Northeastern University (full tuition) vs. Georgetown (w/ 20k grant)

Colleges and Universities A-Z Georgetown University
1

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I'll have a significant amount of investment money off the bat if I attend Northeastern's University Scholars Program, which is a full-tuition scholarship for the top ~50 students who applied this year. Basically the total cost would be around 40k for room and board, but my parents would pay for all of it, and in fact my grandfather would actually GIVE me 13k a year for stock investments.</p>

<p>However, Georgetown gave me a 20k/yr grant (at least I think it's per year) which reduces the cost to 40k a year essentially. 40 x 4 = 160k. No investment money. :P</p>

<p>I don't know what I want to do yet as an occupation. I could conceivably work in tech, finance, med, politics... or law... I truly do have no idea.</p>

<p>Northeastern really pushes job experience with its co-op program (I don't know if anyone here is familiar with the school.) I have to assume that they will land me whatever I want since they'll be pushing the University Scholars kids towards the high-end internships and promoting us for the potential hirers.</p>

<p>However, Georgetown has DC right there, and most of the people I talked to seemed to be able to get really good internships too.</p>

<p>I am trying to do a cost-benefit analysis ONLY in terms of finances. Is the Georgetown name and the sort of jobs that will be offered to me as a result of that name (ignoring the fact that the offers clearly will differ depending on what field I go into) enough to counterbalance the financial freedom I'll have if I graduate without any sort of debt at Northeastern (also with $52000 of investment money after 4 years)?</p>

<p>Just for reference (disregarding finances), I very highly prefer NEU in terms of location, but I prefer Georgetown in terms of academics (even though I wouldn't stand out in that crowd as much as I would at NEU.)</p>

<p>I know you perusers of the Georgetown threads are probably somewhat biased, but I would definitely like to hear your side because I'm leaning towards Northeastern. I understand that some of you probably aren't that familiar with the school since DC is southern, but a lot of people in the north know NEU's reputation as a co-op school.</p>

<p>Tell me if I don't understand something, and provide feedback please.</p>

<p>I have 9 days to decide.</p>

<p>:P</p>

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<p>I know the value of a full-ride–I initially went to Duke with a full-ride scholarship, but I transferred to Georgetown. My decision to leave Duke was based on the campus culture, lack of city resources (academically, socially, culturally, professionally), and the lack of an intellectual environment/undergraduate focus. Your decision has to take into consideration the fact that Northeastern does not have the academic prestige and “wow-factor” of Georgetown. I would encourage you to be sure that you LOVE Northeastern–a full scholarship is hard to turn down, but if you do not love your undergraduate experience, it’s not worth it just because it is free.</p>

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<p>^why does a "wow-factor’ matter? That just seems silly to go to a school simply based on being able to say “I went here” to wow somebody. Medman, I am afraid that after your years at Gtown you only went away with the bragging right of having attended rather than the educational opportunities there that go well beyond a wow factor. </p>

<p>Whichever school will provide you with the best educational, professional, and social opportunities is the one you should choose. If saving money now and going to northeastern is a good professional choice for you then you should do it. if spending money now in the hopes of being able to attain a higher paying job later from a school like Georgetown is the right professional choice for you then take it.</p>

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<p>^What I took away from Georgetown was that an undergraduate education is more about personal development, perspective, and service than it is about professional preparation–thankfully, at Georgetown, you can count on having it all–that, my friend, is the “wow factor”–it is not about impressing anyone else–it is about having opportunities and developing yourself in ways that cannot be achieved at every college (and clearly not at your own). Don’t you get it? Your responses on this site really suggest that you are having/have had a very limited undergraduate experience…Yes, professional development and preparation is important, and I can assure you that Georgetown provides that in ways that only it and its peer schools can–and yes, that is because of the prestige but also it is because of its undergraduate focus, faculty mentorship, academic rigor, real-life opportunities in DC and beyond…but the real value of a Georgetown experience are the life lessons, personal development, service to others, diversity of experience, friendships, relationships, social and cultural adventures, and community that are all fostered and generated by the all that is Georgetown and life as a Hoya–that is the “wow factor”–and if other people are impressed because of it, so be it.</p>

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<p>In my opinion, the “top” schools have done a good job brainwashing many impressionable students into thinking they need to have a degree from one of those schools in order to succeed in society. They do it to justify their outrageous tuition and fees, while putting many students in debt. There are many professionals who have done very well financially (if that is your determination of a successful life) who have not gone to “top 20” schools. My child got into Georgetown early action with no offer of financial assistance and into a local university with the promise of a full-ride. Not only will my child receive special consideration and perks through the Honors program, but will be a “Big fish in a small pond”, garnering attention that would not be given at Georgetown. I imagine you would be in a similar situation, bbbblaahh. Unless you want to live in D.C. and work in government or politics, you may be better off going to NE where you will be assured an internship through the co-op program. Also, in these economic times, work experience through the internships Northeastern offers, with the possibility of full employment, should not be discounted. </p>

<p>There is a huge link on CC about students such as yourself who chose a free ride at a “no name” school versus going to an overpriced “name” at great expense to themselves. (sorry, I don’t have the link). Try and find it, and it may help give you come to a decision.</p>

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<p>And by the way Nova2011–you spend an awful lot of time on this Georgetown site–have you ever asked yourself why that is the case???</p>

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<p>@4mykids2: I am sorry that you feel this way–undergraduate years are certainly, in part, about professional preparation, but given that your child was admitted to Georgetown, it is likely that he/she will be academically successful and able to procure employment/graduate school regardless of where he/she attends college; however, the undergraduate experience should be more than simply professional preparation. Personal, cultural, philosophical, intellectual development are the salient aspects of undergraduate life that require introspection, mentorship, challenge, fostering, successes, and failures–“Big fish in a small pond” should be the last thing an entering freshman should be aspiring for…</p>

<p>You also don’t seem to know DC very well–it is more than government and politics–it, unlike any other city in the country, provides some of the best opportunities in every discipline and professional domain–don’t forget, the National Institute of Everything is in DC–so yes, we have politics and government and international affairs–Capitol Hill, White House, State Department, Embassies–but we also have law (every major firm has an office in DC, Supreme Court, District Courts), pubic affairs, nonprofits, science + technology (Naval Research Lab, National Science Foundation, National Academy of the Sciences, Carnegie Institution for Science, technology firms, CIA), medicine/health (National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Drug Abuse, AMA, every major medical specialty association is housed in DC), business (The World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Georgetown Corp, accounting/finance/investment firms second only to NYC on the east coast), arts and history (Kennedy Center, National Theater, Arena Stage (most acclaimed regional theater on the East Coast), Studio Theater, Smithsonian Institutions, numerous art galleries, National Archives, Library of Congress, National Gallery of Art)–and Georgetown students have the pick of internships and incredible opportunities to try out a multitude of potential interests, hobbies, and potential careers. </p>

<p>Northeastern is a good school with a unique co-op component. Although interest in Northeastern has grown considerably, it is still lagging in both academic strength, strength of student body, and sense of community/personal development. The co-op component is its trademark, but it is extremely varied in terms of the quality of the experience (it is important to talk to students in your area of interest to see what they have done and how they enjoyed it). I believe you can get a good education at Northeastern, but not a great one and not the type of experience and personal growth fostered by Georgetown and other strong, undergraduate-focused institutions.</p>

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<p>“And by the way Nova2011–you spend an awful lot of time on this Georgetown site–have you ever asked yourself why that is the case???”</p>

<p>Don’t we have a case of the pot calling the kettle black, medman? 207 posts as a college student? --have you ever asked yourself why that is the case? Doesn’t sound like you are availing yourself of all D.C. has to offer that you write so eloquently about if your nose is stuck on a website geared for students applying to college. I am not going to get into a war of words while you idealistically wax prophetic on the virtues of life at Georgetown after not finding your niche at Duke. Interesting how you don’t mention the virtues of a social life as a salient aspect of college life. I am glad you have found comfort with yourself and a good fit at Georgetown. Your role does not need to be convincing others of this on a website geared for teenagers applying to college and their parents. When you come out of your ivory tower into the real world, I wish you luck. </p>

<p>I’m sure you will have a burning desire to respond in a diatribe against this post, and the chances I will bother to log on again are next to nil, but knock yourself out. You don’t seem to have much else to do.</p>

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<p>Medman you mentioned Georgetown’s peer schools? D you think georgetown even has peers? Isn’t it in a class totally unique from everyone else and well beyond the academic caliber of such heavy weights as harvard, Yale, and Princeton?</p>

<p>You my friend have exhibited through many posts your true colors. You had a tough time at Duke and Gtown seemed to be a nice cushion to fall on and so now you argue that Georgetown is the greatest college on earth without any regards to facts (as you have so brazenly blown off on many different threads, one example being the Uchicago vs gtown thread).</p>

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<p>So hostile 4mykids2. Not an undergraduate anymore. At Hopkins med., looking on the site out of interest given my continued role in admissions (undergraduate and medical school). I am on the Georgetown site because I went to Georgetown and am interested in helping others who are considering the school. And personal development is about social life as well…</p>

<p>It’s parents like you who make me so grateful for and to my own…</p>

<p>And Nova2011–it’s sad to see that you are still struggling with the reality of your unfortunate status as a Wildcat…And yes, I am grateful for the experience I had at Georgetown, particularly given the uninspiring (not tough at all, in any way, good or bad) time I had at Duke–why is that so difficult for you? Don’t you have the guts (or grades) to transfer???</p>

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<p>In making your decision, the fact that you are undecided on career and want to explore various academic paths and potetnial careers points to going to Georgetown. Washington DC in the year 2012 is at the center of the universe in terms of proximity to the nation’s major economic, cultural and political institutions. It is,with oufits like Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, Capital One, the World Bank, the Fed and Ginnie Mae at the center of finance. With outfits like the Smithsonian, the Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars, CSIS, Brookings, Heritage etc. it is at the center of American intellectual life. It is the seat of power for the government.</p>

<p>The possibilities that are available in Washington in 2012 are greater than any place in America save New York City. The additional cost of attending the leading university in this city are well worth it in my view. Georgetown and its opportunities make it one of a true handful of univerisites where the opportunity is truly priceless and beyond any conventional cost-benefit analysis.</p>

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<p>Georgetown and NE are apples and oranges.</p>

<p>At Georgetown you will get a liberal arts education as a foundation while at the same time having access to internships in DC during the academic year, and post graduate opportunities nearly out of reach for Northeastern students. The Georgetown network is an excellent resource for alumni from Wall Street, to Capitol Hill, to Hollywood and beyond. Your classmates will be amazing and you will get to know them.</p>

<p>At Northeastern you will get credit for doing internships at companies. To me this is more of an apprenticeship program, albeit a good option for someone who already knows what industry the want to go into.</p>

<p>Are you a good investor? $13k in investment money may sound good, but if you don’t know what you’re doing $13k can become $10k or a lot less really easily in today’s financial markets. </p>

<p>I’d say go to Georgetown learn about investing from one of the best undergraduate business schools in the US and through Wall Street internships and then roll the dice with your investment money.</p>

<p>An education, the Georgetown experience and a diploma last a lifetime. A great employment opportunity is merely the byproduct of a Georgetown degree. And by the way Georgetown does ok placing its students.</p>

<p>On the flipside Northeastern seems to be less about the campus community and the students are more influenced by their work experiences at various Fortune 500 companies. If your goal in life is to work for Verizon, Raytheon, or some other Fortune 500 company, and to get started ASAP then Northeastern is the way to go. </p>

<p>By the way I know one Northeastern graduate. He’s a nice guy. His brother went to Georgetown. I know him because he always tags along during our trips to the Big East basketball tournament. He doesn’t get to do stuff like that with his friends from Northeastern… just sayin’ in case these sort of intangibles matter to you.</p>

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<p>If you choose professions like medicine and law, you will need to go to grad school. Would you be able to afford Georgetown and grad school then? Or choose to go to NEU for your undergrad, finishing with no debt, then spending $ on grad school?</p>

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<p>

</p>

<p>Northeastern does not award credit for coop. You complete 128 credits in the classroom in order to graduate just like any other school.</p>

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<p>^Thanks for the clarification. Do students pay tuition for their co-op experiences? Are they paid during their co-ops? I admit I am a little unfamiliar with co-op programs.</p>

<p>I see the co-ops being interesting for a student interested in engineering. For a student interested in public policy, business, law, or even medicine. I can’t see the comparative advantage over Georgetown. The median starting salary for G’town Business undergrads in 2010 was over $60k. Do Northeastern students get similar salaries? </p>

<p>Starting salaries and what students do after graduation is also worth looking at if one is doing a cost benefit.</p>

<p>For example here are Georgetown’s senior surveys.</p>

<p>[Georgetown</a> University Class of 2010 Senior Survey Report](<a href=“Cawley Career Education Center | Georgetown University”>Cawley Career Education Center | Georgetown University)</p>

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<p>I didn’t anticipate such fervency.</p>

<p>Do you think the workload for two college students in different schools but in the same major is comparable? I mean, if I’m going into the same major at NEU and GT, would I receive comparable workloads?</p>

<p>Just a question. It’s rather simplified and silly, but I’d like to think that my NEU workload would be less… I suppose I really don’t have much faith in the supposition that two different colleges provide me with two vastly different educations in the first place, so I would tend to be attracted towards the one with the least amount of incurred debt (and work), thereby maximizing the benefits.</p>

<p>I just can’t envision people at Georgetown being vastly different from those at Northeastern. I would imagine the only thing that really differs is how hard they try - I know that’s what mostly differentiates the “top” students in my high school from the “average” students. Not that I resent that - it just makes it more difficult for me to stand out to potential employers, I would imagine. But given the much larger population of Northeastern, I imagine I could find any kind of person.</p>

<p>I’m very autodidactic, and I’ve never liked the idea of college very much in the first place, so that makes this decision more difficult. But that’s a completely different topic and now I’m rambling.</p>

<p>Please refute what I say, you in ardent support of higher education… and you in support of what Georgetown allows you to do.</p>

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<p>You may be right. You can find the same types of students at both schools. However, Georgetown has more high achievers and fewer slackers than most colleges. That’s why employers are willing to offer the high salaries and recruit georgetown students. More likely than not they are going to get a smart and hardworking employee. At less competitive schools employers have to work harder to find the same types of students, even though they obviously exist. They simply do not want to waste their time especially if their business relies on on smart hardworking individuals, and if the companies have limited recruiting budgets.</p>

<p>At northeastern you may stand out, but which employers will be recruiting at the school is the question. If you are happy with those employers then go for it.</p>

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<p>I’m in the same boat as you bbbblaahhh. I was accepted early action into Georgetown’s SFS, but I also have a full ride at the University of Alabama and a spot in their honors program (My family would have to pay full price for GU). I agree with medman that Georgetown will probably offer you a superior education. For me the two biggest pros of GU are the student body (and the plethora of opportunities that flow from a motivated and diverse group of people) and its Middle Eastern languages program (arguably the best in the nation). I think there is little doubt that turning down Georgetown will make your life more difficult in the future. As a professor at UA put it, graduate schools (or businesses) will look at an education from UA (or Northeastern) as inferior to one at GU. To compensate, (in addition to making excellent grades and becoming very involved in extracurriculars) you will have to make connections with superlative people who through their recommendations, etc. can push you forward. I think it’s a dangerous bet to pick Northeastern over Georgetown; there is definitely more room for failure.</p>

<p>All that said, I am heavily leaning toward UA. I know that if I had a quarter million dollars I would not spend it on a bachelor’s degree (I would start a business or invest it). Like you I am very didactic, and I cannot stomach sending my parents’ retirement to a school with a billion dollars in the bank. There is also something incredibly attractive about forging my own way, knowing that my success depends upon my hard work rather than upon the name of the institution which I attend. If this is how you feel, no argument will be strong enough to convince you to matriculate at Georgetown. If not, you shouldn’t handicap yourself by turning down GU.</p>

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<p>^I completely understand your predicament and argument, but I would also encourage you (and others) to reflect on the purposes of investing in your undergraduate education. The prestige is a no-brainer. The academic challenge and enrichment is a no-brainer. Georgetown will afford you more prestige, stronger academics, smarter and more diverse/cosmopolitan students, and Georgetown will impress graduate/professional school admissions people and employers far more than Northeastern and Alabama. However, you all will succeed (or can succeed) academically at any institution, and your academic success will likely lead to professional success and financial security (it is clear, however, that the Georgetown degree and experience, alumni network, prestige, etc. facilitates this in ways that the aforementioned schools will not). However, the true investment in the undergraduate experience of Georgetown comes not only from the academic and professional domains but from the personal development and enrichment that is generated and fostered. Places like Georgetown are unique in undergraduate higher education–you will learn about yourself, the world, and others in ways that are difficult to replicate at other schools and in other times in your life; you will learn about yourself through experiences on campus, in Washington, DC, and through the incredible diversity of people and experiences; you will further develop your strengths and strengthen your vulnerabilities; you will put in action what you are learning; you will receive a “complete” education and undergo development (“Cura personalis”), as an individual, as a member of a strong community, and as a part of a greater world; your experience at Georgetown will challenge you in ways that will help to define your purpose and your faith (or lack of faith).<br>
It is an incredible place and opportunity that is, again, difficult to achieve at other places (few places offer the combination of undergraduate-focused education, mentorship, real-life applications to learning, service for others, diverse student body, tremendous resources of a phenomenal city, plethora of social, professional and cultural opportunities in all domains and areas of interest, history, tradition, and a commitment to examining and developing knowledge, health AND spirituality–this makes Georgetown incredibly unique). This is worth far more than a quarter of a million dollars, as the return on the investment is a level of fulfillment that is truly priceless.</p>

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<p>@smoughon7</p>

<p>“I cannot stomach sending my parents’ retirement to a school with a billion dollars in the bank. There is also something incredibly attractive about forging my own way, knowing that my success depends upon my hard work rather than upon the name of the institution which I attend.”</p>

<p>Wow, that’s exactly what I feel.</p>