Accepted to University of Rochester, Northeastern, and Boston University undergrad for mechanical engineering-Which is better socially and academically?
Depends on what you want - Rochester is more suburban traditional campus with a small city nearby and a bit of an LAC feel. Northeastern is more STEM oriented, in the heart of Boston with a central campus, and a very strong co-op program that also makes the school more practically oriented. Boston University is a city school integrated into the city but is in the middle of Northeastern and Rochester in terms of vibe between LAC and practical co-op.
Academically these are similar, so I’d recommend focusing on fit.
Northeastern programs are all five year programs, as I understand it. You do not pay tuition when you co op. You will be required to co op, during the semester twice or three times, and that may be in Boston, so you can still live on campus and co op. Many Northeastern students are business oriented, and the economics program is very strong. Northeastern combines Industrial engineering, operations research and mechanical engineering into one department. If you like math modeling, this may be a good focus for you, see the healthcare systems and energy systems areas:
http://www.mie.neu.edu/mie/faculty-research/research-areas
I like Boston U’s mechanical engineering program a bit better. Boston U has hired some really good materials scientists like Professor Alice White from Bell Labs so the expertise at Boston U has gone way up in mechanical and materials science. They have more emphasis on nanotechnology and materials science, as well as robotics, and acoustics. http://www.bu.edu/eng/departments/me/research/
Boston as a location may be more appealing than Rochester,
to some students, as you can use a train/subway system called
the T, and get all over Boston, and Cambridge. Northeastern is very close to the Boston Museum of Fine arts, and BU is located in Back Bay . Rochester though has one of the strongest optical engineering programs, if that interests you at all, its more physics and electrical engineering than mechanical though.
Rochester is becoming more interesting but its less diverse than Boston, and smaller, and colder with lake effect snow and a bit longer winter. Rochester is close to Cleveland, which is fun to get out and see another urban center. You all need a car in Rochester to see much, you do not want a car in Boston, unless you want to ski every weekend!
Any program can be done in 4 years with 2 co-ops, though most elect for 5 years. You’re also only required to do experiential learning once, which can be co-op, research, service learning, or a global experience, though again most choose co-op and usually 2-3.
Rochester itself has been a tech-oriented city for much of its history. Some of that orientation has been reflected through an interplay between UR and the city. Partly for this reason, the University of Rochester could be a natural choice for mechanical engineering. In terms of an aspect of overall collegiate experience, UR seems notable for its good balance between academics and athletics.
It should go without saying, but your other choices could be good too, so I hope you continue to consider all three schools until you feel certain of your decision.
A couple of minor clarifications to @coloradomama’s comments:
- BU sort of starts at Kenmore Square and extends along Commonwealth Avenue headed towards Allston. Not in Back Bay at all, but an easy train ride on the Green Line.
- Rochester is four hours from Cleveland, not what I would consider to be close, but certainly within driving distance. There is a serviceable airport so you should check to see if they fly direct to someplace convenient to you. Buffalo is about an hour west.
All three schools are good academically but very different socially. Northeastern and BU have more of a professional vibe, while Rochester is more about academics and EC exploration. They have every imaginable club and students seem to pride themselves on trying new things (Want to try Irish Step Dance or learn to play a pipe organ? You can at Rochester.) Some people find BU’s linear campus to be off-putting (and I can tell you from first hand knowledge it can be miserable going up and down campus on the T and having to cross Comm Ave during bad weather). Northeastern has a more focused campus feel but is close to shopping and eating areas (again, an easy T ride to Back Bay & Prudential Center).
Take a careful look at the engineering facilities you will be using. We did not tour BU or NEU but I think BU is building new science & tech centers http://www.bu.edu/today/2015/bu-construction-summer-2015/. When we toured Rochester, the facilities we saw for ChemE were in a basement and pretty run down. MechE may be different, but you should check it out since you’ll be spending a lot of time there. If you want to be in a city, I would say Boston may be more lively for a student than Rochester.