Hi there - I’ve visited and communicated with both NEU and LUC and I love love love Northeastern but I’m still very interested in Loyola. My intended areas of study are journalism and theatre and Loyola’s offerings in these departments are outstanding but Northeastern’s co-op program is very enticing and Loyola offers nothing remotely close. I’m just beginning the application process and I’d greatly appreciate advice from anyone experienced with these two universities. Thanks!
I’m a Northeastern student in neither of these fields, but a good friend of mine is a Communications major from Chicago originally who co-op’d at The Boston Globe and knows many Northeastern journalism students there. Her roommate is also involved in theatre here. Hopefully, I can give at least some perspective through that.
First, as far as applications go, apply to both and don’t force this decision yet. It’s very possible that admissions decisions could make the decision for you, as Northeastern’s acceptance rate is 27% with a high stat profile, while Loyola Chicago accepts over 60% of applicants. The good news is that if you are happy with both, a rejection from Northeastern won’t be painful. In some ways, it may be better to wait to fall in love with a school until you’re accepted.
That said, the Journalism program at Northeastern is the real deal from what I have seen. Even given the field, the journalism majors I know aren’t scrambling or worried about jobs after graduation. The Boston Globe is obviously a great co-op opportunity and they have been taking students for co-op’s for decades now, and many who work there currently are alumni. It’s not confined to Boston either - I was out on co-op in LA and knew someone who worked for NBC.
As far as theatre goes, it’s no Julliard or a Top 10 program, but there are lots of ways to get involved in various student productions, and I think you’ll find decent offerings in terms of classes if you look at the course catalog. That said, the theatre major is very small here, and more theatre people are involved in other ways outside of the classroom. If it comes down to choosing between these in terms of academics/programs in sum of your interests and co-op, I think Northeastern still does have the advantage here. Of course, don’t ignore fit or cost based on that. It’s just one piece of the puzzle.
Good luck!
Thanks so much! I really like all that Northeastern has to offer, it really seems to fit what I’m looking for, so my fingers are crossed for a good outcome! I really like Loyola’s journalism and theatre programs as well, but no co-ops 
I’ve been looking at Drexel since they seem to offer a similar co-op program as Northeastern.
U of Cincicatti is another good co-op school and would likely be a safety for you if Northeastern is in range. They actually were the first school to offer the program as an integral part of the school, shortly followed by Northeastern and later Drexel. It’s actually an interesting Wikipedia history.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooperative_education
Right now if you asked most people, for co-op outside of engineering, Northeastern, Drexel, and U of Cincinnati are the leaders, in that order.
Given how rare co-op programs are outside of STEM, I wouldn’t hold it as so much of a negative against others. Loyola sounds like a solid fit, and you can pave your own path when it comes to working while in school if needed. It’s by no means equal to co-op, but if everything else fits, it can help you keep the same academic philosophy that drives co-op programs.
Curious, what is your GPA / SAT, if you don’t mind sharing? It could help others suggest schools for your list. Don’t forget to consider if these schools are affordable either, as getting in but realizing a school is not affordable can be heartbreaking.
Thanks again 
I have a high GPA and SATs thankfully won’t apply since I’ve taken enough college credits. I looked closer at Drexel and they seem to be right in line of what I’m interested in as well and I’ll definitely keep the cost in mind. I’m not sure if you can answer this but I only need one more math class to fill my school’s requirement and I’m currently in College Algebra. I know most schools want the upper courses like calculus with analytical geometry and/or statistics but I don’t think taking that big of a leap is a good idea. It seems like the next class would be pre-calculus but quantitative reasoning and statistical reasoning are offered as well and I can take either after college algebra. Should I just take pre-cal now and take the upper level math courses when I transfer?
Ah, I didn’t realize you were a transfer, so that’s better odds!
For your subjects, I’m not sure if math will matter that much - you’ll have to check on an individual basis. Taking pre-calc sounds like a good idea though over quantitative reasoning or statistical reasoning.