Our child has been admitted to the three schools listed and we are really ringing our hands over the next steps. My daughter is not into school spirit and really just wants to accelerate undergrad. She has a full ride to UCF in the honors college and half price admission to UM. Accepted at Northeastern too, but just can’t see justifying $70k year for 5 years. She wants to do game design and will major in computer science. All three have a game design program, but are pretty lackluster programs. Struggling to really assess pros and cons. Thoughts?
Northeastern Alum and my D18 is going to UCF. As much as I love Northeastern, I was thrilled they didn’t have her major (because of cost)! Northeastern’s Co-Op program is amazing and not only gives you a great resume, but sometimes you learn what you DON’T want to do! Boston is a great city, but incredibly expensive, so it’s not just tuition, but travel, living in the city, that will add up.
My D18 is not honors at UCF, but I have heard really great things about it- really small class sizes, Towers is great. It would be hard to give up a free ride.
Both school’s give me the feeling that you don’t need to be a die hard sports fan or into Greek life- my D18 has no real interest in either, sounds like your D is similar.
This may have changed- but NU is not really into Gen ED- they really just shove you into your major. Where as UCF has the whole GEP to fulfill. I assume UM is like UCF? I would look at the curriculum requirements for all three and is one school’s location better for jobs?
- UCF, absolutely. Unless you can afford northeastern without parent loans and are okay with the higher cost (and added benefits, opportunity to co-op…) UCF honors will be the best bang for the buck. See whether honors students can use their scholarship for 8 semesters, ie. , if she can take grad courses during junior year and finish a master’s senior year. (Honors students can take grad level classes instead of regular undergraduate classes as part of the honors college).
- She should major in CS indeed, add game design as a minor, and take whatever classes strike her fancy that’ll make her a better game designer (especially if they involves cyberethics, philosophy, African American and women’s studies, since those are big issues surrounding that world.) In cs, she’ll be judged on what she gone do. So, her senior year project for the honors college should be something she’s done/built.
Orlando resident here. UCF is a fantastic school, but very large. Is she prepared to go to a school that is more than 3x larger than Northeastern and 4-5x larger than UM.
From what I’ve heard, Burnett Honors College does a really good job of making it feel smaller and helping her get the classes she needs. I’ve also heard that their game design program is top notch.
Typo… * on what she’s able to do
Wow! All really insightful responses. Thank you so much. Going to the Honors College open house next weekend to get a look first hand. We live really close to UM and I love the campus and know a lot of the professors my D would learn under. Just hard to get excited about something so familiar. I think UCF honors college will be similar to her high school experience; an IB program within a large (3,000) student urban setting school that runs the gamut from really talented smart kids to not so talented, not so smart kids. More a reflection of the real world.
Hopefully the open house will help to make the decision! My D18 is in IB as well, UCF giving her credit for her SLs was a huge advantage- make sure you look at what Northeastern will do with your D’s credits- she will most likely not get much credit for all that hard work.
It’s true Northeastern may not give her many credits – lots of privates, especially ones who like to think of themselves as elite and/or selective don’t – but I would like to point out that it IS possible to graduate from Northeastern in just 4 years (you only do one co-op + summer school) – and you don’t pay tuition while on co-op… so although it’s a 5 year program, it’s still only 4 years of paying tuition.
That said, it’s really hard to turn down a free ride and honors college status… don’t worry about it being “like home.” Truth is once you’re in college it’s a whole new world. Plus, the money you save with the free ride would pay for amazing study abroad possibilities! (Your daughter’s little reward for working hard and being smart with her parents’ money 
)
For me, I would have gone UCF HC route if the choices were among those 3.
To add on to @katliamom if your D tries to accelerate at NU- you won’t see her, unless she co-ops at home. NU kids tend to never take breaks. Our friend’s son is about to graduate with his undergraduate/master’s from NU in 5 years- free ride. He hasn’t been home for more than 2 weeks in 4 years. He had a ton of AP credit that NU took- but it didn’t count towards anything (engineering major).
I also agree about study abroad- that is exactly what my D plans to do at UCF as she will come in with almost all of her GEP done. IB has worked her to death, we want her to enjoy college!
Oh- FYI- a lot of the freshman dorms at NU don’t have AC! For those of us who live in the South and have never lived without it, it can be a miserable experience! My friend’s son couldn’t sleep in his dorm room for orientation, it was so hot- he left and slept where his parent’s were staying! :)) It does get humid and muggy in Boston! There is no competition- UCF dorms are far superior!
I feel like I am not being true to my school- but NU’s price tag is so ridiculous, that I have a hard time encouraging your D to go there. Especially when I know she has a great and cheap opportunity in UCF! Trust me- my D’s good friend is going to UF, most of her friends staying in state are going to UNC- my D got over perceived “prestige” long ago. Love the school that loves you back!
Honors programs help make a bigger school feel smaller. You have a smaller cohort of classmates and you get opportunities to make relationships with professors.
I would take NE off the table on focus on UM vs UCF. First, do you have the funds for UM without pain? Second, does UM offer more in the way of her major than UCF? Many high stats kids leave money on the table to some extent by not attending schools that offer them lots of merit money. UM is nationally ranked at 46 so comparable to NE. UCF, while a good school, is ranked at 171. I know that rankings aren’t that accurate, that Florida schools have challenging admissions due to the pre-pay and Bright Futures and that honors colleges are great, but that is a significant difference in the type of students the two schools may attract. I would really delve into the opportunities for research and internships at the two schools and where the students end up.
@jeneric funny you mention no AC! My son’s best friend is a freshman at NU. We live in a rural part of NJ. The first few weeks of September were brutally hot this year and his mom kept waking up to 3am texts that her son was miserable! He couldn’t sleep with the heat, the open windows did nothing but let in the city traffic/construction noise!! It was definitely an adjustment!!
He’s now loving NU, but at $55k out of pocket I would have a hard time passing up a free ride!
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