<p>The college application process is over and now I need to decide! I am ultimately undecided but feel strongly about entering into computer science or the like. I was accepted to Northeastern, BU (No scholarships, no aid) and RPI and I feel best about Northeastern, but when I get to reading US News rankings and whatnot I second-guess myself.</p>
<p>Ultimately, I'm just asking for other people's opinion on the three schools. Will NEU's coop be most beneficial to me, or will a job not be that important for someone with a CS degree who is possibly looking for his masters? Should I be more interested in RPI's tech-driven curriculum, or should their mostly male student body in upstate NY keep me in Boston?</p>
<p>Any opinions are appreciated. Discussion is the straightest path to decisions.</p>
<p>My son will graduate from NEU this spring with a CS degree. He chose NEU over RPI for a few reasons: Co-op, location, scholarship $, and desire for more diverse student body were the top ones as I recall. </p>
<p>I don’t think you can beat NEU CS Co-op program. Son was offered full-time employment by his internationally recognized co-op employer in the fall of last year. Top salary, great benefits, signing bonus, wonderful work environment… While I was hoping he’d go directly to grad school, he has convinced me that it doesn’t make financial sense at this time and really isn’t necessary or seen as a big plus in CS.</p>
<p>Because of NEU’s location, it’s incredibly difficult to find a better Co-op program. Comparable programs are out there, RIT being one for example, but they’re smaller schools who dedicate alot of resources to the system. You have to remember though, the Co-Op system is only as good as you make it. You hear about people getting placed at the company they did a co-op making 6-figures, and all that jazz, but that’s someone who really worked at standing out. Job placement from Co-Ops is high, but you still have ot earn it.</p>
<p>That said, NEU is really expensive. And i cannot stress this enough: MANY COMPANIES WILL PAY TUITION COSTS FOR A GRADUATE DEGREE. It’s in your best interest to get a quality degree, get awesome experience from Co-Op, and get into the workforce WITH AS LITTLE DEBT AS POSSIBLE.</p>
<p>Do not pay for your graduate degree if it’s simply a way of delaying your entry into the workforce. It isn’t worth it.</p>
<p>I second the holding off on the masters - wait until you are employed and let your employer cover those costs (especially true in the tech industry).</p>
<p>When I mentioned the co-op I meant to imply that I’m unsure if it is really such a fantastic selling point because I think CS will be a field with pretty reliable job availability regardless of co-op experience. Perhaps I’m ignorant to the reality of the co-op benefits.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies, everyone. NEUMom2009, all of those reasons with the exception of scholarship money are why I am leaning toward NEU over RPI. BU remains a consideration only because US News says they have better departments than NEU, even though NEU admittance rank is twice as competitive.</p>
<p>Co-ops are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more beneficial than you think. </p>
<p>First of all, with 3 co-ops you get the opportunity to work in 3 different fields where you can apply your CS skills. Doing this in the actual workforce would require a job change 3 times.</p>
<p>Second, you get exposure at 3 companies you are already interested in (hopefully, if you’ve done your part and actually worked to get the co-op you want). This means you have a leg up against competition when eventually applying for those positions.</p>
<p>Third, you get to see how your skills are going to be used in the real world. You might learn you like one specific subset of CS more than another (like you might lean toward SE over CE minor because of your first co-op). It’s just good exposure.</p>
<p>All things considered, take the time to get on the phone (if you can’t visit in person) and speak with faculty of each schools departments. Ask every question you can think of. Annoy the hell out of them with questions until you get a good feel for what each department has to offer you. Then you’ll have your answer.</p>
<p>If BU is full ticket, I’d drop that from the list. As others have said, co-op is very beneficial. At RPI you could get leads for summer jobs or semester co-op, but the’d only be 3 months. Many employers and students prefer a longer, 5 to 6 month assignment. </p>
<p>Often co-op is touted for improved job prospects (true). But another advantage is the chance to test drive up to three different jobs/companies.) </p>
<p>Having said all that, there are still some students that would prefer to be at STEM school like RPI. Good luck deciding - you have great choices.</p>
<p>Well said CM-I don’t know what I could add. I would caution against using rankings as a factor in your decision-all three schools will give you a fine education-it depends on what factors are the most important to you.</p>
<p>Thanks again for all the replies guys. I’m going to attend all three of the school’s accepted students days this coming weekend. I think the variety at BU and NEU mean more to me than the STEM focus at RPI. What are some good qualifying questions I should be asking at these visits?</p>