Hmm, I think I would like to be in this program. Too bad I am the Mom and not the student. Thank you both for the info. Wish my son was a bit more adventurous.
@Asil65, there is also movement within the university and within specific colleges as students change majors, select a major after coming in undecided or decide to double major or major/minor. These options are also available NUin students.
Hello would you know if my Daughter whose major is Currently undeclared studies would be eligible to attend McGill in the fall?
It seems like a way to admit students with lower test scores with a Spring admit so they don’t report to USNews rank that also need less financial aid.
I think there is a simpler explanation - due to the Coop programs, Northeastern has more students than beds at any given time because a high percentage of students are off campus. Having a percentage of the freshman class also off campus in the fall helps make the bed to student ratio work for all 4/5 years a student attends. These students also have to have a major that fits one of the programs’ profiles and not need federal aid (and hopefully they look at fit as well). It does not necessarily mean NUin admits all have lower test scores or are less qualified.
@FankGal-If you go to NUin page and read each country option you will get further info. The Canada page says “Undeclared students whose primary academic interest lies within CAMD, CSSH, or DMSB”. It is just smart to pick a location based on likelihood of major to ensure course selection is most usable. So if her interests lay in those schools, go for it! As I said above any student can change majors, but the further along the more difficult and possibly more expensive it becomes.
@ClarinetDad16- while that is your opinion, I believe @TomSrofBoston cited less than a 50 point differential in scores. My D was accepted at GW, BU, Tulane all peer schools and her SAT is on the high range of accepted students. In addition @kmssn7 reports her son received FA just not federal aid for his semester. In addition, other schools are following this model including BU and American U’s Washington Mentorship semester.
My son absolutely received financial aid for his NUin semester abroad, would not have been possible without it! He can not say enough great things about the program and I would agree. They are guaranteed housing for the spring semester and often (though not always) get better accommodations than other freshmen because they are usually taking the spot of an upperclassman who has left campus for co-op. My son is in an apartment style dorm with a full kitchen, liking it very much. As for why certain kids get in, who knows?! And honestly, in the end it doesn’t matter. Now that he is in Boston, he is a Northeastern student - just like everyone else there, SAT scores, high school GPAs and class rank mean nothing. He is doing well academically and socially, very easy transition. He is a mechanical engineering student and went to Greece if anyone has any more specific questions, I’m happy to try to answer them!
Just a thought for those strongly considering NUin-each site has a designated number of slots available. The year my D went (2012), England and Ireland filled to capacity while we were considering. She went to Greece and found it very beneficial to stretch a bit more culturally. Also Australia’s academic calendar starts early in summer so it’s also beneficial to start process early to get things lined up (passports, visa, spending money, credit card, packing).
Given McGill’s strong reputation and proximity to US, I would guess that would also fill up on the early side as well.
My son went to Australia fall of 2015 and it was an amazing experience both academically and personally. It was a crazy time right after High School graduation as he was leaving in July but NEU was very organized and it went much smoother than my husband and I expected. We were both concerned about him spending his first semester abroad but he did very well. The NEU Director and onsite staff took amazing care of the students and they became a very close knit group. Transitioning into Boston was a breeze for them. Best of luck to all of you.
hi, I was deferred early action and then accepted into the Nuin program! I did not get any money for it, and I was wondering if there was anyway to get more money? apply for scholarships apply for anything? because I really am interested in this program it is just a little too expensive for me 
@collegeqqs - my son didn’t get money either. Did you fill out the FAFSA form?
@MomAyala Yeah I did, I got about $2000 which isn’t very much compared to the total cost 
Sorry I know how you feel. It was a tough decision for us but in the end felt it was the right decision for my son. You may want to call financial aid to ask if there are any other scholarships. It doesn’t hurt to ask. I wish you all the best.
@bhmomma - I have to agree. I know many of the NU in students including my son who had high grades and test scores.
No money for my son either. Expensive school to pay for without any financial or merit aid. The NUin program is more expensive than the Spring semester in Boston .From the website more money is needed for lunches, travelling, books etc. Probably out of reach financially for us. You should check out some of the videos that students have posted on You Tube. I think it was a requirement for the class. It seems like a wonderful experience
I just got accepted into the NU In program, and was wondering if anyone knew around what time the people going to London would leave!
According to the NU in website, August 17th. Congratulations!
website,http://www.northeastern.edu/nuin/england/travel-information/
@Asil65 your budget should take into consideration what the covered costs include and discretionary costs. My D did the Greece location and semi private rooms, with bathroom as well as 2 meals a day were included. There were activities and some weekend adventures included as well (ie climbing Mount Olympus). My D worked 3 jobs during the summer prior to save up $$ for other discretionary spending. She reported that some students seemed to have no worries about finances, some were very cautious, and many were budgeting to stretch their funds. She learned about Ryan Air and hostels like a lot of European university students!
@bhmomma here is a good read on how this program is part of NEU’s systematic gaming of the US News ranking system:
http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/article/2014/08/26/how-northeastern-gamed-the-college-rankings/
@clarinetDad16, I read that article when it first came out. I take exception to the title but the content is worth a read. In the face of declining financial resources and without a huge endowment, the president at the time took a hard assessment of the current status of NU and where it needed to be. He acknowledged that ranking were a huge influencer of perceptions and admissions. To get from where they were to where they needed to be academically and reputationally he needed to fully understand what the rankings were measuring.
So he decreased class size, increased the number of classes with small enrollments, turned some parking lots into new libraries, new dorms. Used both the Common App and merit $$ to attract more and stronger candidates. All very positive changes for the STUDENTS! He also argued that the coop model should not be discounted when calculating 4 year grad rate or spending per student (since a significant number are off campus). No where is NUin discussed.
In point of fact several universities are named as truly manipulating or even falsifying data. NU isn’t one of them.
I have counciled my own children and students that if a grading rubric is given, it makes sense to understand it, and hold yourself to it. I am not a fan of playing the ratings game on a personal level. There’s a wide wide world out there, and many fine colleges to choose from, but to say the improvement NU made did not positively impact the students’ experience in addition to the financial health of the U would be patently false.