NuIn

Colleges and Universities A-Z Northeastern University
41

<p>A few students from my school with considerably lower stats got into the main campus for the fall, and I was placed in NUin. Although I’m happy doing this program, I have to say I really think NEU handles this thing all wrong. If we’re already ready for your school, then why aren’t we placed on the “waitlist” as the top next choices, and the waitlist people will fill our places at NUin? </p>

<p>The idea I’ve been playing with is that we can afford it… anyone else here NOT apply for aid? I know out of the 4 kids that got placed in NUin from my school, we’re each in the 250k+ bracket. One of which got into bowdoin, nyu, amherst and UT Austin (all with more selective admissions than NEU). I could be completely wrong, but with this program costing about 20% more tuition for a semester PLUS fees, they might have put us there because we are the applicants that financially can do the program.</p>

42

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<p>My friend who was offered NUin is in that bracket. She is going to decline the program because she wants a more traditional freshman experience. Luckily she was accepted at one of her top choice colleges with on-campus housing for fall semester and through junior year.</p>

<p>However, if she hadn’t been accepted elsewhere and really wanted to attend NEU, she would have done NUin.</p>

43

<p>Responding as a father of a 2011 NUin student in the Australia program. We had much the same initial reaction of confusion and scepticism about the program. It turned out to be a brilliant experience for my daughter. She had never travelled abroad, but was ready and willing for the experience. Orientation (mandatory) helped a great deal to understand the logistics and support systems, and to reassure parents she would be fine.</p>

<p>The coursework was appropriate to her major, of good quality, and transferrable. The teaching style was different in Australia, less formal and better relationship between students and profs. That quality made for a good transition from HS. One of the courses fulfilled a core requirement and dealt with aboriginal culture. Another was a required service learning course, which allowed her to apply her marketing skills to promote a local campus center and become involved with locals.</p>

<p>There were lots of opportunities for field trips, both sponsored and on her own. These made up for some of the extra cost, which also included travel to/from Australia and the sponsored outings.</p>

<p>During the semester abroad, she developed very close relationships with nearly all of the 120 or so NU students, and many other students from Australia and around the world. The students were assigned to campus apartments with at least one NUin student, but also with other students. They prepared their own meals, usually communally with other students; typical apartment student housing.</p>

<p>The transition to the Boston campus was flawless. She was assigned to an upperclass dorm, and spent one semester there after which she knew she wanted an off-campus apartment with friends. Her connections with other NUin students resulted in much more extensive social connections than the upperclass students in her dorm. Rather than being a barrier, the NUin program actually gave her a leg-up in that regard.</p>

<p>The experience abroad contributed, in my opinion, to maturity, independence and self-confidence. The program might not be right for every student, but if you’re ready to cut the strings (with appropriate support always available) NUin is actually a great way to jump start a college career.</p>

44

<p>jeffg2013-First of all congratulations on your acceptance. With the overwhelming number of applications, the admission cycle continues to be unpredictable. </p>

<p>As I have learned through the application cycles of two kids, there is a lot of conjecture, speculation and gossip on many forums. The fact of the matter though is that Northeastern has been growing in applications, increasingly selective and moving up in the rankings at a regular pace. Those that have in the past thought of NU or treated Nu as a safety may be in for a rude awakening. </p>

<p>I do not know if the acceptance to NUin wieghted in any way on ability to pay. Reading the threads, the most commonly stated reasons for not attending are not wishing to study abroad first semester, concern about integration into the main campus in the spring and financial inability to pay. I do know among the friends my D made in NUin, some appeared to have no financial concerns, some watched their spending closely and learned how to be frugal travelers , and some admitted their family stretched to make Nuin feasible until they resumed main campus in the spring. I do not know if there is any hard data. But it would be naive not to know that most schools utilize enrollment management to ensure that there is a mix of full pay, partial pay in each class accepted. </p>

<p>But the fact is that Northeastern is not a “meets full need” school". Every year there are some students who get better packages at “more selective” or Ivies. But also every year there are those whose Northeastern merit aid and coop program make it among their best options. </p>

<p>Every student and family should asses all acceptances and make the choices that fit their circumstances. Financial, academic, career goals and social setting are given different weight by each individual. YMMV</p>

45

<p>Bumping for recent poster.</p>

46

<p>Did I see you can’t choose your own NU.in roommates? I have someone I already know where we are very comparable & were hoping to room together in London…</p>

47

<p>Last year they did not allow roommate selection for the abroad program. However, they do tweak the program based on prior year’s feedback. I have said that London and Dublin filled up first last year so once you are certain, I wouldn’t wait.</p>

48

<p>Bump for another recent poster.</p>

49

<p>This is an excellent thread- thank you for posting and bumping!
I have a much better understanding of this whole thing. That’s not to say I understand it, but I understand it *much better *than I did before I read this thread!</p>

<p>really good info, thank you!</p>

50

<p>Hello all! I did NUin London in 2012 and I can answer any questions you have site-specific or in general about the program.</p>

51

<p>Hey, I did NU.in Greece so I can answer most questions based on my experience.</p>

52

<p>@Thregur or miclon</p>

<p>Just a couple questions if you don’t mind</p>

<ol>
<li>How do the NUin staff act while overseas? Are they more/less involved than regular RA’s would act in boston?</li>
<li>How many Northeastern people were with you, compared to others there abroad? </li>
<li>How was the transition back to Boston? Did you stay better friends with other NUin people? Was it easy to meet new people at Northeastern?</li>
<li>What was housing like when you got back to Boston? Could you request certain people you were compatible with while abroad? What dorms are available?</li>
</ol>

<p>Thanks for any help, already put the deposit in for NUin Ireland.</p>

53

<ol>
<li> They ISAs (international student advisors) and site directors are very friendly and much more involved than in Boston. Since they stay with us and it is there job to do so, they create constant events and activities for us to partake in. The site directors also were chill; I mean they planned a flash mob with some other students, pretty informal. All of their jobs were to make things easier for us there so if you had suggestions or needed help, they were available.</li>
<li> I had about 120 kids with me in Greece. I think Australia had more and Ireland and England around 75-100. Costa Rica had like 20. We took up a good part of the school and I had NU.in in every class.</li>
<li> I had an amazing time abroad. But coming back here was pretty tough. A lot of NU.in people are still friends but it can definitely be tougher since we are scattered and they mostly stick with other NU.in. It isn’t hard to go to events and join clubs and take advantage of all the resources here and in Boston, because there is plenty of that. But it is hard to connect with other freshmen who have already made friends their first semester. My recommendation is to choose freshman housing and get involved and keep in touch with the NU.in friends you will make at your site, because that is a lasting bond even if you might not see them as much.</li>
<li> There is freshman, semi-private, and apartment housing. Freshman housing is like you would expect; unappealing and small. But you will be with other freshmen looking to make friends and it is cheaper. Semi-private is living at IV which is very exclusive. Has its own gym and dining hall and a room to yourself, but sharing a bathroom. Nice, but I hear some people say it can get kinda lonely. I’m in apartment housing and it has lots of space, a kitchen, my own room, and a bathroom. But I don’t really know anyone in my building since they are all upper-classmen. Pick which appeals the most, and you can request a roommate from your site if you wish, just think about what would be best for you.</li>
</ol>

54

<p>Bump for new poster.</p>

55

<p>I attended NUin my freshman year, and it was easily one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. The independence and bonding opportunities offered to you as a study abroad student are more or less unparalleled. I truly fell in love with my host country, and my experience there is now directly related to my current co-op position.</p>

<p>That being said, many of the benefits I personally derived from NUin are ones that seem to come with the territory when studying abroad in general. While moving to a different continent for my first semester of college allowed me to expand my horizons in ways I’d never imagined, studying abroad is almost always a possibility later in your college career. If you elect to partake in NUin, let it be for the sake of Northeastern as a whole and moving out of your comfort zone; if you’re not completely sold on NU, but are maybe attracted to the idea of studying in a new country, my advice to you would be to weigh your options at other schools and study abroad when you’re ready. You can’t get your first semester of good ol’ American college life back with NUin, so if that’s the sort of experience that most appeals to you, I would let that factor into your decision.</p>

56

<p>Though the University denies it, only families who have deep enough pockets to pay full freight and then some are accepted into the program. Know, as well, that you are not NU students while abroad, and, in some cases, when things went awry, northeastern washed their hands of the problem.</p>

57

<p>Im going to Ireland too. Please tell your son to find userbame in blackhall place :D</p>

58

<p>HI all, I am a sophomore at Northeastern University and I participated in NU.in England during the first semester of my freshman year. First of all, I want to say congratulations for making it to this point–getting into Northeastern is no small feat. You were up against tens of thousands of applicants. </p>

<p>Northeastern has only about 2600 spots for freshman who can enter campus in the fall. The NU.in program allows Northeastern to admit another couple hundred students that can start in the spring. Yes, some of the spots that open up for NU.in students to fill come from freshmen who transfer, but most spots open up due to other students going on co-op and/or going abroad.</p>

<p>That being said–getting admitted to NU.in is not a rejection by any means. I have worked with admissions and am fully aware of the process and criteria they look for in students to go abroad and they absolutely are not sending students there who would be waitlisted otherwise. The NU.in program accepts a wide range of students from the top tier to those who knew NU would be a reach. The bottom line is that each and every one of you who was accepted into NU.in were only put there because admissions knew you were a qualified and capable student for Northeastern.</p>

<p>My experience with NU.in was incredible and I wouldn’t trade it for a “normal” freshman experience at all. But if you think about it, Northeastern isn’t really a “normal” school. With the co-op program and whatnot, students are coming and going in and out of campus and Boston, so it really isn’t that strange to start your freshman year off campus.</p>

<p>I had a memorable and amazing time in England. My classes took me all over the country, I got to travel to other countries both with the program and on my own and I made some great friends. I am not, and nor will you be if you choose to do NU.in, behind on credits and I am on track to do multiple co-ops and graduate with my class. </p>

<p>While I loved NU.in and living abroad, I love Northeastern even more. This school and this city have become my home and I really do treasure every experience I have had with this school, as cheesy as it sounds.</p>

<p>If you have any specific questions, I would love to help out and answer as many of you as I can!</p>

59

<p>Hey all!</p>

<p>I am currently a freshman at Northeastern and just returned from the NUin program in London 2013. I remember feeling really panicked and confused about WHY I was picked for the NUIn program, and what it would mean for the future. </p>

<p>Before I tell you about my experience, let me give you some background: My name is Dana. I come from a small school and very tight community, and had never travelled outside of the US before. In fact, I had very little desire to travel. I didn’t even want to be in a city campus. But here I am. I am a human services/international affairs major currently. When applying, I had the scores and GPA of a strong applicant to NU and participated in a number of extra curricular activities (such as Model UN, peer group leadership, independent studies) that I believe led NU Admissions to pick me for NUIn. They want people who will flourish and benefit from spending a semester abroad. They pick adventurous kids who they think will say YES! I want to go abroad! After my initial shock, I was flattered and excited. </p>

<p>This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. While you are abroad forming close connections, becoming a global citizen, learning more than you even knew existed, becoming inspired and having the time of your life, other college student are living a much more insular life…dorms, making friends with people on their floors, experiencing the dining hall for the first time and generally following the path of hundreds of freshman before them. While abroad, the program encourages you to forge your own path.</p>

<p>Best things about the program:</p>

<ul>
<li>I spent so much time exploring a city that is so multicultural. Everyone can find a place in London. I learned about religions, regions, ethnicities, migration and the history of London. I believe it’s really important to know how to spend time alone and to learn to self advocate. Whenever I was feeling home sick or lonely in the first few weeks I was there I would pick myself up and hop on the tube and get off at a random stop. It was empowering to know I could go and do anything on my own. </li>
<li>It is money well spent. My family and I grappled a lot with the price of the program. It’s difficult. But all of that money goes to creating a really impressive list of excursions that eventually are integral to your time abroad. The staff on my trip were incredible, and used the money to plan trips to Scotland, to parliament, to the London eye, to every museum (hey, museums in London are incredible - and not boring!), to group dinners, to small multicultural boroughs, to traditional middle eastern meals, to Stonehenge, to Harry potter world, to a rugby and football matches. This isn’t even all of them! NU doesn’t just plunk a bunch of students in another country to wait it out for spring. They provide you with an amazingly organized program. </li>
<li>the friends you make when you’re living in an apartment with other kids – having our own kitchens required adjustment and a lot of effort, but it was really nice to always have someone to cook and hang out with in the metro gate kitchens. All of my friends from London are still my best friends here in Boston. </li>
</ul>

<p>The worst things about the program:</p>

<p>To be honest, there is not a single moment of my trip that I would change. It had high highs and low lows but it all resulted in a life changing experience. As we got off the plane in Boston, we all were so sad to leave our host country. Each of us agreed that it had been the best four months of our lives, and that none of us regretted a single thing. </p>

<p>I will be perfectly honest: coming back to Boston has been more difficult than I imagined. A large part of it has been the weather which prevents me from exploring Boston or spending time outside. Everyone is hibernating from the bitter cold. Making friends can be hard! Feeling at home can be hard! Northeastern’s undergraduate population is overwhelmingly larger than the group that was with me in London (100 kids). It requires all of the self confidence and skills you gained while abroad to work to make a place for yourself here. But it’s possible! I have only been here two months roughly and I am positive that NU is going to get me in the career track that I want to be on. I am already planning to do a co-op next spring and then go abroad that summer! NU is so progressive in this way and I so appreciate it. If you have the will, NU will find the way.</p>

<p>NUin was the best decision of my life. If I transferred tomorrow (don’t worry, not planning on it), I would still not regret choosing the NUin program. It is THAT worth it. </p>

<p>I also really encourage you all to watch the videos on YouTube, by searching NUin digital storytelling.
Mine can be found here: <a href=“Dana Jacobs NUin England 2013 - YouTube”>Dana Jacobs NUin England 2013 - YouTube;
Also, feel free to message me on here if you have specific questions (about the drinking age, about boston, about which program to choose etc)</p>

<p>Good luck and congratulations!</p>

60

<p>Hi everyone,
I went to NUin Australia in 2012. First off, congratulations on getting accepted! It is a huge accomplishment and you should be proud! Secondly, I’d like to tell you about my experience through this program. I hope this sheds some light on everything.
I grew up in a small hometown in Massachusetts and I was extremely nervous. I didn’t know what to think, but I realized studying abroad is a rare opportunity as a freshman. With Northeastern being my number one school, I decided to take on Australia as an NUin student.
Now, I’d like to say getting accepted is by no means them telling you that you aren’t “good enough” for regular acceptance. They look at a few components when applying. These are your GPA, SAT/ACT, Letters of Recommendation and extra curricular activities. Northeastern looks for students that will be able to represent them abroad, since we are becoming a more global university. Some of the friends I had made in Australia had amazing grades and SAT scores. It all varies from person to person.
If Northeastern is a school you are considering, I highly suggest going to one of the “Inside NUin” sessions. It will give you a lot more information than the internet will. Past NUin students are there and we are honest. Making the decision to go abroad is a huge life decision and we don’t want you to make a regretful one. Northeastern was my #1 school (past BU, UMass, etc.) and I went because of that. I didn’t know what to expect and was nervous as I’ve said before. I went and I loved it. You might or you might not, but no matter what, just be 100% sure of your decision. Going abroad during your first semester of college is not for everyone.
Attending the “Inside NUin” sessions definitely helps make that decision. I hope to see you all there!</p>

<p>If you have any questions, please feel free to inbox me! :)</p>