Northeastern University Top Questions

I think its a good size, and its nice to live in the city but still have a campus. I wish it was in a more safe neighborhood though. The freshman dorms could use some work and I think the housing pricing should be adjusted to be more fair. Also, I don't really like the new core system, I shouldn't have to take classes that don't matter to my major.

Coop. It is what Northeastern is best known for. It really is an excellent program. I am participating in my first coop right now. Although I did not really enjoy my experience, I hated my job, it was the best position I could have taken! It taught me that my major wasn't right for me. After having worked for six months in an environment similar to one that I may be in after college, I have no doubt about the need for me to change my major. With coop, everyone has a unique experience that helps to influence the decisions they will make. I highly recommend NU just for this experience alone.

I signed up as a volunteer tour guide for Northeastern's admissions office because I absolutely love my school. There are so many things that Northeastern has to offer, and the education here is best suited for the ambitious student who is not afraid to reach for what they want. Our cirriculum is completely customizable, based on what you're willing to take on and where you want to go. There is an extraordinary amount of freedom with the co-op program. You may be a double major in science and graphics design (like me), two disciplines that could not get further apart, but find a co-op job working in marketing for pharmaceuticals and get a foot in the door at your dream job waiting for you when you graduate. But you can't take a class for those kind of combined skills. Or you could be an electrical engineer and a musician (like my boyfriend) and go to work at a company like Bose, offering the opportunity to apply two sets of skill is audio engineering. That, to me, is the best thing about Northeaster; you get out what you put in. The icing on the cake is everything else: a fantastic student life community, exceptional academics and a beautiful, homey campus! Can you tell I love it here?

Northeastern is a good university. It 's the best one in the U.S. in term of co-ops! I like the campus, the diversity of the students, and I love the city.

Upon telling people I attend NEU, people are always impressed. The co-op program is always brought up. The school is selective, and upon talking with many of my peers, a large number have indicated Northeastern was one of their top choices, but they were not accepted. I like being in such a diverse community, and being locating right in the city is a positive if you enjoy that kind of lifestyle and environment. At the same time, because of our location, its a bit harder to make an keep friends. Northeastern students not only have a lot on their plate, but are always busy doing their own thing in the city. It's hard to run into people, and you rarely have any common ground. At a small school, you're always doing the same thing, going to the same places. Not here. If I could change one thing, it would be the amount of school spirit. The students are here to get set with their careers through co-op, and therefore aren't serious about sports. People talk about possible internships and study abroad opportunities, not the big game on Saturday.

I had never heard of Northeastern until I came to school here, but it is very well-known in and around Boston. Co-op is a great opportunity to enhance your resume, and find out what the "real-world" is like, but choices are limited for certain majors, and 6 months is a very long time if you get stuck in a boring co-op. The school is just the right size. Small enough to feel like a community, but big enough to be able to meet lots of new people. The administration doesn't really seem to care about the students very much, and housing is ridiculously expensive, or in in bad neighborhoods. There are muggings and thefts on and around campus because it is a very urban school.

Northeastern will probably always be synonymous with co-op in the minds of most people. Althought I don't think this is a bad thing (our co-op program is amazing and 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} worth going to NU for alone) but NU is made up of so much more. Its sad that most people in boston hear Northeastern and picture a commuter school filled with lower income, working class students who are working to put themselves through college. This is no longer the story of NU. Northeastern is full of wonderful experiences in and out of the classroom. We have some of the most involved students and extracurricular activities available to us. What other school could you join student activities and be put in charge of a $300,000 concert? At other schools, their concerts are planned by clearchannel/live nation, not the students. At northeastern, programing is done by the students for the students. I love the fact that you can get both a big and little school feel with NU. You want big school feel? We're in the middle of boston, and have thousands of students. You want small school feel? We have a fairly enclosed campus, small class sizes, and very personalized majors with faculty who know your name. The biggest complaints at Northeastern have to do with the administration. "They don't listen to students", "They give you the run around" (NU Shuffle)... These can be true, but they can be true almost anywhere. As a student, I didn't concern myself with the administration so much, and spent time enjoying my time as a student, and other things the university had to offer.. because of this I was never bothered by the NU Shuffle that most people complain about. The one thing that I would change about NU is the amount of school spirit. You can find it if you want to (check out a hockey game in the dog house) but NU will never be notre dame. Students don't attend sporting events in huge numbers, and this carries over to the alumni who for the most part are not very connected to the school. There are many exceptions though, so if this is something that means a lot to you, you can find school spirit in small groups.

The funny thing about Northeastern is its HUGE, but you'll never know it. We have a pretty small campus that is the perfect size for our population. A lot of students are on coop at any given point, which allows are school to look and feel "smaller", but in reality we have a pretty big student population. So I say it's just right. Boston is definitely a college town, if you don't like where Northeastern is located or the parties here? Walk to BU, take the T to Harvard or BC, its your choice. 1/5 of Boston's population at any time is students, which is the best feeling a student can have: knowing that almost everyone here is for the same reason. The most frequent student complaints or just general coursework. It's tough, but its worth it. Oh, and our football and basketball teams suck (but that's what hockey's for).

Campus in a city. The campus is probably 15 minutes walking distance from one end to the other. I would usually leave my building 10 mins before a class started. There's only one main street that goes through the campus - other than that, there are many parts that have the "campus feel." There's the people playing frisbee, and many student groups have barbeques in the quads. It's a great feeling to be a part of. I'm going to miss it! The city is young and has SO many college students. In the spring, summer, and fall, it is beautiful. The campus is right in downtown Boston, so it is conveniently located by the Prudential Center, Newbury Street, Copley, bars, restaurants, and the T (subway system). I personally feel like it's the best area to be in. The only "far" cab ride would be to Faniuel Hall - and that's about an $11 ride. The only time I cab it from Fanieul is when I leave the bars when the T is closed. The only thing I would change about Northeastern is I wish there was more school pride with sports (or I wish we were just better in sports). There's a big following for hockey, and those games are great... but considering how many people there are that attend the school, I wish more attended. As far as school pride in general goes, it depends who you ask. If you emmerse yourself in activities on the campus and surround yourself with other people who are proud to be at Northeastern (and there are PLENTY of them) then you would feel a HUGE sense of school pride. Some people aren't that committed though and because sports aren't big don't feel the pride. Controversy in the community would be the riots for the Pats and Red Sox games. It all gets blamed on Northeastern, when it is the entire city! To be honest, it's worth it though. I came to Northeastern being a Mets fan and not watching football. Now the Sox are my 2nd favorite team and I LOVE the Pats. Rioting proves our love for the teams. With the Celtics and the Bruins beginning to shape up it makes it even better. You really feel like you are part of something bigger - being right in the middle of Boston, and really close to Fenway, is amazing! The biggest complaint at the school is the NU Shuffle. You go to one office for question X and they send you to another department which will send you to another department. If you can find a way to bond and get to know the administration (I became involved in student groups to become more involved with the administration) then they will really help you out. *The biggest thing with Northeastern is that anything is possible. You have to make the best of it... and you can have an amazing experience if you put effort in. At at university with 15,000 people... no one is going to come up to you and say "I want to make your time here great." YOU need to make your time there great - and it isn't that hard to do! Just don't be ultra lazy!

Northeastern is very unique. It offers you a city experience while still having the security of a secluded campus. The security can seem overly oppressive at times, but it is just to ensure the well being of the students and faculty. The university is amazing. Great people, amazing city, excellent atmosphere. The facilities such as the gym(s) and library are well maintained and very useful. The surrounding neighborhoods are not totally unsafe, but certain areas should be avoided at night. The Coop program is truly amazing, and gives students the opportunity for valid job experience in their major. Anyone who graduates from Northeatern and participated in the Coop program is already two steps ahead of any graduate from another school with the same degree, hands down. We all have heard that experience is the best teacher, and that is what Coop is all about.