Northeastern University vs. University of Rochester (final decision time)

[rebca912]

Finally managed to narrow it down to Northeastern University and University of Rochester. The problem is, I can’t get beyond that. They’re both good schools but in extremely different ways, and I’m not sure what to pick. So I thought I’d list the pros and cons and see what others have to say. Costs are basically equal, and my parents are completely leaving the decision up to me.

I want to double major in something business-y (like econ or finance) and something biology-y (probably psych or neuroscience). Beyond that, though, I’m not sure what I want to major in or do once I get out of college.

Northeastern pros:

1. CO-OP! And related to that, good job placement rate.
2. Good college city
3. Rising reputation, pretty well-regarded around Boston
4. I have a couple friends from high school going there. I know we might drift apart eventually, but it’d be nice to not be totally alone at the beginning
5. I live near Boston and generally like the region’s attitude. From what I’ve read it seems that Northeastern students are generally pretty cool as well
6. Co-op again. Especially for business-y stuff, it could definitely be an advantage

Northeastern cons:

1. It’s a big school
2. Core curriculum
3. Not the biggest fan of city living, but I’d manage.
4. Not as much of a “campus community” or set-apart campus, though that was always lower on my priority list anyways.

Rochester pros:

1. Flexible core curriculum, easy to double major
2. Strong sciences
3. I really like the students. At visiting students day, there was time to talk with other prospective students, and they were definitely people I thought could be my friends in the future
4. Known to be collaborative and not competitive. Learning is celebrated
5. Great size ( ~5500 undergrads)
6. Nice campus. Not too big, not too small. Very green.

Rochester cons:

1. Not as confident about its prowess in business as its prowess in the sciences.
2. It’s not super isolated, but the surrounding area is a bit dull.
3. I want a job when I graduate and I while they have impressive statistics, I also feel they’re a bit grad-school focused, and the career services office didn’t appear too helpful when I visited.

  To be blunt, I'm going to college because I want a job. Maybe I'll get an MBA or something later on, but I see going to college as a way to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to prepare me for a career that I will hopefully enjoy and be successful at. That's why Northeastern and its wonderful co-op program appeal to me so much. Especially considering a  major interest of mine is business, I believe the experience I'd gain doing co-op would serve me well. Also, as I don't specifically know what I want to do in the future, the co-op program could also help me determine that.

  However, Rochester is also an excellent school with a strong science curriculum and people whom I could see myself getting along with. They're also a bit more solidly established in their place, while Northeastern has mostly been rising over the past decade-ish. But I'm not sure how their career services stack up. And I know a lot of job-finding has to do with you and your accomplishments, etc, but there are still those other factors to be considered.

So, yeah, I’m kind of stuck. Any opinions or suggestions would be welcome. Thank you

[singermom4]

We visited Rochester and came away with the same impressions. I think the major difference is that one is work-focused and the other research-focused. However, I do believe that University of Rochester is held in high enough in regard that it is attractive to employers. Opportunities may be a bit different with Northeastern naturally providing more opportunities in the Boston area - so it depends on where you want to end up. Companies such as Google do recruit from Rochester. If more of a learning-focused environment is important to you, I would lean towards Rochester - you will still have great job opportunities.

[CTkid47]

Like you said, the purpose of going to college is to get a job. Northeastern has the number 1 career service program in the country and you already know that the Co-op program is unparalleled. I’m not to say that you wouldn’t get a job after Rochester whatsoever, but the statistics seem to express the thought that the job market is more available to Northeastern students. Also, I’m sure many companies recruit from both schools, but to say that Google recruits the typical Rochester student is unfair because Google is an exceptionally selective company and probably will recruit more from the most prestigious universities in the world. Although I am pushing Northeastern, the decision is ultimately up to you. You should choose the school that is a better “fit” for you, especially since you see plenty of advantages and disadvantages at each school.

[4Gulls]

My D got into Rochester and my S Northeastern - but neither got quite enough $$$ in the end (alas). We loved both schools for many of the same reasons you mentioned (Co-op, Reputation, Size, etc.) That said, there was something about Rochester that we really, really loved. I do think that those who know Rochester know its reputation. Those that confuse it with a SUNY (and nothing against SUNY here) don’t. I think part of your decision should be based on how solid you are with your area of studies. Which school did you get into at NEU? How easy is to switch if you change your mind? Rochester is very flexible - which is one thing we loved. I would imagine the snow / cold factor is about the same at both.

[merc81]

If the co-op program is your primary consideration, then NEU would win almost over EVERY school. Consider that Rochester has been educating students for graduate studies or the job market for generations. If the model hasn’t been working, then someone really needs to tell them.

I’m not suggesting your decision is an easy one, but it seems that you are a really good fit for Rochester. I’m pretty sure you will get a job if you attend. Good luck, whichever you choose.