I just want to start off by saying I am not sponsored by Northeastern, and if I was, I’d do a much better job writing about the highlights of this University. But if you’re interested, this will serve as an honest student perspective about why you should choose Northeastern!
If you’re a senior in high school, chances are you’re in the midst of the college-craze. Whether that be applying for schools, getting acceptance letters, or figuring out where to commit, it’s probably dawned on you that this is not an easy process. Even more, if you’re like me and didn’t decide where to go until the last week of April, it’s especially difficult. I remember touring Northeastern (for the second time) on April 26th and making my decision to go immediately after. It turns out taking an impromptu five-hour drive up North was the answer to making the decision of a lifetime.
So if you find yourself in any of the above categories, here are a few reasons why Northeastern could be the school for you:
- Location
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I think one of the biggest things that attracted me to Northeastern was its location. Despite having a campus that’s less than 100 acres, we’re situated in the heart of Boston — where the epitome of “college town” starts and ends. By taking the T or just going on a walk, you’re bound to end up somewhere cool. Conveniently, both the Green Line and Orange line are situated on campus. Ruggles station is in the heart of campus and has both the Orange Line and MBTA buses. These lines can take you all over, to Faneuil Hall, Boston Commons, Copley Square, Harvard Square (with a quick transfer to the red line), etc. The list goes on! Nonetheless, it’s pretty clear Northeastern has one of the most ideal locations for college, while still having a beautiful and walkable campus.
- Global Opportunities
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Northeastern offers a vast selection of global opportunities including standard study abroad, international co-op, the NUin abroad program for first semester freshman, and Dialogue of Civilizations, which are one or two summer month trips led by professors that focus on critical issues around the world. There are even alternative spring break programs for those who may only want to be gone for only a week. No matter what you pick, you’re sure to have a safe, awesome experience which also learning lots about yourself and the world! From the many people I’ve talked to who have engaged in these experiences, Northeastern ensures they are positive and fruitful learning opportunities.
- Hockey
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Before coming to this school, I don’t even think I’d ever watched ice hockey. But, upon experiencing my first hockey game—the famed Beanpot tournament—I’ve come to just how important hockey is not only to our student body, but the rest of Boston. Sure, our school doesn’t have a football team, but once you hear the chants of “Stacy’s Mom” coursing through the student section, it’s hard to care. The student spirit is unreal! Unfortunately, I was unable to make it to the final Beanpot game, but the first was enough to make me want to attend another. Plus, we’re currently three-peat champions! How could a school of champions not sound appealing?
- Co-op
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You knew this was coming. It’s hard to talk about Northeastern without mentioning its 100+ year experiential-learning program. It’s so important we’ve even integrated it into the chants at our hockey games, screaming “you need co-op!” to BU from across the arena. Of course this is all for good reason; Northeastern is the end-all be-all of experiences that cultivate growth and learning. The opportunity to partake in two or more six-month work programs is an experience unlike any other. Not only are you able to take a break from academics, but you can get real work experience before graduating while making a paycheck! The biggest benefit is having a leg up in job applications when you have real work experience as opposed to just summer internships or minimum wage jobs (not that there is anything wrong with either). Consider co-op a chance to figure everything out before you leave college, so you don’t risk graduating with a degree you hate or struggling to get a job for months.
- Combined Majors
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This is something that I feel isn’t discussed as often as co-op, but I definitely think combined majors are one of Northeastern’s greatest selling points. I didn’t know it was a thing until I came here for my impromptu tour in April, but upon realizing that you can merge 2 completely distinct majors and still receive a single degree, I knew just how special this school was. Unlike double majors where you’re required to do complete credit hours of both majors, in a combined major, you’re doing 75% of one and 75% of another yet so you are able to obtain a degree in both without overloading yourself. I’m currently a CS/Business Administration major, and I find it’s really cool to have both STEM and business classes because it keeps my workload balanced and my all my interests piqued. To check out all the combined majors Northeastern offers, visit this link: https://www.northeastern.edu/admissions/academics/combined-majors/
- The Community
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It’s almost necessary to end this list with a cliché reason. But in all honesty, it’s so refreshing to meet people from all parts of campus or all different ages. Since our school isn’t structured like a traditional one, most students are referred to by their numerical year rather than “freshman” or “sophomore” . Comedian John Mulaney even touched on this when he came for Homecoming Week this year, joking about how we weirdly call juniors “third years.” This is largely due to the way co-ops reorient the typical 4-year college track, making it so a lot of students actually stay a fifth year for one or two more semesters. Sure, this can be seen as a negative by some, but also, is more college really so bad? Especially when it gets you means you enter the working world with actual experience. Plus, we love our fifth years! It means we don’t have to say goodbye as quickly. I personally couldn’t be more grateful for the upperclassmen I’ve grown close to in my time here.
If you’re still considering Northeastern as a potential school, I highly recommend booking a tour and checking the school out in person. Being able to experience a campus in real life is so essential in picking a university; it’s the reason why I chose this school over any other. I assure you that once you come to Boston, even in the 10 degree weather, you’ll still be stupid happy you chose this city to call home for the next four (or five years). Still, I wish you all the luck in finding the University that makes you forget all the rest!