Northeastern vs. Tufts

Colleges and Universities A-Z Northeastern University
1

<p>I was accepted EA into Northeastern's Honors Program, so for the past few months I've really fallen in love with NE, especially because of the co-op program and all of the international opportunities. I really wasn't expecting to get into Tufts, but lo and behold I did, which places me in my current predicament. </p>

<p>NE gave me $14,000/year in merit aid, while Tufts gave me squat (I know they don't give merit aid, and I was already pretty sure that I wouldn't qualify for need-based). So the finances are weighing pretty heavily in my decision. And to make matters worse, I got into BU's Honors Program with a half-tuition scholarship. (But I'm pretty sure I prefer NE to BU since NE actually has a campus.)</p>

<p>But I really do love Tufts. I am in no way picking my college based on its name/prestige, but I've had a lot of people tell me that it is a no-brainer to pick Tufts over NE. </p>

<p>I've been accepted Undeclared, but I will most likely pursue something in the International Relations realm... which is what is especially making this decision so difficult. Tufts has an absolutely fabulous program, but NE has the co-op that would allow me to experience the field to decide if I am really as passionate as I think I am for the major.</p>

<p>I am absolutely torn, so I turn to the wonderful CC community that has supported me over the past year in all of my decisions.</p>

2

<p>Just the financial side of things: NEU gave you 14K/year, but that’s for 5 years, right? With Tufts, you wouldn’t be paying for a fifth year of school, so I believe it works out to be pretty close in price; I’m not positive though.</p>

3

<p>Students do not pay for tuition while on coop. The extra year is for the two to three coops that (S)he will be doing. As for your situation I would visit both schools one last time since they are relatively close to each other. Sit in on class discussions and go with your gut instinct. Both schools will give you spectacular opportunities after college. Good luck.</p>

4

<p>Like MIT said, you don’t pay for 5 years, just 4. </p>

<p>Haha, my vote is Tufts. It’s an awesome place to go to school. The location is good, campus is pretty, academics are excellent, cool and intellectual student body. Co-op + Finances are the only factors I would think should sway you toward NU. Maybe location if you’re a total city kid and like the compact & urban NU campus. Otherwise, I think Tufts has us beat in most aspects, it’s just a “better” school.</p>

<p>That’s not to say don’t come to NU, especially if you just love NU more. And MIT is right, go for another visit to both, try to see yourself as a student at both, go with your gut instinct.</p>

5

<p>I think I’m def going to be visiting both schools again (and maybe again after that? haha). I don’t think I can really go wrong in my decision. And yes, I understand that I’ll only pay for the semesters I’ll be attending. </p>

<p>Question: Is the co-op program @ Northeastern outstanding enough to pass on Tufts? On the Tufts board I’m being told that they have excellent career placement and whatnot… I’m concerned I’ve been a bit brainwashed by all the Northeastern literature I’ve been bombarded with for the past four months! I just need someone to give it to me straight.</p>

6

<p>My son is looking at an opportunity in Ghana or China for international criminal courts. They have very good placements outside the country. I would advise you to contact a coop advisor for the major you are interested in to get additional insight. Again Tufts is a great brand name and education but if that doesn’t matter to you, you can build a great resume and receive a great education at NEU. My 2 cents. Good luck!</p>

7

<p>I don’t know if the co-op is “outstanding enough to pass Tufts”. That’s kind of a hard question to answer, and it depends a lot on the individual (as well as major/field).</p>

<p>The cool things about co-op:
-More significant work experience than a typical internship (you’re there 6 months, full time, and many companies take co-op students every semester so they are good at giving appropriate work)
-You get to see if what you think you want to do with your degree is actually what you want to do.
-You can come back from co-op and tailor your education towards your new-found interests and goals
-After work and on weekends you have NO homework and NO obligations. It’s amazing… I have time to get through that Netflix queue, have long dinners with friends, read books, go into the city. Maybe even post too much on CC (although that’s best left for killing time at work).
-You realize that being a working adult totally sucks. You go to work, slave to the man, for 40 hours a week and then all the $$ you make goes right to taxes and rent. You don’t even have to pay for health insurance yet. Man, graduating is going to suck!
-You realize how great it is to be an undergrad, and get psyched to go back to classes. Then you start getting burnt out from all that studying, but luckily it’s time to go back on co-op.</p>

<p>Yes, Tufts is going to have amazing job placement. It’s Tufts, they’ve got a good reputation and many good connections. Which school will provide better job placement? Eh, hell if I know. There are kids at BOTH schools who get unbelievable jobs upon graduating, and there are kids at BOTH who wind up kinda screwed. This happens at all schools. </p>

<p>Tufts is just more traditional college experience. You go for 4 years. Every May the students pack their bags, go off to travel, intern, wait tables, and return in september, nice and tan, back to campus and classes. I have a few friends that say students at their school refer to it as “Camp ____” (think Trinity, Vassar, Hobart), because it’s kind of like living in a little college life bubble.</p>

<p>This is NOT what NU feels like. Freshman year, even sophomore year is all class, parties, sitting out on the quad, going to hockey games. But then things get crazy and everyone is on different schedules and in different places. People have full time jobs, with commutes and scary bosses and big screw ups. I go to work m-f, 9-5, go to the gym at 7 with all the other co-opers, get that weekly paycheck, pay my rent and cable and grocery bills. It’s like being a grown-up and it’s creepy. Sure, I get to go back to classes and undergrad life after 6 months, but the whole atmosphere of NU is less “Camp College” and more real-world. I DON’T think this is for everyone, and I think if someone is choosing between a co-op education and a really good college with traditional 4 years, that should be part of their decision.</p>

<p>I LOVE co-op. My opportunities have been incredible, my co-op job has been incredible. I also love NU (co-op is talked about so much, sometimes people forget that we’re still an actual college), and I’m glad I’m here. But co-ops aren’t always good. Sometimes people don’t get good jobs, sometimes they hate their jobs. Co-op isn’t magical, it’s work. You write a resume, employers read it. You compete with others based on your prior experience, and then you interview. I’ve seen people on both end… some get great jobs, some don’t.</p>

<p>Frankly, I just think that the academics at Tufts are better. I think the classes will challenge you more. I think it’s a cool place to go to school. Your connections there would be excellent. But, maybe co-op is just what you’re looking for. Maybe you’ll love it, maybe you’ll wind up with incredible opportunities. Either way, I think you’ll be fine post-graduation. But what do you want to do while in college? What kind of environment, what kind of 4 years are you looking for? That’s what might be more important in this situation.</p>

<p>Oi vey that was a long post, I promise I have friends and real hobbies! From now on all co-op questions receive copy-paste responses from this thread.</p>

8

<p>Emily- thank you. :)</p>

<p>That is exactly what I am trying to figure out right now… what is the college experience that I want? And I am having a bit of trouble deciding… I’m 17! I don’t know what I want in life yet!! :confused: </p>

<p>I really appreciate everyone’s comments. We’ll see what happens after I revisit all these schools next week!</p>

9

<p>It’s really no as big of a decision as you think it is. I was TORN between Northeastern and another school but chose Northeastern for a bunch of reasons. Once you’re at the school you pick, you’ll look back and realize that it really wasn’t that hard of a decision. If you go to Northeastern, you’ll love it and love coop and be like “why was I even considering Tufts? This is so great!” and if you go to Tufts, you’ll likely say the exact same thing. I know there is a lot of pressure for school and prestige and coop etc but really, it is not as big of a deal as people make it to be. Go to Northeastern, try your hardest, have a good time, make some money, and enjoy the city. Biased? Absolutely.</p>

10

<p>^Haha… that is absolutely true. My Psych teacher pointed out that I am in an Approach-Approach conflict… good news is, I really can’t go wrong; bad news is, I really can’t make a choice one way or another.</p>

11

<p>I am a student at NEU now, and I honestly would advise that you go with Tufts. The co-op program at Northeastern is quite fantastic, but makes for a college experience that isnt… well, “the college experience”. Everything else at Northeastern is average or sub-par: the academics, the personality… both are severely lacking. They are very financially generous, and there are countless opportunities for large scholarships (hence my decision to go in the first place) which are not too competitive, and they have a great reputation for co-op. But is the work experience worth it if you graduate a year later than everyone else in your class? Is it worth going through less dynamic co-ops before you are permitted to go internationally? Co-op here means that the education at NEU is designed to let you go on hiatus, break into the professional world without suffering academically. All well and good if that’s what you want, but with a Tufts education and experience, it is not difficult to gain job opportunities if you apply yourself. I might summarize Northeastern as an average school with the highlight of leaving classes for a semester or two without consequences. If that’s what you’re looking for, which it is for many so that they can profit from their lapse before getting back on track, go for it–otherwise, there is little that Tufts cannot give you.</p>

12

<p>I would mention that graduating a year later than your friends will turn out to be a good thing (almost everyone I know is happy about taking an extra year), not a detriment. One year out of your life as a working adult is really nothing. I also think you can land a “dynamic” co-op in your first round, but you HAVE to have the experience and skills to be competitive… just make sure you work part time or intern when you’re a freshman/sophomore.</p>

<p>Other than that, I completely agree with everything etre said. I do think the atmosphere of the school will change for the better in coming years (it’s already a much different place than it was several years ago), but she’s right. We’re just an average school with one awesome bonus (co-op).</p>

13

<p>LOL im sorry but etre and emily2007 you guys are pathetic. IF NEU really has this type of students where they call their own institution average or sub-par then I would second guess going/enrolling. Go with Tufts.</p>

14

<p>I’m sorry, admitting the faults of our own school is pathetic? I’m just honest. I’m not deluded into thinking that my university is some kind of incredible, world-class institution. We are average, we are middle tier, just like MANY other schools in this country. I’m getting a great education here and have been given opportunities that rival those of top schools. I think my past posts on this site reflect that I’m happy to be here and think this is a good place for me. This was my safety school, I chose to go here over a higher ranked, well-reputed school, and I made the right choice.</p>

<p>But please. This isn’t the ivy league, this isn’t Stanford. Why would I pretend that it is? Why would I claim that our academics are better than Tufts when that isn’t true? I’m not here to pretend I’m better than anyone, or impress anyone, I’m just giving an honest opinion.</p>

15

<p>Hm, can’t say I understand how having an opinion and exercising freedom of speech is pathetic, but I can see how denouncing features of your own school may come across as a low blow… which is why I am transferring to another institution come fall.</p>

16

<p>Yes we’re not an elite college, but to call us sub-par or average is a little harsh. As an engineer, I feel like I’m getting a great education and am really being challenged in most of my classes. But I guess it largely depends on what college within the university you’re in. Some (Business, Engineering, etc.) are great, while others (esp. Arts and Sciences) I feel are lacking. </p>

<p>I love Northeastern and I think its a great school. I never doubt my decision to come here. But if international relations is what you want to do I think Tufts is your best bet. Now if you were interested in business or engineering that’d be a different story…</p>

17

<p>Heard that NEU engineering is way better than Tufts. Tufts engineers are kinda snobby and not very appreciated by employers because of their lack of experience. But if you’re gonna major something else Tufts isn’t bad. I’m at Tufts right now but I like NEU because it’s in Boston, the Orange and Green line is on campus, and has a nice gym. Tufts has a ****ty gym. They say they are constructing a new gym but … on top of that Tufts is on a hill which makes everyday boring, and has only one library. I don’t know how many libraries NEU has.</p>

18

<p>hahaha I’m happily entering my third year at Northeastern. But thanks for the input, even if it is over two years later ;)</p>

19

<p>Academics aside, both schools have very very different social vibes which in my opinion is important for the overall college experience. It can make it or break it…so where do you think that you will be happy?</p>

<p>Tufts has has a long term brand recognition nationally and globally, NEU is up and coming and is becoming very well regarded globally. They are very generous with scholarships/aid for international coop experiences. So, if you are willing to go go abroad for your coop experiences, NEU will help you. Tufts has similar opportunities but I am not sure if they help with the financial part.</p>

<p>Here is one parent’s opinion - I think the name of the game these days for new grads is just to get into the work force in what you want to do. Some can do this with undergraduate work, for others it may be very difficult to break into their field without a post-grad/professional degree. A couple of false starts with this can stall your “launch” into the workforce due to the increased competition for jobs and today’s economic climate.</p>

<p>After you get your first “real” job, it becomes more about the journey, your ability to network and take advantage of opportunities that you create or come your way. Academics get you started but play a very small role in your overall career, it is really what you do with it.</p>

<p>BTW, you have excellent choices. Choose one that will make you happy and you will do well.</p>

20

<p>Sorry for the confusion-- lizzygreat bumped a thread that is two years old. As stated in my post above yours, I chose Northeastern and haven’t looked back once. I’m on my second short-term study abroad currently and am planning my semester abroad next spring and couldn’t be happier :slight_smile: (Except for the fact that I’m going to really miss being at Northeastern!)</p>