I still have a few months and a campus visit left before i decide for sure, but these are probably the only 2 possibilities.
OSU
Pros:
Near friends!
Great engineering school
~$10000/year cheaper
Close to family, but not too close
Scholars program
Cons:
Bad dorms
Don’t like town
Don’t like party culture
Lots of sports pride (I know, I’m a nerd…lol)
Big, big classes
NORTHEASTERN
Pros:
Out of state
Nerdier
Nicer dorms (I got into Honors, and east village looks sweet)
Great professors/teaching (from what I’ve heard)
Cons:
More expensive
Travel costs
Very urban campus
Engineering is lower ranked than OSU i think?
Hey! A few notes from a Northeastern student, in no particular order but numbered for reference.
Engineering rank difference won't really mean much here - both are in the same tier more or less, and each will be strong nationally overall and stronger within the region.
Northeastern being in the city is a big part of the school - why is the campus a negative for you?
Where is that cost difference coming from? Are you taking out loans for either school?
Co-op is big at Northeastern - what are your thoughts on that?
@PengsPhils
I haven’t visited yet, but it seems to be in the heart of the city while OSU is out a little bit. I like to have places to escape too, and I’m just worried those will be harder to find where Northeastern is.
OSU would be little to no loans, (assuming I make ~$5000 over the summer) while Northeastern would probably be 40-50k at most, i’m still waiting on financial aid so that’s subject to change.
I’m not sure about co-op, I haven’t looked into the program. Would it help lower tuition?
While Northeastern is in the heart of Boston, there’s a surprising campus center / feel. It’s not like NYU which is city blocks with buildings integrated into the city. If you check the map, you’ll see 3-4 quads all with decent space in the center of campus, which is pretty compact.
It depends on what you mean by “escape” as well. That’s very subjective person to person. Obviously visiting would give you a better feel, but let’s table that for now.
Pending aid, I think that’s your answer. There’s no reason to take out 50K in loans when you have the option not to when looking at similar schools academically for a major. I love Northeastern, but don’t discount the financial difference. Of course, wait for financial aid to get the final numbers.
Look into the program, as it’s a big part of the school, and often the primary reason people choose Northeastern. Co-op’s are common relatively in engineering, but not usually to the extent of Northeastern.
It can help bring some money in, particularly in engineering, but often people live in high cost of living areas which negates some of that gain. While you can pocket some money, I wouldn’t rely on it for financial aid, as it depends on your co-op pay.
I can only speak to OSU but to address some of your concerns —there are several new dorms on North campus. If you get into Scholars, you may find yourself in one of these beautiful places.The town outside of campus is fairly nice —campus not urban as you said, engineering is great, many things to do (you do not have to partake in party culture to have fun/friends) but definitely it does have big time sports pride and big classes as well. Have you visited?
yea, I’ve visited a couple times and I’m going to buckeye bound this Friday.
I really hope I get some more money from Northeastern, though-- because I’d rather not go that far into debt
Many students attend Northeastern to participate in co-ops and be part of the city.
Wen you say 40-50k do you mean difference your parents can afford or do you mean in loans? And would that be over 4 years?
Co-op is huge at Northeastern. Definitely research that. It’s either a huge plus or a huge turn-off (friends leaving campus different times of year) for many.
Co-ops opportunities exist at Ohio State as well. In terms of partying and sports, Ohio State has a lot of students and thus a lot of different types of kids. I know a lot of kids (particularly in engineering) who are not into the sports scene of the school at all. And they don’t party either. And generally speaking from what I have seen, get a group of 18-22 year olds on their own and away from mom and dad for the first time, and there will be some partying.
Talk to engineering students when you visit Ohio State. Ask them about their experiences. Including all of the questions on your list.
You can make a big class feel small by sitting in the front row. The FYE program at tOSU is very supportive and collaborative. It is mostly about identifying your strengths and interests (not weeding out) so you can pick the engineering major you will excel in. I’ve been very impressed with the direction Dr. Drake has moved the university in the short time he has been there. He’s expanded programs, engaged with the community, and is committed to making sure education is affordable. My D made between $18-24/hr at her co-ops. The pay rates the places she worked were based on credits earned (<30, 30-60, 61-90, >91) regardless of university you were recruited from. She was able to save enough from each semester of working to pay for her off campus housing in Columbus.
You don’t mention Honors or Scholars at tOSU. Make sure you are checking your buckeye email. That’s where they are communicating about that. You’ll need your admission letter to set it up. You can (and should) do this before making a final decision.
“Set up your BuckeyeMail email account
From now on, important and time-sensitive business communications from Ohio State – like your Acceptance Fee Statement, financial aid offer and housing contract – will be sent to your BuckeyeMail account. Set up BuckeyeMail even if you haven’t decided on Ohio State.” from http://undergrad.osu.edu/apply/freshmen-columbus/after-you-are-admitted
Click on “what to do now” to see the steps in the drop down at link
IMO the two schools are similarly situated with regard to their cities’ downtowns (both about 3 miles out in heavily populated areas). And the feel of the campus is similar too, though OSU is much, much larger.
I’d think about the major difference - the final cost, and the co-op though as stated OSU engineering students also do co-ops it’s not what everyone does like at NEU.
Go to OSU. Graduate with a good degree. And then buy a $40,000 car with the money you saved by not going to Northeastern (And I write this as the mother of a Northeastern grad.)
(And I write this as the mother of a Northeastern grad.)