Northeastern vs Boston College

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Hi! I am currently a high school senior torn between Northeastern and Boston College. My top choice is Middlebury, where I sit on the waitlist, but most likely I will end up at whichever school I pick.

As a note, I’m having a pretty hard time choosing because both of these colleges are pretty different than Midd. I went to high school in a small town in Maine with a class size of about 50, and I really enjoyed the friends and close community we had there. Also, I do not know what I want to pursue in the future, so these were definitely all pros of Boston College. On another note, from what I’ve heard, BC is notoriously a party school. I enjoy going out with friends and partying and participating in outings, but not if it included doing this every night of every weekend. I enjoy these social scenes a lot, but would I be left out if I wanted to spend a night inside or in a small group?

But, I grew up a ski racer, and I’ve raced at an international level for a few years. I do not want to go D1, like BC (I spent too long being too competitive and I need a change), and NEU provides an opportunity to ski on one of the top USCSA (club/D3) teams in the country. Also, the co-op is very appealing to me and my future, even if I don’t have an idea for a major. Finally, I am in NU.in, so my first semester would be abroad (which sounds very exciting!). I’m not sure how the pandemic will affect this program and if will affect my choice.

My other schools outside of this that I’m considering are Colby College, Bates College, and the University of Rochester. If you have any insight, please let me know! I also grew up playing high level soccer and could be possibly looking for a club team, and I enjoy community service and running as well. I’m aware that they are all great schools but I would really appreciate some advice for someone as indecisive as me!

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What is it that initially attracted you to Middlebury? Bates and Colby are the most similar to Middlebury but Northeastern, BC, and UR have a lot to recommend them as well. Perhaps you could do a “plusses and minuses” list for each school. Sometimes it can be helpful. Not only can it help you figure out what matters most to you in a school but sometimes you can detect an emotional pull toward a certain school when you find yourself making excuses for the school’s perceived weaknesses.

Some other random thoughts:
It’s unlikely schools will be running programs abroad in the fall, so I’d take that off the table. All of these schools should have opportunities to go abroad in later years.

The schools further north will have better options for weekend skiing. Colby is on many lists of best schools for skiers.

If you’re very interested in service programs I’d give Bates a slight edge but you can find good programs at most schools.

A lot of schools have woken up to the advantages of running co-ops but Northeastern has been doing them well for a long, long time.

If you’re looking for a bigger school experience with big-time sports none of the other schools can rival BC.

How important to you is it to be close to home or to branch out and get out of Maine?

Consider what it would be like to attend these schools if you have to do the first semester, or even the first year remotely.