I was recently admitted into NU.in for the spring 2018 semester and since Northeastern was my #1 school I am really looking forward to going there. That being said, I did not imagine myself studying abroad my first semester as a college student. So basically, I have a few questions for people that have already gone through the NU.in experience:
how was your experience there?
were classes more difficult there compared to when to the classes you took at the main campus?
most importantly, how was ur transition back to Boston? Was it difficult to make friends that were on the main campus? Did you have a difficult time being with ur NU.in group of friends at Boston?
Basically, I’m sure I’ll have a great experience while studying abroad. My biggest fear is that when I go to the main campus I’ll have a difficult time making friends with people who have been on campus since the beginning because I’ve heard that typically friends groups are already formed by that point. Please let me
Know how your answer to those questions and especially what it was like transitioning back to Boston.
THANKS!
My D was accepted NU IN Program fall 2018. Would love to know how best to match a destination to a major (biochemistry) and do all courses taken apply to prerequisites/major? I want to make sure for the cost, that my D would be on track to graduate on time.
On the website there is a list of majors available at each location. Also there is info in the portal. I have also heard that you can take the summer term, I think it was just a month in May. To help catch up. There are also numerous videos on YouTube made by students in the NUin programs. Just search YouTube NUin London, NUin Greece, NUin Canada etc. I did all this and was completely sold on the program. I have heard the kids make solid friendships while there.
Northeastern even sets up some weekend trips for them while there. There are NE staff in each city. Like most study abroad programs, classes will be more rigorous when you arrive on campus in Boston. Good luck! Really looks like a great program!!
@LD3790 On the website, it tells you which locations you can go depending on your major. All of the courses you take count towards either your major, or NUpath requirements (which are general core requirements). I did NUin and absolutely loved it – it was one of the best experiences and decisions that I’ve made. You’re definitely on track to graduate on time, it doesn’t impact how many credits you have going into Northeastern in the spring semester.
Pay $35k (plus meals and expenses) and study abroad then pay for summer courses to catch up? Sounds great for NU. The website doesn’t give any details about the classes you would take. I didn’t think we would be behind though. I can’t find anything detailed. I have friends that did this and loved it but I’m not so sure. I want to study abroad later on and have an actual international experience, not classes in English with a bunch of NU students and not my first semester of college when I should be moving into a dorm and eating crappy cafeteria food and figuring things out. Maybe Accepted Students day will provide more details.
@apdns19 I know that it probably sounds strange and not the way that you envisioned your first semester, but if you want to study abroad, I really loved it. You wouldn’t be behind at all - you’re taking the same amount of credits abroad, and don’t have to take summer classes if you don’t want to. The classes you take depend on your major/location, you would be moving into your dorm with all of the other NUin students and they arrange orientation. You have the rest of your college years to eat at the dining halls and be on campus, and honestly, going abroad when you don’t have to really think/worry about future classes and going on co-op/finding a job was the best way to do it. Hope that helps!
From comments here on CC and elsewhere you will find that opinions regarding NUIn are varied but generally positive. It is not for everyone. If you have a sense of adventure and are an independent person it can be an amazing experience.
My son went to London last Fall. He really enjoyed it. The classes were not super difficult but he enjoyed them. The school organized a lot of trips for them to see England. He also participated in some volunteering, he taught gardening at an elementary school after school program. He loved the freedom of living in London and made some new friends.
He’s back in Boston now, and enjoying himself. He says the workload is much more significant, so he has had to buckle down and study more. He is gotten involved with some clubs and study groups. He’s doing fine.
I think NUin is a decent way for kids to experience something new and forces the kids to live independently. There are a lot of bright kids in his group. They’ve stayed friends in Boston too, so that’s nice.
My son is living with a freshman he met in London. He joined clubs when he get back on campus, they have a big club day info session in January. He’s not interested In frats, so no help there.
For the question regarding frats: Many of my friends did join frats (social and business), and from what I’ve heard, there’s nothing really that you miss out on when coming to campus in January opposed to in the fall. Sororities, however, is different, because many of the top ones aren’t recruiting in the spring, so you’d have to wait for fall rush.
And about NUin: While yes, you technically are considered to be transferring into Northeastern as a spring admit, it really makes no difference because you’d already be going to school with all NU students and when abroad, your ISAs (like RAs) tell you about how life about NU is like (so it’s not like you’d be transferring with no knowledge/social group). They say that NUin is for people with lower test scores, and although that is the case for some, I personally know so many people who had great stats and got into Ivys/other really great schools that turned down those offers for the opportunity to go abroad and for the co-op program. There are people who have comparatively lower stats that go to NU in the fall – so it depends. I genuinely do believe that you get offered to be part of NUin for some reason, whether you talked about being/wanting to be globally well rounded or there was something in your ECs that demonstrated that.
@alexa2143 the program isn’t just designed to target kids with lower test scores. As an example, my son and several friends were very good students from the Boston area. NU gets a lot of applications from our school. They can’t take 40 kids from one school. NU selected the best students from our school to accept in the Fall, kids with 34 ACT scores, 1530 SAT. The kids In the next level down 32-33 ACT were offered NU In. I wouldn’t say those kids had “low test scores”. They might have been lower than the top 5 kids they accepted from our school, but certainly not low compared to all applicants from around the country. 4 kids from our school accepted NU In and 6 took regular admissions. They’ve all kept in touch now that they are on campus in Boston.
The kids that accepted NU in were open to the idea of studying abroad and having an adventure to begin their college career. I don’t look at it negatively at all. The college only has so much housing and room at one time, so strategically shuffling kids around with NU In, Study abroad, Co-ops keeps on campus housing available.
@RightCoaster Right, that’s what I was saying. It’s definitely a misconception that NUin kids have lower stats (and honestly something that everyone jokes about); I think the NUin selection was more so a holistic thing based on your essay/major/ECs. 100% not a negative thing, if anything I viewed it as a positive.