I am completely stuck in a rut because I can’t choose. I’m an international student & I want to do finance/banking or something of a similar sort.
I’m accepted into UChicago, a school I adore because of the culture, academic-focus, small size. I’ve received 10k merit scholarship. I’m thinking of doing economics, but I heard that a 3.5+ GPA will be extremely difficult.
However, Northeastern has made me a University Scholar which means full scholarship + a lot of benefits especially in terms of supporting me in what I choose to do. I also really like the co-op program (RL experiences is important for my career, I’d think).
Only a 10k FA package would leave with you 50k+ a year of debt, totaling more than 200k by the time you graduate. Don’t think a undergrad degree, even from U Chicago, is worth that much
UChicago is a brutal place to be if you are “worried” about your grades. While I know UChicago has evolved from being dominated by the “learning for learning’s sake” uber-intellectual crowd, the professors haven’t evolved, and there are still plenty of those intellectual folks as students who just can’t get enough academics and I think that you will be miserable trying to compete with them when you don’t share their zealousness.
I think Northeastern’s co-op opportunities will open many doors for you and it is in a vibrant city. It’s doubly awesome that you got a full scholarship, which means they will pay more attention to your endeavors than perhaps some other students (so then they can talk about your accomplishments for future years). Personally, I would choose NEU, but UChicago does have its appeals
If you want to break into finance/banking, UChicago has a significant advantage over Northeastern (finance is a very prestige-driven) but neither of the schools are top targets…
I guess for me, I’m thinking whether the money I’ll earn after UChicago will be more than the money I haven’t spent on Northeastern. I’m still not sure.
@dblazer: I haven’t really heard of the term “top targets” before. Do you mind telling me which unis would be considered “top target” for finance/banking?
student life is not as active as Boston (not something I mind at all, though)
I just don’t know how far the UChicago name will get me in comparison with the Northeastern Honors name post-grad (either as MBA student or in my career)…
Notheastern is the way to go. Among many things, MBA admission committee looks at your work experience, preferably 2 - 3 years after UG. Co-Ops will give a huge leg up in job hunting. You are likely to get a higher GPA amongst your peers at NEU, which will definitely help you when you apply for MBA. The money you will save over 4 years of UG can be applied towards MBA.
well, as we know, especially in finance, prestige helps… but based on your options, Northeastern seems like an obvious choice. As far as the grade deflation is concerned, anyone (employers, grad schools) who is giving UChicago “points” for prestige already knows about the rigor and grade deflation there, so it’s not a negative.
Another tack:
Think in terms of vibe: are you more intellectual, love learning just because spending hours in a book learning about something arcane is cool to you and you can see yourself talking about the arcane topic with friends… or you think learning should primarily apply to what job you’ll have and your main focus in getting good grades is what it’ll mean for you in terms of job choices?
Both are also different also in terms of what “angle” of economics they cover: Chicago is famous for its conservative approach to economics and includes a lot of math; Northeastern is more “managerial economics”, more practical than theoretical.
10K merit does not tell the full story, after need based grant and family support, the debt you accumulate over 4
years, that is the number that really counts. If the debt is manageable, say around 40k , go for U Chicago and pull it through. I can hardly believe that any financial firm will pass a top economics/finance graduate from UChicago.
Yes, this is a very specific case. If Chicago is offering you $10K in merit alone, that is impressive. I would actually recommend Chicago in this case, despite the wide cost differential, unless that will truly be a struggle for your family, in which case follow the money.
These two institutions are so different, it is hard to advise in a sense. I am not sure why you would even apply to these very different institutions – was Northeastern more of a back-up for you? – presuming the kind of stats and goals you must have had to receive these substantial incentives from both (while the initial figure from Chicago isn’t huge, it is difficult for anybody to receive merit aid from Chicago). These places attract very different types of students. If the co-op program does speak to you, then choose Northeastern.
Northeastern is a fantastic school. No school, whatever level of prestige and “oomph” that raises eyebrows and impresses people at barbecues, is worth the debt. Northeastern is a great place, renowned for its location and co-ops, where you can receive a solid education and wonderful job opportunities. Also, you will be in the Honors program rolling in Boston with a full scholarship and the benefits of Northeastern’s support as a scholar.