My daughter got into all these schools. No aid whatsoever from WashU or Tufts but $16k per year from Northeastern. She plans to do computer science as major and fine art as a minor. We’re really struggling with a decision. WashU ranks much higher than the other two but we live in Boston suburb and Tufts is closer. While it seems Tufts is a better school, $64k merit scholarship from NEU is a lot of money!
Any advice is welcome since the decision deadline is quickly approaching!
WUSTL
How does your daughter feel about co-op? It absolutely affects the vibe at NEU. Another thing to consider is the fine art department… have you check out how big/good it is at NEU? I ask, because NEU tends to be preprofessional in nature and its humanities departments tend to be weaker (IMO) than similarly-ranked schools.
That said, with $64K in savings, you could send your daughter to NEU, give her a shot at amazing co-op opportunities, and then still have lots of money left over for a fabulous summer/semester abroad where she can study the fine arts to her heart’s content at the Louvre, The British Museum, the Prado…
At Northeastern you can take a significant number of your fine arts classes on School at the MFA. In fact, if you decide to double major, I believe the BFA is a dual degree between the two schools. Same is true with New England Conservatory on the music side. Northeastern is generally stronger than Tufts for Computer Science, I can’t speak to WUTSL. Here is a link of flexible majors that could be helpful too:
http://www.northeastern.edu/camd/academics/undergraduate/flexible-curriculum/
If finances are an issue then pick Northeastern. If you can afford it then the other two are a much better choice. My D is at WashU and she said her RA got a job at Microsoft (which is the #1 software co. in the world). Its really hard to get a job with Msft. Also, WashU has an incredible Fine Arts and Design school. My vote is WashU but it is a personal choice. My D loves WashU and is so happy there. She doesn’t want to come home. You should also consider where your D would be the happiest. Happy students are usually very successful! Good luck!!
If you aren’t familiar with Northeastern - take a look at this:
http://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2014/08/how-northeastern-university-gamed.html