Worth transferring out of NEU?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Northeastern University
1

Hope this doesn’t come across as cocky, I’m not trying to brag. I just want some advice

I’m a rising second year (junior credit-wise) EE with a 4.0 GPA. I find the classes to be pretty easy and sometimes I feel that I should be at a more highly ranked institution. Is it worth sending out transfer applications out to top engineering schools like Berkeley, Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, etc? I haven’t seen any benefits from having a high GPA at NEU. There are no special programs or scholarships I can get that someone with a 3.0 can get.

Only advantage of NEU is the co-ops, which I like a lot. But I’m concerned that the lack of prestige for the school (barely anyone outside of the tri-state area knows that NEU exists) will harm my career in the long run.

2

“Worth” is a tricky word. Assume around $100 per application and maybe 10 hours per application, probably less for you. So, for $500 and week of full-time work you can find out if other schools think you are “worth” it. If you do it, please come back and let us know how it worked out.

3

I assume that you are full pay at Northeastern and will not need any financial aid at your transfer school. Transfer admits do not get merit aid and not much need based aid.

4

At high caliber need-blind private schools, transfers often get good need-based financial aid. Not merit aid though.

5

I currently get about 14k a year from NEU, so I still pay 44k a year. If I transfer, odds are I’d be paying around the same, if not less.

6

NEU does have prestige and most employers will care more about your co-ops than about NEU’s rankings.
If credit-wise you’re a junior you may not be eligible to transfer anyway, so check it out.
But you could always check out Vanderbilt and USC.
Stanford and CMU are unlikely unless you made a significant impact at your co-op company and/or have something extraordinary. FA would be minimal.
UC’s won’t offer you any financial aid so it’d only be worth a shot if your family can pay 60K/year.

7

I don’t see much harm in applying to transfer to more prestigious schools like Stanford or MIT.

The applications may be worth their cost simply in the experience of putting together a solid application to a competitive program.

Further, My opinion is that it is not worthwhile to apply anywhere close to on par with Northeastern – USC, Vanderbilt, etc. Transferring seems like a pretty big process just to go to a slightly more competitive school.

If you end up not choosing to apply or being accepted elsewhere, try to stand out here! If you are doing well, maybe you can get a spot at prestigious/competitive co-ops.

8

I believe USC and Vanderbilt are NOT on par or even close to Northeastern in terms of ranking. They are better. In addition, Vanderbilt gives tons of money to any transfer students too.

9

You have missed the window for a fall transfer right? Since you have not experienced coop yet, and can’t transfer in the fall anyway, sign up for spring sophomore year coop and see how it goes (you are a rising sophmore with a lot of AP credit, right?). You can do your apps at that time too and make a decsion with some coop under your belt.

If what you are trying to get out of college is a good education and excellent career placement after college (with top pay) I SERIOUSLY doubt you will get better results in placement than NEU at Vanderbilt and USC, as an engineering major. If you want to continue on with grad school and academia and want to study ALOT and be in a more competitive engineering college environment, then maybe you will get that elsewhere. What is your goal? The starting salary for any college student does have a ceiling… Even at MIT. If I were you, I would apply next winter and “go big or go home”. Stanford, MIT, or others in the tipity top. I doubt you will get better placement coming out of Vanderbilt or USC as you would out of NEU with 18 months of coop.

10

If the starting salary for any college student does have a ceiling then why bother going to NEU? just go to community college then transfer to less known state university. It is cheaper going to Community College. Once again, don’t worry about the prestige of USC and Vandy since they are above and beyond NEU.

11

Starting salaries have a ceiling AND a bottom. NEU and other schools with great placement get you a job at/close to the ceiling. CC may not get you a job or may get you one at the bottom.

12

I wouldn’t say above and beyond, particularly in Engineering. Engineering, unless you have a BIG name (not CC big, Engineering world big), is about what you can do, not where your degree is from - that’s why co-op is most common for engineers nationally, not just at Northeastern.

I’m in agreement with the rest - testing the waters in a go big or go home way can’t hurt - go for the UC-Berkeley’s, MIT’s and Stanford’s, and if you get in, then you have the bigger decision to make. The chance is worth the relatively small application fees. As others mentioned as well, don’t get set on transferring either - enjoy your time no matter where you are.

13

Read my comment carefully: just go to community college then transfer to less known state university. It is pretty clear that just a diploma from Comm College (CC) will not get you anywhere. UNLESS, you are doing IT or CS where you can concentrate on programming or Networking then you will be ok. Second of all, Prestige universities are like Name Brand cars, shirts, bags, shoes, hotels, etc. So, when you travel out of state, do you stay in Motel 6, Super 8 or at the name brand like Holiday Inn, Hilton, Marriott, etc?..the same like Prestige Universities, they have perks and benefits. Therefore, lots of kids try to get in there. Think about it. Regarding Co-Ops etc, lots of companies will give priorities to those kids who have earned their degrees from prestige schools. Prestige schools will open doors and there rest is competition to the top. Swimming with the sharks and play office politics, you will get to the top. So, I would take any Name Brand universities anytime than otherwise. Lastly, I am not trying to put down NEU, but anybody trying to put down and trashing Name Brand schools like USC and Vandy is just not right.

Remember NEU is ranking #47 while USC is #23 and Vandy is #15. Between Vandy and NEU, there are 32 level differences. You may not like the UNSWR ranking, but that is the fact jack.

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Regarding transfer to Prestige Name Brand Universities are not easy and some of those schools will not provide any money at all. So, OP has to find the information before wasting time and apps money. I know some not many NBU (Name Brand Universities) will give tons of money for transfer student, like Vandy, Tulane (perhaps), etc. So, even if you have 4.0, it does not mean you will get the necessary financing.

15

@Tulanefan101

You’ve very much overselling prestige - go look at the schools of most tech employees - they aren’t the names you’re mentioning. In the tech industry, name does not matter nearly as much as you seem to believe. There are advantages to some names, but not every name above one school on US News. I’m not putting down or trashing Vandy or USC, if you cared to read carefully.

This is hilarious in the tech industry - most won’t stick around long enough at a job to care for the office politics - it’s even known career advice to job hop. Are you actually involved in tech?

I actually very much agree with those assessments of ranking, but your interpretation is really odd.

Firstly, even US News doesn’t believe that there are 32 levels of difference. With ties, that number actually is cut in half, literally. Secondly, the idea that each ranking difference is an entire level simply isn’t how rankings work.

Is Princeton 10 levels above Cornell? By your logic, the difference between Princeton and Cornell is almost the same as the difference between Northeastern and USC. If that’s the case, you’re making my point for me here.

No one is saying anything bad about either of those schools - simply that transferring there would not get the name boost that the OP appears to want. Your prestige hound view is extreme and simply not based in the reality of the industry - it may be true for business and other fields, but not in tech and engineering. They care slightly more for the big names mentioned before, and even then, again, what you can do is more important.

Financial consideration is important, we do agree there - but I don’t see how transferring to either of those schools is worth it.

16

Let us have a nice healthy discussion as follows:

OP said: Only advantage of NEU is the co-ops, which I like a lot. But I’m concerned that the lack of prestige for the school (barely anyone outside of the tri-state area knows that NEU exists) will harm my career in the long run.

My comment: OP is aware that nobody knows NEU outside of the tri-state and this will hamper his career in the long run. Therefore, OP wants to go to more competitive schools perhaps NBU (Name Brand Univ). And some people say:Transferring seems like a pretty big process just to go to a slightly more competitive school but not USC and Vandy?..well, those schools are more competitive schools, right?..am I wrong?

You said: There are advantages to some names, but not every name above one school on US News. I’m not putting down or trashing Vandy or USC, if you cared to read carefully.

My comment: so are you saying that if you graduate from USC or Vandy, you will have troubles finding any engineering jobs?..really?..read again my comments above: prestige and NBU will open doors. Therefore, anybody will not graduate from those two will not have troubles finding any jobs since the schools are prestige. Am I overselling this? I don’t think so. Those two schools work hard to establish their name and to get into the schools is not easy either.

Now regarding the so called Co-Ops…tell me where does it say that you need to have Co-Ops in order to get a job? at Vandy and USC, you can do REU (undergraduate research) and it will satisfy the Co-Ops. Also, if Co-Ops are required. just like Car Seats for small kids in the cars, then of course the NBU and HYPS, etc will have Co-Ops.

By putting your prestige school name on the resume, you will get interviews, believe me. Then you have to sell yourself during interview by saying: my school is prestige school and it is not easy to get good grades, I have to work hard, etc…etc…etc. If the interviewer asks: why don’t you have Co-Ops, then you just say: My prestige school does not have Co-Ops. If they have any then I will sign up for it. SO, Co-Ops are not necessary but having prestigious school name is very important.

You said: No one is saying anything bad about either of those schools - simply that transferring there would not get the name boost that the OP appears to want.

I would say: that is what you think. Then again I remind you that USC and Vandy are prestigious schools and OP or anyone has completed their degree will get Open Doors for interviews and that is the boost.

You said: Your prestige hound view is extreme and simply not based in the reality of the industry - it may be true for business and other fields, but not in tech and engineering. They care slightly more for the big names mentioned before, and even then, again, what you can do is more important.

I would say: that is what you think. But it is not true at all. Those graduates from USC and Vandy always get the Open Doors and have good jobs.

You said: Is Princeton 10 levels above Cornell? By your logic, the difference between Princeton and Cornell is almost the same as the difference between Northeastern and USC. If that’s the case, you’re making my point for me here.

I would say: do you think Princeton grads will not get any jobs? companies only take Cornell?..tell me about it.

You said: I actually very much agree with those assessments of ranking, but your interpretation is really odd.

I would say: now my interpretation is odd regarding the ranking?..So, you think NEU is on par with Vandy and USC?..IF you and the rest of you think that NEU is on par with Vandy then NEU also is on par with Cornell and Washington Univ St Louis since Vandy, Cornell and Washu are ranking #15 all the same. Am I wrong?..am I odd?..that is not a healthy thing to say that I am odd because I am different.

Remember my example: when you travel out of state, do you stay in Motel 6, Super 8 or Uncle Buck Motel? or you stay at prestigious motel/hotel like: Holiday Inn, Marriott, Hilton?..am I odd? Prestigious schools, hotels, cars, restaurants, hand bags etc have the perks and benefits.

17

for OP: your title: Worth transferring out of NEU? the answer is YES. If you can get into HPYS or NBU (name brand univ), it is worth it. Since Prestigious or NBU schools go a very long way. And the nice thing is: you will get open doors for interviews and career move. USC and Vandy have very good reputation and connection/network, domestic and internationals as well. Since you have the vision to expand your horizon, I suggest you start looking to transfer out to those name brand univ. My the force be with you. Be blessed.

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@tulanefan101 I am not sure if you are being sarcastic or not. Hopefully you are.

19

Having 12-18 months of work experience will open plenty of doors. In the real world nobody cares that you got a 4.0 at a name brand university. It is what you accomplish on the job. Success comes from within not from graduating from a prestige university.

20

Yeah, I’m going to stop after this - we’re going to have to agree to disagree.

You clearly don’t get what I’m saying if you think I said anything about Vandy or USC grads having trouble getting jobs. The myth is that those names alone opens doors in tech. Beyond all that, you failed to actually address any of the points I actually made.

If your only response is , I ask you for your background and sources. I’m on my third job in the tech industry, and I haven’t even graduated. I interact with people who regularly hire in the industry at major companies. @MYOS1634 mentioned similar things to what I did - what authority or experience do you have to believe differently?

My guess is that you are from an older generation - these days, people go where it makes the most sense. For saving money, off brands and cheaper brands are often encouraged. Heck, it’s even a pillar of advising here on CC - “the cheaper state flagship is better than the expensive name.”

That’s how the tech industry thinks - it’s about doing the job best, not the name and prestige you can get yourself.

Beyond that, that example is incredibly flawed, as is much of your logic, where you fail to even articulate my arguments back to me properly. Most of what you said I “said” is nowhere to be found in my post. Again, you missed most of my argument entirely. I have a great deal of respect for USC and Vanderbilt. They are decently better engineering schools than Northeastern. In the case of the OP, it wouldn’t be worth transferring to them. The schools I mentioned before, despite the price increase, would be worth it if he wants the name recognition.