Inside View: Northeastern University

Northeastern University in Boston gives students a unique blend of practical and theoretic education that few other schools can claim. Each student at Northeastern has the opportunity to complete paid cooperative learning internships in their chosen field while going to school. For many, this translates into taking five years instead of four to graduate, but most students feel the on-the-job learning the cooperative program offers is just as valuable as what they learn in the classroom. U.S. News and World Reports recently included a profile of Northeastern's cooperative education program in the magazine's 2006 Edition of the Best Colleges.

Northeastern has just over 14,000 undergraduates students. Northeastern's selectivity has been climbing in recent years. The acceptance rate was 42% last year.

I asked Claire, currently a sophomore majoring in finance and accounting with a minor in economics, to share an inside view of her experiences at Northeaster.

What were the three most important things you were looking for when you were looking at colleges?

I was looking for a college that was in a major city as well as having a good business program. I wanted a large school as I wanted to meet lots of different sorts of people, and I knew a smaller school wasn't for me. I am interested in Finance and wanted to know that the program was right for me. I did lots of research and found the courses Northeastern offered were really interesting. It wasn't until I visited the campus did I really know that even though I wanted to be in the city, I still wanted a campus feel. Unlike other Boston schools I feel Northeastern still has that campus feel.

Besides Northeastern, what other schools did you consider?

I considered New York University, Fordham, Babson College, Boston University and Pace University.

What convinced you that Northeastern was the right school for you?

Interestingly, Northeastern was the only school I didn't visit before I applied. I loved the idea of tthe co op program. The co op program is a unique opportunity - after freshman year, students alternate between school and working in an internship. We do six months in school and six months in work.

After visiting the campus, I fell in love with the school. The campus feel was great and everyone I met was so friendly. The students I met were all very capable and this was very different than at other schools.

I had a non-traditional background before coming to Northeastern. I worked for a few years before I came to Northeastern, so I knew that the non traditional degree was for me. I liked that I was still getting my degree but I was not going to be in a classroom for 4 years.

What has been your biggest surprise about Northeastern - something you didn't know about or didn't expect until you actually started?

My biggest surprise about Northeastern is the small classes. I have not been in a class with more than 49 people. In the business program all classrooms are limited to about 40 people in size. I was surprised at this, as I thought as a bigger school there would be larger classes. I was also surprised at how friendly the faculty are, and how willing they are to help students. I regulary email and go visit professors. The amount of help they give is great!

I also didn't know how easy it would be to do the four year program. Northeastern does sell itself a as a five year school, however if you do want to do 4 years this is possible. If you're coming in with credit this makes it much easier, but if, like me, you're not it means working that little bit harder. Some people are under the illusion that if you do the four year program that you can't do co op. This is wrong, I am doing the 4 year program and 2 co ops, with no advanced credit, and with overloading classes plan on graduating a semester early.

How would you describe the Northeastern student body? Is there a type of student who would not fit in at Northeastern? Why? Are their any stereotypes about Northeastern students that you'd like to contradict?

Northeastern is such a large school that I think anyone can fit in. There are a lot of students who do like to party. Like any school they fit the typical college student. However, I am always surprised at even the most hard core partier that they still care about their grades and rarely miss a class.

There is also a large group of students who do not party. Within the city of Boston there is so much to do, that walk off campus for five minutes and we have the T (subway), coffee shops and a shopping mall that includes a Barnes and Noble (my favorite place to go after a hard day in school!)

There is a large international student community as well. My close friends at Northeastern are from Latin America, India and Europe. There is a lot of diversity at Northeastern which is great.

The biggest misconception about student at Northeastern is that it is a party school. It is not, it is a large school that has a large community of students with different interests. I have stayed up till 4 a.m. arguing about economic policy in this country. We have an active Honors program, with new facilities being built this year.

How would you describe the academic workload at Northeastern? If you had to pick one class as your favorite, which would it be and why? (How much time do you typically spend preparing for classes each week?

I have found the acadmemic workload has not been too intense. Some classes are obviously more work than others. What I have liked in the business school particularly is that we do business classes from the first semester. In our Introduction to Business class we were assigned to write a business plan for a company idea to present to TJ Maxx Corporation. I thought this was great for the first semester in college. This was a lot of work as Northeastern really encourages team work. Most classes I have been in have had a group project to do as part of the grade.

My two favorite classes have been my financial Accounting class and my Global Economy class. I loved my accounting class as I thought the professor was great and really showed us how to understand accounting, which is not an easy subject. Since I have taken the class I have chosen to dual-concentrate in Accounting. My Economics class was really different. It looked at economics from a different perspective.

Can you explain how Northeastern's coop program works? Have you participated yet? If so, what did you do?

I have not yet participated in the co op program and will start the process the fall with interviewing. I will start my co op in January and work until June. I will then start classes again in July and be in school till December.

The best thing about co op apart from the amount of work experience is: You get paid and you don't pay tuition while you are on co op.

The way the co op works is that freshman year you are in school like a regular student. Northeastern offers the Fall and Spring semesters, but also offers two summer semesters split into Summer 1 and Summer 2. In your freshman year you can choose which division you want to do your co op in. You have the option of starting your co op January of your sophomore year or July of your sophomore year.

If, like me, you choose to start January of your sophomore year, you will then work until the end of June. You will then come back to school in July and do the summer 2, which is a 7 and a half week semester, where normally you will take 2 classes. You will then have a two week vacation and come back to class for the Fall semester until the Christmas. You continue alternate like this for either another 1 or 2 co op cycles.

While it is obvious that the amount of vacation time is very little, the amount of work experience that you graduate with is great.

What was your freshman year dorm like? How are Northeastern's dorms in general?

Freshman dorms at Northeastern range from the standard dorms to brownstones. I thought that my room in the standard dorm above the main cafeteria was spacious. I had bookshelves, a dressor, a mirror and a closet for myself.

After freshman year, the dorms get palatial. The newly constructed dorms of the West Village facility are spacious 2- 3 bedroom apartments usually. However there are even studio apartments available. Some have views all over the Boston area. Davenport commons which is other side of campus are really good too. The downside that I have heard though about the apartment style living is that outside of the apartment the social scene is quieter. However some people would say this is a good thing!

How's the food? What's your favorite menu item? Your least favorite?

The food at Northeastern is very good. When talking to friends at other schools, I realized how much choice we have at Northeastern. We have two cafeterias that cook food such as stir fry and Mexican food. Everything is cooked in front of us on the grill, so it seems much fresher. In the student center we have a Wendy’s, a sushi bar, an Indian restaurant, a pizza place and a Starbucks. My favorite item is the desserts in the cafeteria they are just great. My least favorite item has got to be the pasta, I don't think this is for me!

What's Northeastern's social scene like? Where do people hang out, both on campus and off? What do people do for fun on the weekends? Would someone who didn't drink or use drugs feel comfortable at Northeastern?

Like I mentioned previously, anybody would fit in at Northeastern. Plenty of students do not drink and do not use drugs. There are so many things to do on and off campus that you're not confined to being with people that do drugs or drink. Some people like to study or play games in the Starbucks near campus or go for something to eat in Newbury Street.

How would you describe Northeastern's campus? What's your favorite place on campus? Your least favorite?

Northeastern's campus is very green and lush. The buildings are new or are clean and look new. The sidewalks curve through the campus and make it seem really attractive. We have a large green quad that is surrounded by curved shaped glass buildings, which gives it a great feel. I don’t really have one place on campus that I like, I like so many. I like patio on top of the student center, that not too many people know about and is nice and quite. I like certain places in the library to study. I also like the basement part of one of the dorms that holds a coffee shop. My least favorite place on campus I suppose would be the tunnel system that runs through some of the buildings on campus. These are great when the weather is bad when there are a lot of people down there, but when the weather is good and there are not too many people in them, I think it is a bit spooky!


What's the area about Northeastern like? Is it safe? What's it like to go to school in Boston? Is there something special you particularly like to do in Boston?

I love going to school in Boston, as there is always so much to do. I have lived all over Europe, and Boston feels one of the safest cities I have ever lived in. My friends and I have wandered all over Boston till midnight and have felt safe and there are still so many people around. Some areas I would stay away from say as the large Fens area, a large city park. However this is true in any major city. I also like the public transport system, but wished it ran all through the night like New York instead of finishing at 12:30. I love to go to any of the coffee shops in Boston and chat with friends. There is a special place on Newbury Street we often go and if we don’t go there, a few mins walk in the other direction there is Tremont Street a new and upcoming area with more restaurant and coffee places there. This is a particularly nice areas amidst brownstone buildings.

I also love to go to Cambridge which is about 20 mins away on the T. Harvard's campus is especially beautiful and it is great to be able to go over there and enjoy what Cambridge has to offer. Cambridge is also quieter than Boston and has a different atmosphere which is good.

What advice would you give to high school students looking at colleges? Is there anything else you'd like them to know specifically about Northeastern?

When looking at colleges, make sure that you know if you want a city location or a rural one. Also think about if a real campus is important to you or not. Northeastern is a great school, and students should not be put off because it is a five year school. You can do it in four years with a little extra work or with incoming credits. The administration isn't as bad as people make it out to be, and everyone seems to be friendly and very helpful. Northeastern has really given me great opportunities, whether it's working on projects at Harvard or having a coffee with a professor. I'm sure with co op Northeastern will give me even more opportunities.