<p>I will be attending college next year in hopes of becoming a mechanical engineer. I have been accepted by both northeastern and virginia tech. I have had an opportunity to visit both of them over the past few weeks. I have to say they each had their ups and downs. I love them equally and need help deciding which one to chose. I only have until May 1st to decide, so any input would be most helpful. thanks.</p>
<p>Northeastern's pros:</p>
<ol>
<li> Best co-op program in the country (you will also earn some serious $$$ which can be used to defray tuitions costs)</li>
<li> Location (Boston is the Mecca of College Towns)</li>
<li>Cool Campus </li>
<li> Rising National Reputation</li>
<li> State of the art research, academic, residential, and recreational facilities.</li>
<li> More intimate campus in environment (i.e. not as large as V-Tech)</li>
<li>Stong Alumni Network </li>
</ol>
<p>Good luck with your decision</p>
<p>Hard choice, esp. since you are out-of-state at Virginia Tech.</p>
<p>If you're a sports fan, be a Hokie. :) If you need some other method to make your decision... consider that both schools are, ultimately, regional. You'll get good job prospects in Boston from Northeastern and good job prospects in Virginia & DC from VA Tech. </p>
<p>Consider cost, if it's a factor; Northeastern will nail you for five years of tuition - can you afford the extra year? Do they guarantee housing? </p>
<p>Ask - and really ask until you get answers - what opportunities there are for doing an internship in southwestern Virginia. Granted, Va Tech has a lot of research going on there, and Christiansburg is a decent-sized city, but it might not provide you the same opportunities as Boston. Do a lot of students research during undergrad at VA Tech?</p>
<p>"Northeastern will nail you for five years of tuition"</p>
<p>Northeastern students do not pay tuition for five years. Students are only charged for four years. This because students do not pay any tuition while they're co-oping. Anyway, there are four year programs available too (students just do less co-ops). It should also be noted that the engineering co-ops pay quite well. The average NEU engineering student will earn up to $50K over the course of three co-ops. This money can be used to defray tuition costs.</p>
<p>don't you think WPI is a better choice if you want to do Coop?</p>
<p>Whats WPI? and....Ok so if I decided to do the accelerated degree program at Northeastern, should I consider it more since I would not be doing that at Virginia Tech?</p>
<p>Northeastern is a better choice for co-op because its has a larger program (600 engineering employers) and a more advantageous location (Boston v. Worcester).</p>