<p>Trip report: April 3, 2006.</p>
<p>Northeastern University, in Boston, MA, is divided into 6 Colleges (Health Sciences, Arts & Sciences, Business Administration, Computer and Information Science, Criminal Justice, Engineering) consisting of "clumps" of majors; applicants indicate 2 preferred majors and are evaluated within those choices. There are ~14,000 undergrads, but it doesn't feel like that many since at any given time up to 5,000 might be off on their co-op assignments (more about this later). Admissions requires SAT I or ACT, no SAT II, GC + teacher recommendations (2nd teacher optional); an "activity resume" is optional, to elaborate on items in the application; they accept the Common App with a supplement. Interviews are not offered. They have an EA option; the admissions officer at info session indicated that applying EA was to your advantage and would be seen as demonstrating interest; those not accepted EA are deferred to the RD pool. The genders are just about balanced; right now they have a 47% acceptance rate, but not a very high yield.</p>
<p>Some double majors are offered, which can be declared after freshman year, including half a dozen in the CCIS college (one of which my S is interested in, computer science and multimedia design). Classes are almost all taught by profs, with TAs; avg class size is 29. Registration priority is based on tenure, but there is seldom a problem getting desired courses (the exceptions are for things like non-science majors getting a required science credit and they all want to take the same 2 or 3 classes). There are some core courses but these seem to be slightly different based on major. Some credit is given for AP work in high school</p>
<p>Northeastern's co-op program is a major feature: although few majors require it (pharmacy, nursing...) all students are eligible for co-ops. These are 6-month periods where the student works at a job in a field related to their major; between 1 and 3 co-ops can be arranged. Students take a co-op seminar before their first job (teaching resume writing, interviewing and job skills, job db search...). 97% of students who want co-ops find them, and those who don't are the ones who weren't very interested in the first place. These are located locally, nationwide, even internationally. Over 2,000 employers are in their co-op db, and others can be set up. Co-ops are paid positions: no Northeastern fees are paid meantime, except room/board if staying on campus). Students who do 1 co-o[ can graduate in 4 years, but most students do 2 or 3 co-ops and graduate in 5 years (although not paying for that extra year). In CCIS there are 2 co-op positions available for each student who wants one; in Engineering the co-ops pay the most and are the longest-established.</p>
<p>94% of freshmen live on campus; housing is guaranteed for 3 years, most moving off-campus have no problem finding local housing and anyone who wants to live on campus after freshman year seems able to do so. Freshmen live in one large complex, mostly doubles (single-sex rooms, co-ed floors, single-sex bathrooms). Upperclassmen have housing options including suites, apartments, and housing by major. There are no frats with houses, and frats don't play a large part in school life. Food services include dorm cafeterias said to be good, and <em>lots</em> of options (and there are <em>THREE</em> Dunkin Donuts on campus, YAY!!).</p>
<p>The campus is directly on T lines, near the Museum of Fine Arts, Symphony Hall, Fenway: very active, full, and urban BUT <em>very</em> green -- my S commented on how "open" it felt. Some older buildings, but a lot of newer construction. Lots of students moving about, but it didn't feel over-crowded. I noticed <em>LOTS</em> of students wearing Northeastern sweatshirts and caps and other apparel: school pride? They participate in Div I sports, but there also seems to be lots of "so what?" about sports, so you can either make it a rah-rah place or those of us without the rah-rah gene can survive, too.</p>
<p>Overall, my S was very favorably impressed and very animated and excited during the tour. He will definitely apply. (Weird side note: of the group of 8 students in our info session, there were <em>4</em> from CA, 2 from WI, 1 from ME, and 1 from PA. We thought as Californians we'd be unusual. Ha. Actually, the fact that my student was <em>MALE</em> was far more unusual in the info session and tours -- there was only 1 other male, and 10 females. That probably means nothing, but I did notice it.)</p>