Stevens Institute of Technology vs. Northeastern University

<p>You can’t compare neu with a commuter school located somewhere in new jersey.Neu is a world famous university with the best co op system in the nation.Don’t even think to go to stevens unless they offer you full ride scholarship.
nyu poly is a lot better school and only 1 hour away from stevens.
neu>nyupoly>stevens</p>

<p>gee pacific, now please tell us, which one is more of a commuter school?</p>

<p>Stevens
Housing and Policies
Guaranteed On-Campus Housing For All Undergraduates
91% of first-year students live in college housing
85% of all undergraduates live in college housing</p>

<p>or </p>

<p>Northeastern
Housing and Policies
First-Year Students Guaranteed On-Campus Housing
97% of first-year students live in college housing
53% of all undergraduates live in college housing</p>

<p>northeastern is located at the heart(downtown) of boston so it is easy to commute, whereas stevens is located in a town which has less than 40k population, so it is normal to see that stevens has higher percentage of all undergraduates live in college housing .Don’t just look at rankings, stevens doesn’t have a reputed engineering school.
And also you should consider that if you choose stevens you will live in a small town for the rest of your 4 years, but if you choose neu, you will live in a great city with thousands of students from all around the country and the world.
neu/stevens>harvard/neu</p>

<p>Hoboken itself might have a smaller population, but it is in the middle of urban sprawl, and the Manhattan skyline is in view from many dorm windows.</p>

<p>I don’t know what your issue with Stevens is, pacific, but you don’t seem to really know anything about it, or just intent on spreading untruths.</p>

<p>Engineering firms are familiar with Stevens. Engineering firms are also familiar with Northeastern. IMO it has more to do with where you want to live - Boston, or New York City/New Jersey.</p>

<p>Stevens has Business and Technology majors as well as minors to help you have an understanding of the business side of the industry. They do a great job of linking the technical aspect with the business side to give a well rounded education that prepares you for the industry. </p>

<p>Stevens is also unique in it’s open door policy, which is especially helpful at the Career Development Office. You can walk in anytime they are open and they will help you however they can. The Career Development Office at Stevens was ranked 14th in the nation by Princeton Review.</p>

<p>USNWR Undergraduate Engineering Rankings</p>

<h1>56 - Northeastern</h1>

<h1>78 - Stevens</h1>

<p>These aren’t comparable. Northeastern is ranked much higher than Stevens. </p>

<p>As for living, Pacific is correct. Students at Boston and New York schools often live in their own apartments given the nature of living in a big city. Many students would rather have their own apartment in the heart of a thriving city, rather than live in a dorm or some frat house. Just different environments.</p>

<p>Northeastern
Housing and Policies
First-Year Students Guaranteed On-Campus Housing
97% of first-year students live in college housing
53% of all undergraduates live in college housing</p>

<p>To be fair, at any given time, over 25% of Northeastern students are away on co-op and not living on campus. Also I imagine quite a few students choose to live off campus in Boston. They’re not all “commuters”.</p>

<p>I’ve been living in new york city for the last 2 years of my life, i know stevens very well, in graduate level they accept almost everyone who applies.People see stevens as a safety school.This school has zero brand awareness outside new jersey and nyc metropolitan area.It is very obvious that you can’t get a good job in calif or texas with a stevens degree because i am sure no one in these states heard of this school.Don’t just look at the rankings, rankings can be deceptive.Evaluate the school holistically.(location, reputation, brand name, admission rate.)
take a look at high school counselor rankings
northeastern ranked at #47
stevens #122
source : [High</a> School Counselor Rankings | Rankings | Top National Universities | US News](<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/high-school-counselor]High”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/high-school-counselor)</p>

<p>pacific85, you are acting like Northeastern is a great university like MIT and Harvard…</p>

<p>please stop your silliness here.</p>

<p>It a “good” school, but when you think of top universities in the country, Northeastern rarely comes to mind…</p>

<p>^ I think he is saying that, compared to Stevens, Northeastern is a much better school. Of course it isn’t MIT or a top 10 engineering school.</p>

<p>Wait, are we talking about Northeastern and not Northwestern here!? Since when did Northeastern become a reputable and renowned school in the US? Perhaps it has some name recognition in the Boston area, but I doubt anywhere else…</p>

<p>Stevens is a decent school, known for its engineering program. At this level of schools, I wouldn’t pay too much, if any, attention to their relative rankings…</p>

<p>Go with the school that gives the most aid…</p>

<p>^Fail. lol at comparing a top 50-60 school to a school no one has ever heard of. Keep on ■■■■■■■■.</p>

<p>Sorry to bring this one up from the dead, but I feel the need to make some points from my personal perspective in case future prospective students who are choosing between these two schools reference this thread.</p>

<p>I’m going to be entering Stevens in the fall of 2011. In early March, I had narrowed my list down to Northeastern and Stevens because the two schools were both financially feasible, I felt comfortable on both of the campuses, and both schools offered a very well established co-op program. It was not an easy decision, but there were many factors that led to my ultimate decision to choose Stevens. The two schools are not identical. They both have pros and cons and shouldn’t be judged solely by their rankings on US NEWS or any other survey. </p>

<p>I know that there are some individuals who brand Stevens as a commuter school because of 10% or so of students who, starting their freshman year, commute from home to school. Stevens definitely brings in a lot of in-state students, but so do flag-staff state schools. Why should the school be flushed down the toilet because of students commuting to school? If this were a school that had half or more of students commuting to school, then campus life may not be vivacious, but this is not the case. I have a few friends who attend Stevens already. Having NYC next door while living in a quaint urban town really has its perks. Student life on campus isn’t equal that of Penn State, Rutgers, or other large schools that have 60,000+ students, but that’s not what everyone is looking for. The close-knit community can be a pretty awesome thing for many like myself.</p>

<p>It’s certainly not a school that brings in the same “caliber” of students that attend MIT in terms of SAT/ACT scores and elite private school transcripts, but Northeastern is no better. Both schools try to entice some of these “high-caliber” students by providing them with excellent financial packages, some of which receive full scholarships, in hopes of having a few top-heavy students; however, Stevens isn’t simply looking for the kid who was in every science and math club in his/her school and was able to be the best at following directions in order to receive the maximum test scores. A friend of mine who had a perfect SAT score and slightly higher GPA received less scholarship money than me. Why? Stevens is looking for down to earth and innovative students who possess creativity. Being that I am an Eagle Scout and am very involved in my schools drama program, president of student council and the school’s environmental club along with various activities in my community, the school decided that I was worth the investment. Northeastern also threw me a very nice package, but when I visited the campus for accepted students day, I just didn’t feel like I would fit with the students who were there. </p>

<p>I know somebody mentioned the Co-Op program at Northeastern as if it was the mostly godly program on earth. The main difference between NEU and Stevens is that Northeastern is a well-rounded institution in that offers very respectable liberal arts programs as well as engineering and science programs. Stevens is a TECH SCHOOL. Yes, they’re building their lib arts/business programs, but they’ve always been a tech school at heart. So, when rankings come out for their Co-Op program, you have to understand that the wide-variety of degrees is what makes NEU’s program larger with more “connections”. If you compare the company offerings of engineering co-ops from Stevens with those of NEU, you’ll find that both schools have most of their connections in the Northeast, though they do have some in other areas of the country, and have about the same amount of networks. I think those that are slashing Stevens for being a no-name school really need a reality check. Engineering schools are all about giving students the foundations they need to work for companies where they will then participate in lifelong learning. Regardless of where you go to school for engineering, the degree is one that will pay back dividends in the long run if you’re willing to put the work in and take a job where one is available. Whether you goal is to get into med school or law school with engineering as your undergraduate focus, most undergraduate engineering schools have like high 90% job placement/graduate school rates. Engineering is a very regional sort of major. Northeastern has really only become a “Oh, I’ve heard of that school” within the past few years. And honestly, it’s still really only well-known in the Northeast. It’s also a safety school for students who are shooting for big-ivy schools. </p>

<p>Let’s just end with this note. I know more kids that went to Stevens than Northeastern for various reasons, so I don’t know all about the job placement at NEU. What I can say about Stevens: a few students that I know are graduating this year that I know are already locked-in to jobs. One of the students is graduating from Stevens with maybe a 2.9-3.0 GPA and will be working for Exxon as an engineer with a starting salary of 67k. The job was secured before he even graduated. He was introduced to the company through Stevens co-op program. The same can be said for a friend of mine who will be working for Con Edison next year with a starting salary of 70k. Con Edison is obviously a regional company, but one of the senior VPs is on the board for Stevens and the company does all it can to recruit graduates every year. After graduation, it’s all about the job experience. Where you got your degree is way down on the list compared to what you learned and contributed to your past employers. Regionally, engineering firms, utility companies, government agencies, and fortune 500 companies (their engineering management/financial engineering program is highly regarded), look to Stevens to hire employees. The school has a very small undergraduate class making it easy to network with other students and professors. How comfortable you feel at the school is very important. For me, having a small school with a well-regarded program that will provide me with ample resources to secure a job possibly before graduation is awesome. Not sure how easy this is at a large school like Northeastern where is it easy to get lost in the crowd. That’s how I made my final decision - you need to visit both schools and not worry so much about the rankings. It’s all about what you make of your education. Both schools will provide you with the learning resources as well as the co-op field experience that will help you determine what you want to do with your degree.
In conclusion – both schools are within reach of major cities. Hoboken is a 10 minute train ride from the financial capital of the world and companies in NYC consider Stevens to be a very well respected school. Northeastern is also a well-respected school in the center of an awesome city. Let’s not slash Stevens just because it’s a smaller school with some commuters. Choose a school that makes you feel comfortable.</p>

<p>Thanks for the post, oates151. I’m one of those prospective students considering both schools, and I very much enjoyed reading your perspective on Stevens.</p>

<p>Cinereous, thank you for the feedback. It’s not an easy decision, but it all comes down to what you feel most comfortable with. The discussions about Stevens being a no-name school that won’t allow you to get a job in California is totally false and you shouldn’t even be looking at US News rankings. The two schools are great for different reasons, but they’ll both provide you with great job opportunities and the educational resources you will need to get where you want to go. The only point that I would agree with is that attending Stevens will likely result in you getting a job that is in the NY/NJ/PA/CT area since the connections are mostly regional, but this also applies for Northeastern. The sister of one of my close friends graduated last weekend from NEU with an undergraduate degree in pre-law. She did all her co-ops with a Boston firm and will be working for them through law school. </p>

<p>If you feel more comfortable with a larger “hip” university in a cool city like Boston, NEU is going to be your best fit. I can tell you that their honors housing made my jaw drop and I was very impressed with their non-honors housing as well. However, if you’re looking for a smaller, more personalized school, Stevens really can’t be beat when it comes down to engineering. If you’re cool with getting your first job in NY/NJ/CT and maybe PA, then Stevens may end up being the best decision to make (though they do have networking connections with companies in Nevada, California, Texas, Colorado, and a few other states). I’m doing their 5 year co-op program and will be walking out with no debt. NEU would have put me in the hole by a good 40-50k with housing during co-ops and all that jazz. Some people are cool with debt - I’d rather walk out WITH cash in my pocket from co-ops. (and PS - after your first job, employers are going to be more concerned with work experience. Where you go your degree isn’t going to be as much of a factor unless your entire competition is graduating from top 10 engineering programs).</p>

<p>Basically, visit both schools. REALLY take advantage of everything at those visit days. Try the food, visit the dorms, talk to students, and walk around town. Write down how you feel, and don’t try and fool yourself by trying to like the school if you really don’t. Whichever one you feel most comfortable at (if either!) that’s the one to go with. You’re going to be spending 4-5 years in college so you’re going to want to enjoy it.</p>

<p>Oates 151 - thanks for your post. My son will also be starting at Stevens fall 2011 after considering Northeastern and RPI. Steven’s small size, proximity to NYC, and extensive coop program helped him make the decision, but as you pointed out, the final choice has to be where you are most comfortable. Good luck to you.</p>

<p>Oates151, good post, I rather enjoyed that!
I always am interested in learning about the “underdog” schools, the ones that people are not so familiar with. :)</p>

<p>my daughter just got accepted for Fall 2012. Financial package not quite enough to make this a slam dunk decision. Penn State is a cheaper option at this point, but she loves Stevens. Does anyone know if aid pkg is negotiable or is a final offer</p>

<p>Stevens stats for ROI are vert impressive (third in nation). Campus is beautiful and the community is close and friendly. Everyone knows everyone else. It is a very nice place to learn. The co op program is well organized and offers many chances and a lot of support. Hoboken is a cool city with lots of things to do.</p>

<p>These posts about Stevens are years old!!! ■■■■■.</p>