Hi, I was accepted EA to NEU Honors with 20k/yr merit but still chose to apply to Tufts ED2 in a heartbeat.
I chose Tufts because of its friendly, liberal artsy, and more close knit collaborative (smaller classes in a smaller student body) academic environment that appealed to me, which definitely made me apply ED2 to Tufts over also making the choice of waiting RD on several Ivies, WashU, Vandy and Rice. In addition, Tufts is generally much more slow paced and relaxed than face paced and competitive.
Although Tufts may generally be more highly regarded than NEU, I think the coop experience would still be great career wise. Still, I chose Tufts because though I am also very preprofessional (I study both for both enjoyment and for finding a future career 
), I just think I can receive a better education and feel more fit in Tufts’ environment, but which environment your son chooses to be in and where he thinks he will receive a better education is completely up to him. GL