UMass Amherst VS Northeastern

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I have been accepted to Umass with a major of Animal Science and Northeastern with a major of Psychology. Either way I will be going to grad school and most likely get a PhD also. I want to get myself into the Animal Behavior/Zoology/Ethology field. Money is a major issue for me. I will have no family contribution and will have to take out everything that the school isn't giving me. </p>

<p>For purposes of exact answers and round numbers, I am going to count the low interest loans offered by the government as part of the scholarship package. These loans are smaller and easier to pay back. </p>

<p>Umass is giving me $16,000 a year, and I believe the total tuition is around $21,000 a year (instate). Northeastern is giving me $26,000 a year and the total tuition is $50,000. </p>

<p>Important factors:</p>

<p>Prestige
Money
Job offers
Grad school offers
resume
seriousness of other students (yes, I'll party but I want to work hard too)
location
STUDY ABROAD!</p>

<p>One thing I like specifically about Northeastern is the Co-op, so I wonder if there is anything similar at Umass.</p>

<p>My house is equidistant to both schools, so that is not an issue. </p>

<p>So, I ask, where should I go?! It really comes down to whether Northeastern is worth leaving with upwards of $100,000 in loans, or if I'm better off to get undergrad out of the way with as little loans as possible.</p>

2

<p>I have a child at Northeastern. She loves it. But she would agree with me that it is not worth $100,000 in loans. Frankly, no school is. Go to UMass. Like most big state universities it will offer you a fine education and many opportunities. (You just have to be a bit more outgoing to get them.) It will give you the background you need to get into a good grad school – without the massive, crippling debt you’d have at Northeastern. There is nothing more depressing – and limiting – than debt. Don’t put yourself in that position, especially if you have a fine alternative in the way of UMass.</p>

3

<p>My vote is UMass. Northeastern is a great school but it’s really expensive and you have all the extra expenses of living in Boston (I believe they still require a semester/year off campus, correct? Boston rents are ridiculous) plus you have the extra time it takes to complete the programs due to co-op. Co-op jobs are entry-level and usually don’t pay much. I’d say, do UMass undergrad and save your debt for grad school. </p>

<p>That’s one mom’s opinion. Good luck.</p>

4

<p>My vote is UMASS. I’m a senior here graduating in May and can tell you everything on your list: </p>

<p>Prestige: UMass is nationally ranked research institution. Animal Science here I’ve heard is pretty great (there’s alot of barns around to actually work with animals, and there’s a brand new building with a floor specifically for Animal Science) but if you enjoy sciences, UMass kicks Northeastern’s ass. </p>

<p>Money: UMass takes this one too. NU is a good school, but as a student who could NEVER afford their ridiculous tuition (yes, even with the Co-Op, you’re still not going to be getting paid much), there’s no reason why you should be spending a fortune on your undergrad. I work two jobs, but I’m also NOT graduating with ANY loans, and having a job on campus is manageable at UMass.</p>

<p>Job offers: As far as getting a job out of college, you can do that coming from either school. As far as getting relevant experience, you can also do that at both schools. I’ve been doing independent research for the past two years at UMass and I’ll be all set, which leads me to my next point…</p>

<p>Grad School Offers: I applied to 6 grad schools for Ph.D in Biomedical sciences/pharmacology/biochemistry related fields. I was accepted at UMass Medical in Worcester, Boston University Medical, University of Maryland-Baltimore, and Mass College of Pharmacy. I withdrew my application/interview to UConn, and strangely enough, I was waitlisted at Northeastern before I withdrew my application there too. However, coming out of UMass, I didn’t rejected at one school. I will be going to UMass Med in the fall. </p>

<p>Resume: You can definitely get relevant experience to go on your resume at UMass, but you can also put involvement in the hundreds of student organizations here. Look up “RSOs” on the UMass website, you’ll be stunned. If you’re interested in Animal Sci, you can definitely get some hands-on experience at a research lab, or at alot of the barns (not readily available in the thick of Boston) around Amherst. </p>

<p>Seriousness of students: My mantra is work hard, play hard. I’ve been able to do both, and it’s never been a problem. Yes, there are students who are going to skip class and smoke weed all day, but they’re never going to graduate. This is true wherever you wind up. Don’t worry about how serious other students are, and just worry about yourself and you’ll have a great time and get a good education.</p>

<p>Location: Boston is fantastic, no doubt about it. You’ll have a wider variety of night-life, museums, places to eat, and whatnot. However, it’s uber-expensive. Amherst is #1 college town in the U.S. (from MSN), and you can do a LOT on very little $. There’s always student deals, student coupons, student specials, etc. Amherst is a beautiful town, and there’s alot to do here, and there’s free local public transportation. </p>

<p>Study Abroad: I can’t tell you how many people I know who’ve studied abroad. New Zealand, Paris, France, London, Spain, Australia, Ireland…you can go alot of places. There’s a specific office dedicated to study abroad, and you can also do it without a huge financial burdens. Most programs for study abroad wind up being the same amount as tuition so there’s no difference. </p>

<p>UMass is a much better bang for your buck, you’ll get everything that you want off your list at UMass, and you’ll do it without going 100K into debt.</p>