seems more fun on campus.
That’s just a quick summary, but I’m sure theres more pro’s/cons I’m not thinking of. Which would you choose, and why? Please help, I’m desperate
confused512,
You want to listen to the opinions of a bunch of strangers? No really, picking a college is a very personal decision. Part of becoming an adult is learning to make decisions that are truly going to affect the rest of your life. Trust yourself. You are on the right track by breaking down the schools. You have done a wonderful job listing pros and cons of the schools. One way to sort this is to weight each item with a scale from 1-10 - what items are the most important for you! Then you can add up to totals for Lehigh vs. Northeastern.
That said…
I would disagree that Lehigh is in the middle of nowhere. Two blocks from the bookstore is a bus that makes quite a few trips into NYC everyday. Many business students get jobs on Wall Street. Downtown Philly is not that far either. You don’t have to go to Northwestern to get a job in Boston!
Lehigh has fantastic connections to the finance world. The new CEO of Deloitte is a women who is a Lehigh graduate.
Northwestern may have a co-op program but you can get a fantastic summer internships anywhere while going to Lehigh.
I agree with your starting wage assessment.
You might want to look into the criteria those rankings are based on. There are many components that might not really matter to you.
My son really did have a really fun wonderful time at Lehigh and is really close to those in his class and now developing relationships with older and younger alumni. You are right, Lehigh grads LOVE their school and develop amazing connections with others. And they love helping fellow grads!!!
I have no interest bashing Northeastern. I have never been there or really studied it. You are obviously a very smart person. Trust yourself. Best of luck to you wherever you choose to go!!!
(Go Lehigh!)
Kikkydee is correct about many things in her comment. What does it hurt some anonymous stranger on a forum giving their opinion? Not much. It’s anonymous. What does it hurt the person asking that’s looking for serious advice about a major decision? Potentially, A LOT.
This is not to be mean or rude, but I remember the school’s college counselor mentioning Northeastern to my older child, and when asking around, all people could responded with is, “Oh, you mean Northwestern?” My child didn’t apply and it was removed from the potential list. My second child (who had a “top tier” private college counselor) didn’t even give it a moment’s notice.
Out of curiosity, I just went to try to look at some information about the school. Maybe I looked at it wrong, but it looked like the percentage of men in a fraternity was less than 10 percent. Both of my kids went into college undecided about Greek life, but both chose it and have made lifelong friends that really are brothers.
My college was Tulane, great city, lots of traditional college fun. Without a doubt, my son at Lehigh is having wayyyyyyy more fun than I did. He’s also working wayyyyyyyy harder than I did. He’s seriously committed to his studies and doesn’t go out every night. But, when the work is done, Philadelphia and NY are just a bus ride away. His fraternity brothers have gotten co-ops and jobs in Manhattan and similar cities. These kids don’t come from a farm and stay on a farm. These graduates at Lehigh are in demand. They’re in demand before they graduate. This makes parents like me very happy. I donate much more to Lehigh than I do to our family’s alma maters. I love Lehigh the best, and I didn’t go there.
When we were looking at colleges, there were some things that we considered. Maybe this will help, maybe not. We looked at endowment. That’s a nice indicator of how supportive the alumni are. Unhappy alumni don’t usually donate. Happy alumni donate, and happy alumni have a wonderful network. Retention rate is another thing we factored. Happy college students stay to graduate. Smart college students stay to graduate. Unhappy students that made the wrong choice (whether it’s academic or social reasons) transfer. That’s important since a lot of unhappy students will just stay where they are and tough it out.
That’s just my two cents. Trust your gut feelings.
Thanks to both of you. I’ve decided on Lehigh. I’ve loved the school since the moment I stepped on campus, I’d fit in so much better socially there, every alumni seems to have loved it, and their CSB program is hard to beat. I’ll be submitting my deposit soon.
I’m trusting my gut and going with it
@confused512 Congratulations! Sounds like you’ve made up your mind, or at least you’re getting closer. 
Until you submit your deposit, trust your gut. Once you commit, enjoy the rest of your senior year and get ready for a wonderful new chapter in your life!
No one on this forum will be living your college experience…only YOU will do that. That’s why I think you must trust your instincts while making this decision. Make the best of the next four years, and wherever you are, don’t look back. Make up your mind to love whatever college you attend…for better or worse. No school is a bed of roses, so be prepared to get through it just like you’ve gotten through high school and other challenges in your young life. You’ll be given plenty of new and exciting opportunities to be independent, so make good choices. I’m sounding like a parent, huh?
My son has LOVED Lehigh! He put himself out there, going out as soon as he got on campus with the people in his dorm to run errands and going to events on campus and making lots of friends along the way. Within a few days, though, it was hitting the books…hard. Ask people on your dorm floor where they’re going and get a group together. If there’s a party, go with some friends that you trust and have fun. Buuut, if you choose Lehigh, never, ever, ever forget that academics come first at Lehigh! Lehigh is rigorous and well-regarded for a reason. Employers want their graduates because to get through it, you have to make the right choices and have your priorities straight. Your hard work will be rewarded, though. To be successful at Lehigh, one absolutely must take academics seriously and make that THE priority above everything else. My son has always been a risk-taker, a perfectionist, gregarious, life of the party, work-hard-and-play-hard kind of kid. He is really doing well there, and works harder there than almost anyone I know ever did at their college (including Ivies).
Best of luck to you, and congratulations again on nearing this important and exciting decision!
“I’ve loved the school since the moment I stepped on campus, I’d fit in so much better socially there,”
Yes! Picking a college is such a personal choice! If this was your gut reaction then absolutely you belong at Lehigh!
We took our son to a ton of schools during his junior summer. Honestly, Lehigh was one of the last schools. I remember walking down the path in the middle of campus and it just felt like we had walked into the middle of a resort. It just felt so right. We felt like we were finally home. And we had been to a lot of other really great schools that just did not grab our son. I believe it is wise for Lehigh to want their prospective students to visit if at all possible.
These four years of college are in some ways can be the most special in your life. Oh, I am so happy for you!!!
Oh, I can imagine you during the first massive snowstorm out on the big hill having a fantastic snowball fight with your dorm friends!!! And, Halloween sounds like so much fun there too!!! Oh, the Lehigh/LaFayette football game!!! And so much more!!!
I went to a giant state school and never really felt much of a connection - I had friends from different classes but not a “group”. It was an okay time but I didn’t even bother to go to my graduation. I am just a mom of a Lehigh student but I even feel so much more of a connection to Lehigh. I even went to the Lehigh LaFayette game at Yankee Stadium last fall.
In my opinion, Lehigh is the kind of school that changes your life! And stays a part of your life forever! Congratulations!!! Go Lehigh!
It should honestly come to down to the feelings you got on campus. I visited both and hated Northeastern’s inner-city campus but fell completely in love with Lehigh’s. I ended up not applying to Northeastern and then applied and was admitted to Lehigh. I think Lehigh will be the more traditional college experience and will provide the more homely feel but Northeastern is a lot more focused towards professional life.
I think that a key question is whether the extra year at Northeastern is worth it. It seems to me that Lehigh has very good placement, so the co-ops may not be worth it for in demand majors.