Hey people. I’ve narrowed my options for next fall down to Northeastern and Tufts – both for ChemE. I’m super torn, so any input that anyone can offer would be much appreciated.
Northeastern:
Pros:
-Location: I’ve never lived in a city so it would be super cool to be in the heart of Boston
-Co-op: I absolutely love the idea of getting work experience in the field I aim to pursue, and the fact that I could do so in other countries is awesome.
-Study abroad: lots of opportunities beyond co-op to go abroad and experience the world
-Research: there’s a lot of cool research going on in the chemE department at Northeastern, including a lab dedicated towards sustainable energy, which is what I wanna pursue as of now
-Really good financial aid/scholarship
-Campus: I like the modern feel of the campus – at least from the photos I’ve seen (haven’t visited either school)
Cons:
-Location: If the city vibe is a little too busy, I might prefer to be somewhere on the outskirts.
-Size: I don’t think the size of the school is a deal breaker, but I think I’m more geared towards a smaller school
-Campus: My impression is that the campus is pretty crammed without a whole lot of outside area. Granted, I probably won’t be spending a whole lot of time lounging outside in the cold, and downtown Boston is in the backyard, so this isn’t a major con for me
-Co-op: while the co-op program is amazing, my impression is that the opportunity cost is having continuous time on campus to be involved in long term research
Tufts:
Pros:
-Location: close to Boston but still in a quiet-ish area
-Community: the infamous “quirky” community at Tufts is totally my vibe. Based on the two admitted student Facebook groups, I connect a lot more with Tufts people. I’ve already got a group of friends going next fall because I just finished up a gap year with one of the partner programs of the Tufts 1+4 program, so I’m friends with the Tufts group
-Campus: totally different from Northeastern but the campus looks super pretty with lots of outside space
-Research: they’ve got a ton of research into green energy and green energy storage, so there would be a lot of opportunities for me to get involved
-Study abroad: lots of options to choose from all over the world
-Size: Tufts is small but not too small, which I like
-I would have the freedom to explore other academic interests
*haven’t received financial aid package yet
Cons:
-No co-op: I know that a many Tufts engineers get internships pretty easily, but that’s not quite the same as doing three, six-month jobs through Northeastern’s co-op
-Study abroad: I wouldn’t be able to go abroad as much as if I were to go to Northeastern
-I’ve read a lot of conflicting views on this, but it seems like Northeastern would be “better” for a STEM major, while Tufts is more liberal arts focused
Those lists might indicate that I’m leaning in one direction over the other, but I feel like I’m stuck in the middle. I know that both schools are fantastic options, so I almost feel snobby struggling so hard to choose between two great schools. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to visit either school (been in Ecuador for the last 6.5 months), and I likely won’t be able to. But to sum up my thoughts, I’d say that I feel like Northeastern matches my learning style (hands-on, experiential learning) perfectly, and therefore would set me up better for my career, but it lacks the community feel I’m looking for. Tufts, on the other hand, seems to have the feel/vibe/community that I’m looking for, but it isn’t as extraordinarily focused on hands-on learning as Northeastern.
I really appreciate you all taking the time to read this and give input. Like I said, I feel silly for being so hung up on the two great options, but it’s daunting choosing where I’ll be for the next 4-5 years! Thanks so much