Hi guys! I have the incredibly tough decision of choosing between Northeastern and Brandeis. I’m extremely grateful to be choosing between two great schools, but I feel like I’m stuck. I visited both but still am not sure - I feel like I could fit in at either. They gave me very similar amounts in financial aid (both great packages). I’m probably going to major in either comp sci or bio / behavioral neuroscience on a pre-med track (I clearly have a lot of figuring out to do lol). Here’s a list of each school’s pros and cons for me:
Northeastern
PROS
Co-op - most attractive thing for me, especially if I decide to do comp sci (I would gain connections and experience from top tech companies)
- Puts people at a huge advantage in the job market
Location provides countless opportunities for internships and fun things
Better comp sci
Feeling of excitement and doing big things
CONS
Not a huge fan of the pre-professional vibe and people knowing exactly what they want to do
I think I’d rather have a traditional college experience, even though the co-op would help a lot
Size (17,000) is a bit overwhelming
Best programs are business and engineering, which I’m not really interested in
Brandeis
PROS
Better academically - outstanding professors
Students seem more down-to-earth and intellectual, which I like
Less pressure to major in something pre-professional
Suburban campus (preferred) and more tight-knit community
Better socio-economically (higher percentage of low income students)
Amazing neuroscience program and generally great science programs
Size is optimal for me
More individual attention
CONS
No co-op
Less opportunities b/c it’s not in the middle of Boston
Stricter course requirements
Worse comp sci
A lot of students get a “pre-professional vibe” at NU visits, but for what it’s worth anecdotally, I’m currently a sophomore and don’t see that at all. While we co-op in our field, many use it as an exploratory opportunity just because it’s such a perfect time to do so; even within disciplines, one might take different types of jobs- for example, a corporate finance co-op first, then investment banking second, just to try both. I have a number of friends who were/are undeclared and I think they really liked the program. In short, I don’t notice it; ymmv, obviously.
I also think our comp sci program and subsequent co-ops are outstanding, up there with engineering and business for our best.
Will definitely say it’s not a traditional college experience, though you said co-op is your favorite part of NU (and the least traditional thing). While we talk a lot on this forum about how co-op and study abroad affects friendships and community feel, I think something rarely added to the flip side argument is the fact that many/majority of students are here for 5 years, which is a HUGE perk of NU. For example, last night I had an end-of-year banquet for a student group, and I realized how lucky we are as a school because our student groups can become so much closer when students are in it for an entire additional year compared to the typical school. It seems kind of silly, but it’s actually one of my favorite parts of NU.
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**Disclaimer: all descriptions above were posted if I thought they were relevant or brought new information to some of your points. I know very little of Brandeis other than it is well-respected, but based on your description you prefer it. I can’t imagine the compsci program is significantly worse to justify NU over Brandeis if you prefer the environment. If money is not a huge deal (congrats on the scholarships!), it sounds like your heart is at Brandeis. While I love NU, most of your “pros” have to do with career/job placement, which really shouldn’t be a problem for you as a compsci major anyways.
I’d have to agree with @novafan1225 - you seem to really only like NEU for the better job placement and opportunities - the difference isn’t enough to ignore all other fit factors of Brandeis. It sounds like you would be much better off there in terms of you as a person, and that’s great 
This is coming from an incredibly happy NEU CS student - when I visited Brandeis, I didn’t even stay for the full tour - I could tell it was not my place, and the CS program here really is much better for various reasons. That said, the CS program there is good - you won’t have a life and death disadvantage on graduation, especially with the CS market. All that’s even if you do CS, which I wouldn’t worry about if you’re thinking about a lot of different directions.
Explore around at Brandies and whatever you choose, it’s a fine school that will offer a quality education in the end and you should be able to land a job you’re veery happy with!
I would just add that NEU students are much more down-to-earth than they seem. Good luck!
I would say that if you go to Brandeis, you can arrange to have preprofessonal experiences. But if you go to Northeastern, you can’t arrange to have a “traditional” college experience and the intellectual vibe you detect at Brandeis.
If you go to Brandeis, make good use of its career center. Arrange for internships. If you major in computer science and have skills, I don’t think a co-op school is necessary.