<p>I am a junior this year and although I have periodically looked at schools, I just started really looking into it. Just to get it over with, here are my stats:</p>
<p>GPA: 3.96 W (3.87 UW)
RANK: 33/216 Very competitive Catholic high school
PSAT: 189 (70 in reading, 63 in math)
I have not taken the ACT yet, but am fairly confident I will score 28-31 when I take it next month.
Decent EC's</p>
<p>Anyways, Penn State or Northeastern are the two schools that I seem most interested in right now. I want a larger school with good sports (Penn State with football, Northeastern with hockey). I live in Minnesota, and want to go to school in the Northeast or the Midwest. I am quite conservative politically, but I won't mind going to a more liberal leaning school as long as I am not an extreme minority being a Republican.</p>
<p>More specifically, I am going into Architecture and I want a school with both a solid architecture program as well as good job and intern placement. What do people know about the architecture programs at these schools?</p>
<p>I especially like the co-op at Northeastern; can anyone tell me more specifics about the program? Is it hard to find internships with so many great schools nearby? And what about the Architecture program specifically? </p>
<p>The Princeton Review had Penn State as one of the top five schools in job placement? Does this sound right?</p>
<p>Thanks, and I would greatly appreciate any insights into these schools, their architecture programs, and any other schools that you think would be a good fit for me.</p>
<p>I know a couple of kids at Northeastern, both very bright whom people expected to get into "better" schools, and they both love it. if anything, I have the impression that Northeastern is underrated, not overrated. I have no information about their architecture program.</p>
<p>Isn't Wash U supposed to have a good architecture program? Have you considered it?</p>
<p>I would agree that Northeastern is overrated, especially on CC. I agree that I am biased because I went to Penn State University Park, but all you really need to do is look at all of the unbiased rankings that compare the two. While rankings are not everything, they are important. To be honest, I think schools in the Big Ten sound a lot more like what you are saying you want than Northeastern. I think you should also look at Illinois, Wisconsin, Purdue, Ohio State and Michigan. Best of luck.</p>
<p>Oops.... I meant to say underrated. Sorry about that.</p>
<p>And yea, I have looked at Wash U and they have an amazing architecture program, but I don't think I have a great chance of getting into it. Same with Michigan OOS. And I don't know, but I am not a big fan of Ohio State or Illinois, I just can't see myself at those two schools.</p>
<p>Wisconsin, though, is probably my favorite school and I love it there. It just so happens though, that Architecture is about the only major they don't carry which really sucks. I really like that school.</p>
<p>my cousin went to northeastern and did a co-op with Boston Scientific, the co-op program is no joke, if you go on their website, you can probably find a listing of where people do co-ops, Northeastern has connections with something like 600 companies according to the engineering dean when I visited</p>
<p>I really am interested in the co-op and that is why I am pretty interested in Northeastern. I want to go to school to be able to learn a skill andget a good job when I graduate while haveing a fun time watching some good sports. I am not really big into the intellectual thing.</p>
<p>Do people get paid $14-$18/hr working at Subway? ;) (S has done one engineering co-op at Northeastern so far, I think he earned $16.50/hr. He had no prior related work experience; just p/t jobs like working at Subway)</p>
<p>The differences between NU and Penn State are substantial. From the size, to the urban vs. not, to the required coop. The coop can be great or be a 'no-op' depending upon the motivation and the major. Don't base too much on the school reputation - each of these has an alumni base that can help and are recognized names. Both may end up starting a conversation with a stranger that goes in a good direction or a direction that won't help you get a job! Base your decision on those factors that differ and where you can see yourself. Really try to visit the two of them to make a decision. Good luck!</p>
<p>"Do people get paid $14-$18/hr working at Subway? (S has done one engineering co-op at Northeastern so far, I think he earned $16.50/hr. He had no prior related work experience; just p/t jobs like working at Subway)" </p>
<p>They actually might in some places. I am not sure what point you were trying to make.</p>