<p>My son was admitted to NE (Honors) and also UW (although not direct admit to CS at UW). I know the UW computer science department is highly rated. How good is the Northeastern Computer Science department? Any insight you could provide would be appreciated.</p>
<p>Also interested in this topic- son admitted to CS at CMU and CS honors program at NEU. Full tuition at NEU due to national merit scholarship and almost full pay at CMU. What would you do??</p>
<p>PA-C isn’t CMU one of if not the best CS programs in the country? Sorry nj I know nothing about UW other than it is a great school!</p>
<p>I wish I knew about the CS program at NEU but I think we have some folks who post here who are familiar with it.</p>
<p>If all of the kids who are considering Northeastern vs. other super schools show up at northeastern this fall, they will have a great time at northeastern.</p>
<p>Even if they don’t there are plenty of kids there that they will be very happy with I think. I do think it is important when considering NEU to consider the importance of COOP and how much a part of the school culture it is. It is not just about getting a job-it is about going to work for six months and then going back to school and learning from both-it is about experiential learning and it is very different from a traditional school. </p>
<p>It isn’t for everyone. I do not think COOP is required but some form of experiential learning is-not sure about that as I can’t imagine going here and not going on at least one COOP.</p>
<p>yes CMU is rated in top 3 consistently…but NEU is in Boston and is much cheaper and he loved it when he visited…but he is impressed by CMU’s top reputation in CS…tough decision</p>
<p>I’m a CS minor at NEU and also a tutor/grader for an intro CS class.
There are two things that I think really stand out about NU’s CS program: co-op and programming languages.
For co-op, it’s mostly been said. It’s great experience, you put your skills to use, and you make really good connections (and CS also has some of the highest-paying co-ops).
The second part is that research in programming languages is really strong at Northeastern. This is reflected in the way even the CS fundamentals courses are taught - they use languages that really force you to develop your critical thinking skills and learn to design programs well, not just throw down code. Some people complain that you don’t learn an industry language your first semester, like Java or C++, but use Racket instead. But as my professors point out, learning the syntax of a new language isn’t terribly hard. What’s important is learning the logic behind programming. I think Northeastern does that successfully, in a way that will really benefit you in the long term.
Sorry for a philosophical rant about teaching CS, but I’ve just been really happy with the way it’s taught here.</p>
<p>Thank you very much for taking the time to provide your views, which are very helpful coming from a current CS student at Northeastern. Good luck to you.</p>
<p>I suggest you read what NEUMom2009 wrote in this thread:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/northeastern-university/1477119-northeastern-nmfs-challenging.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/northeastern-university/1477119-northeastern-nmfs-challenging.html</a></p>
<p>Her son is senior CS major at NEU.</p>
<p>My son is a sophomore CS/Game Design major at NEU, a NMF with the full tuition scholarship. He knew some programming before starting at NEU but was not a hardcore coder like so many kids who go into CS. I think he would have been totally out of his element at a place like CMU. He likes NEU, likes being in Boston, but I don’t think he’s been particularly challenged in any of his classes (well, maybe 2-D art this semester). He doesn’t share too much. Like nanotechnology, he’s been working as a tutor/grader for intro CS classes this year, which has been an added bonus.</p>
<p>@kappie
Hey i was recently accepted for CS/Game at NEU. I looked online and it seems that NEU is very “strict” with their curriculum…it seems like they tell you exactly what classes you have to take and there is little to no freedom for random classes such as art or music that don’t correspond to your major when you are a CS/Game major…is that true? Or can i take classes regarding a variety of subjects </p>
<p>@Efreed</p>
<p>I was looking and for me, I see plenty of freedom. That said, I am only general CS and I will be coming in with AP credit to cover Calc I, my science requirement, AP CS (counts as an elective), and AP US History (out of major credit). This should get me about a semesters worth of leeway that others may not have. Game Design may also add in some more structure as well.</p>
<p>@njsenior</p>
<p>From my research, CS at Northeastern is pretty extensive and will get you plenty more than the minimum, the co-op program is a great feature, and the department is only growing. I am choosing CS at Northeastern over WPI, and if you have researched WPI, that is an amazing program. Part of my decision was environmentally outside of academics, but the point is that the two programs are very comparable IMO.</p>
<p>I know little of UW’s program, but I hope that info helps you compare the two.</p>
<p>@PA-C</p>
<p>As much as having your son in Northeastern’s CS department would help the school and only help Northeastern keep growing and subsequently help raise the program more, I think CMU is probably the right academic choice. With financials factored in, that’s a really tough choice. I think the choice would need to come down to that. Would paying for CMU involve loans? A serious amount of debt is not worth it if you have a viable option like Northeastern. If there is some other method that would not involve debt, then CMU would probably be the choice I would make.</p>
<p>If UW is university of Washington, i think it is hard to get into the comp sci department even with stellar marks. I would go somewhere that has already accepted you into the program you want. You don’t need the stress of applying again next year.</p>
<p>@kappie vaguely off-topic here, but I am in a similar boat as your son; I am interested in programming and have some experience but I’m definitely not a hardcore coder like most kids I see. Your son is doing well and doesn’t feel behind?</p>
<p>I had not done any programming before I started college. I am not a CS major, but I jumped into classes for a CS minor with little to know experience and I have done really well. They don’t assume that you know any programming at the start, and the intro classes are in a language very few people will likely have used before, so everyone starts on the same level.</p>
<p>That’s really, really comforting. Thank you so much nano! 
I have been thinking about switching from a business major to a business/CS dual major but was worried I didn’t have enough experience.</p>
<p>@Nova, I think I like CC enough that I will be around here (this board and a few others) when I am in college, and I am attending Northeastern next year and am a CS major who has self-studied a lot. If you have any beginner questions, feel free to message me!</p>
<p>I’m a cs/interactive media at neu finishing my freshman year, and so far I feel like I’ve learned a lot. I came in with some programming experience, but not a lot. I didn’t feel that behind because there were enough people in the same place, and even though I have a lot of friends who know much more than me, I don’t feel behind because they are always willing to help me out. The ccis community here is friendly, and if you got to clubs like acm or hacks you’ll meet upperclassmen who will also help you and show you cool things. I don’t know if game design is the same way, but I definitely feel like interactive media is not that restrictive. I have enough credits to take random interesting electives, and as far as music goes, joining an ensemble doesn’t use up elective space, so you can be in one every semester.</p>
<p>I’ve also met amazing friends here and had a great time in general.</p>