<p>So, I have narrowed down my college choices to Northeastern and Villanova. I am a Chemistry major for both schools. When i went to the accepted day at Northeastern I really loved the Chemistry program. I was wondering if any one knows how the chemistry department at Northeastern compares to Villanova. I know that the academics are a little more well-known at Villanova, yet I love the oppurtunity of co-op at Northeastern. Does anyone have any opinions of what would be the better school to lead me in the right direction for graduate/med school?</p>
<p>I’d say Northeastern. I’m a chemical engineer but I do research in the chemistry department and know a few of the professors. They all do some pretty neat research and you can’t beat the coop program. Northeastern Chem majors work at top pharma companies (Millennium, Genzyme, Cubist, Abbot). Like you said, Nova might have a better reputation, but you sure as hell can’t go wrong at Northeastern.</p>
<p>Thanks RedSox! I appreciate your help! It’s a tough decision. I ruled out Bates and Holy Cross just because i feel that I have much better opportunities at a university.</p>
<p>I actually have a friend, a neuroscience major, who transferred from Villanova. She told me she thought the academics (science, at least) were pretty comparable, but that at NU professors curved a bit higher and gave a little more slack in grades.</p>
<p>Villanova is a really good school, the program there would be excellent, and they have a really good reputation. But yeah, co-op is sweet, and you’ll get good jobs. Like Redsox said, you’ve got Biotech in Cambridge (awesome co-op money), Harvard Med, BU med, Tufts med, world-class hospitals and research centers. Find me a better place than Boston to be a scientist and I’ll eat my hat.</p>
<p>As far as grad school/med school, you’ll be fine. With both of those in general, you just need solid GPA, unique and significant ECs, good MCAT/GRE, and you can accomplish either at NU or at Nova.</p>
<p>Oh, except that here you have to deal with Bio with Potts-Santone at 8am. Have fun with that!</p>
<p>You can get a solid pharma coop job as a chem major through NEU that pays 16-20/hr easily. Just to give you an idea.</p>
<p>Assuming 40hr/week and 6 month coop, that comes out to 15K - 20K/coop cycle before txes.</p>
<p>alright that sounds great thanks soo much! The only reason why I was considering Bates as my top choice before is because I thought it would be easier to get into med school that way. However, at either NOVA or NU I’m planning on doing the 5 year master’s programs so that it will put me a step ahead while applying to med school. And again thanks everyone for being so helpful!</p>
<p>there isn’t a 5 year master’s program… you come out with a bachelor’s…</p>
<p>yes I know that, however, you can pull off a five year master’s program. I already have credits in Intro to Chemistry I and II and Calc I and II and Freshman English. I know that i would have to take classes at night for graduate, but it’s possible. I talked to the advisor about it. Im sure its a lot of work but not a bad deal.</p>
<p>Actually Emily, the chemistry department has a combined BS/MS program that you can complete in 5 years presuming you start with Organic Chemistry. I started out as a Chemistry major, and it’s a really good program. Of course there are some professors that are a little confusing/boring like in any department, but for the most part everyone is really nice. The head of the department is REALLY nice and will do ANYTHING for a student. Also, the Chemistry department has a specific advisor that does all the academic advising and the co-op advising, so you don’t have to email twenty different people when you are confused about something.</p>
<p>The only thing I would advise is to go to the chemistry society meetings and get yourself known, because the head of the department plays favorites a LOT. It doesn’t hurt other students at all, don’t get me wrong! However (for example) I am good friends with two people both going to try to do the masters program, and one is a “favorite” and the other is a good student, but doesn’t really try and get himself known. The head of the department told the former that he would get her a scholarship for several thousand dollars while she works in the chemistry lab over the summer, and the latter just works in the chemistry office for work-study.</p>
<p>Oh, and the chemistry labs are tough. The department creates “Chemistry for Chemistry Majors” classes, where the courses are pretty much the same, but the labs are twice as long. My Organic Chemistry for Chemistry Majors lab was from 11:45 to 5:45, and my friends in Organic II have stayed till past 6:30 sometimes.</p>
<p>HC is very strong in Chemistry. HC is in the top 10 of undergraduate schools nationwide in the number of American Chemical Society-certified chemistry majors that it graduates. They just opened a brand new 50 million dollar science complex.</p>