I agree 100% with this. We did BC, BU, NU the same two day visit. The BU initial overview session and building were great! We had high hopes. But that just diminished when walking around, going into a couple buildings, and looking at the outside of others. Just looked really old and not appealing. And no campus feeling to speak of.
NU was much better in that regard. I know they too have old buildings, but what we saw was so much better. And we of course just loved the NU educational approach. Funny thing is my daughter didnât even know about NU until I suggested we do the tour. Top choice BU got knocked down after visiting NU.
BC was great, but not the vibe my daughter is looking for.
I just want to clarify that you do not pay âone less year of tuition due to coopâ. You still need to pay for tuition on however many semesters you need to complete your degree. NU does give a lot of AP credit so you often can save a semester or two from that, however, not all credits will apply towards your major. Some students also make enough money in their coops to save and contribute to their tuition or pay loans, but you cannot count on that. Many coops are unpaid or pay just enough to cover living expenses that semester. CS and engineering often pay more to cover living expenses and save some, but not all. It all just spends on how a student sets up their major, number of coops (1, 2 or 3) etc.
Right. During our tour the admissions officer and tour guide both said âmost studentsâ graduate in four years (6 semesters of classes) even with doing 2 co-ops because they come in with dual enrollment or AP credit. They both said NEU is generous at awarding credit. Of course you donât know your situation for sure until you enroll (and choose a major, and understand the requirements of that major).
But the message the school is sending to prospective students is definitely âyou will pay for fewer semesters of tuition here than you would at other schoolsâ and that is a draw for students, regardless of how it actually shakes out for them after they matriculate.
I toured both BU and NEU, and I would definitely say that BU had the more âdepressingâ tour even in the middle of the summer. I might just be biased towards NEU, but I applied to both, and I can say that Iâve loved the NEU campus every time Iâve visited.
The separation of the BU campus also doesnât help as Boston is already a college town. If youâre looking for a campus vibe, youâd be more likely to find it at NEU than BU and maybe thatâs why so many students like me are attracted to Northeastern more. Itâs easy to say since Iâve already been accepted, but I still think I would choose NEU over BU in a heartbeat.
I did call them yesterday and they said it might take a few weeks for them to pull the forms from IDOC and finalize a package. They told me to check if I could postpone the deposit, so the early decision office should be reviewing my request soon. Iâm still worried something went wrong with the forms I uploaded, because I feel like they should have been able to get the forms by now. Iâm hoping everything works out
I saw NU social media updates on their new campus in Miami. Does anyone know if they will admit folks to the Miami campus in the RD round? Thanks in advance.
Looking at the plans on the Northeastern web site, however, the four year plans appear to include 8 semesters, because classes are packed into the summers. Now that you mention it, I wonder what the cost is for a summer semester?
If it is, itâs news to us. We spent almost a week in a beautiful Air B & B in Oakland close to the Bay Bridge and walked to dinner in the evenings. We were also a 10 min drive to Berkeley. It was a fantastic location. This was in 2019. My son actually put down Oakland as an option for a campus so it was surprising when he was deferred in the EA round He has since then lost all interest in NEU so itâs ok. But the fact that it was the only option he checked off on the application other than the Boston campus speaks to how much he liked the area when we stayed in Oakland.
Same! We went with both of our sons to tour Boston schoolsâmy husband is a BU alumâand we live in the Midwest now. Granted it was the summer and COVID was going on so they had suspended tours and campus was pretty lifeless. However, while doing a self tour we saw tours going on. We approached admissions staff set up at a tent outside and they said they had just started them that week. We asked if there was any way we could jump into one and they said no. It was too bad bc self tours just donât do the schools justice.
Needless to say, both of my boys disliked BU. And what was disappointing was that Iâd been in contact with our regional rep asking questions about legacy status, merit options, and when tours would be available. I know they have a lot on their plate but would have been nice to get a msg letting me know that tours were starting. Oh well.
As the posted graphic shows, it is possible to graduate in 4 years, 8 semesters with two coop periods. Summer sessions would likely be required. Some applicants are averse to studying in the summer but that will disappear once they are into the campus rhythm. If you enter with significant AP credit you may avoid the summer sessions. But to say that most students graduate after 6 semesters of course work is not correct.
Two summer sessions equals one regular semester. Tuition for a summer session is half that of the fall and spring semesters.
That makes sense to me. But in our info session and tour that was the message they were sending â youâll pay less tuition here than other places because you wonât be paying tuition for as many semesters. And, as I said, there were zero questions allowed in the info session, and when I asked the tour guide if people really only took six semesters of classes, she said most people did because they had sufficient AP & DE credits.
I am not contending that most people actually only take six semesters, but I do think many prospective students get the message that they will pay less tuition at Northeastern than at other schools that have a similar âsticker priceâ per year. And that is another reason it is increasing in popularity.
(Iâm also not complaining about it. I think Northeastern is more generous with AP and DE credit than many schools. My undergrad institution would only let students have AP credit for two courses, no matter how many tests they got a 5 on. And even if you donât end up being able to pay for fewer semesters of tuition, I think itâs a great school with great opportunities.)
âmany coops are unpaidâ. I hadnât even considered that. At my older childâs university, they provide a stipend when students take unpaid internships, I think in part to encourage exploration into non-profits and organizations that work in public service.
Maybe itâs dependent on major but I think most co-ops are paid. Itâs something you can probably research. There are lists of sample co-op employers by major. My son (Econ major in the CSSH) has done two paid co-ops and has a healthy bank account.
Yes, the vast majority of coops are paid. I would say that all coops in engineering, business, computer science, health sciences are paid. In CAMD and CSSH there may be some unpaid coops.
Yes, there is much more of a push to get students through in four years now, even with coops. For my Dâs, 2012-2022 combined, they and all their friends started and took five years with some doing three coops. That used to be the norm. Older D got thru her masters in five years with three coops but my younger D did 5+1 for her masters due to the rigors of her program (2 coops).
Often to get out in 4 years though, they also take classes in at least one summer session (1/2 semester) that you pay for as welll. If not two.
But yes, NEU is very generous with AP credits. Both my Dâs saved at least a semester plus in credits, but they took full advantage of being in college and the learning opps they were offered. For me, college is a once in a lifetime opp where your work is to learn and explore. We encouraged them not to rush through it.
Most are paid, but as I mentioned earlier, unless youâre CS or engineering (or maybe business of some sort) one cannot expect to bank money for tuition etc. Many coops pay enough to cover living expenses that semester, with a little savings. Families just shouldnât count on it but if savings happen, thatâs a bonus.
Some families even in CS and business now are reporting that their kids are not finding coops right now (or a few have been cancelled) given the economy and layoffs. This of course happened in covid as well. Itâs rare, but it does happen and folks just need to focus more on the learning experience of it all rather than the money theyâll earn/save.
He has since then lost all interest in NEU so itâs ok. But the fact that it was the only option he checked off on the application other than the Boston campus speaks to how much he liked the area when we stayed in Oakland.