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N.U.in - Seeking firsthand experience (not wotm)
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Anonymous
(Please, no Northeastern bashing needed.  I've read it all. NEU is DC's first choice for several reasons.)
DC applied ED I to NEU Boston social sciences school and was admitted non-binding to N.U.in (also spelled NU.in). Anyone have firsthand experience with the program? Ideally for non-STEM student and/or Berlin, Prague, Lisbon sites. But any feedback (not speculation or hearsay) is welcome. The locations won't be confirmed until late February. All we've heard is "get your deposit in asap" and "read last year's webpage in the interim." We've searched google, reddit, college confidential, quora, etc. Not much other than Athens is a party spot, Paris and Rome fill up fast, most are rich business students or self-pay kids with lower stats than Boston admitees, and housing back in Boston is chaos. Do these comments sound accurate? Is the quality of courses comparable to Boston? What kind of academic supports do they offer? Is program operator CIEE (not NEU) organized and responsive? How big are classes? Any by Zoom? What were positives? What were negatives? We really appreciate any insights. It's so different from other offers DC has that it's hard to compare. Apparently we only have a few weeks to decide when locations come out? Thanks DCUMers |
Anonymous
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I know some local Kids that did and had a good experience. You have to be the type of student that isn’t scared off by first semester abroad.
Last year my kid was admitted to Global Scholars, one semester in Oakland and one in London. It was a very tough decision for him, but he decided to go elsewhere. He was most concerned about whether he would like Oakland. If he had been offered NUin, he would have taken it. Sorry, not really the first hand experience you requested. Good luck! |
Anonymous
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Hi.
No experience with Northeastern. Husband alum of a specialized European CIEE 1 year study abroad program for college students (30+ years ago). Senior went to Europe on a CIEE High School study abroad program last summer. I have traveled to many European cities. Observations: 1) CIEE is a reputable and long-lived non-profit. Not a tourism provider and a not a new organization. 2) Study abroad kids tend to be wealthier. 3) Study abroad kids tend to be excited to be away from family, drink, do drugs, hookup, etc. Unclear whether this is any different baseline than college freshmen anywhere. But be aware that CIEE cannot police your children even if they state that certain things are absolutely prohibited. High schoolers were allowed to travel in pairs in cities without supervision. Use your knowledge of your child to determine if your child's freedom in a foreign city would trouble you. 4) Living abroad is great for those who enjoy challenges, adjusting to different worldviews, and change. It builds confidence for many. It is harder for people who are shy, feel slighted by other people ignoring them or randomly bonding with others, picky eaters, etc. The paychological/mental health conditions form for the high school program was quite long in my opinion. That suggests that CIEE is attentive to accomodations but also wants to make sure they know if children are likely to be triggered, a suicide risk, etc. It is harder to have difficulties in a foreign land than at home. Knowing what I know now about myself, how I see the world, and what travel has done for me, I do recommend even a mediocre study abroad program if it guaranteed entrance to a university of choice. And CIEE should be competitive or above average, in my opinion. We are planning on sending our other child on a different high school study abroad program with them. As far as choice of city, I would personally choose Paris or Prague if I did not speak the local language. Paris amenities are well-known. I enjoyed my one trip to Prague and would like to go back. |
Anonymous
| Bffs son did Italy (Rome I think), and had a great semester their freshman year, made his own bffs, is now a junior that spent the 1st semester this year on CoOp in NYC, and is now back in Boston. Happy kid, studying business and will likely end up on Wall Street |
Anonymous
| A Northeastern parents Facebook page (if you are allowed to join before you’ve committed to the school; the moderators may not permit that) would be a good place to ask. There are two such pages, both quite active. I have a Northeastern sophomore who’s having a fantastic experience at the school (just started first co-op) but they were in Boston during their first year. I know one kid who spent their first year in London but don’t know anyone who did NUin, though I’m sure my student does. We are very happy with the education our student is getting, and their first co-op is an outstanding opportunity. Good luck! |
Anonymous
| Friend's son had to do Oakland and hated every minute of it. |
Anonymous
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DS's friend just finished it (either Ireland or Portugal, I can't remember) and felt very positively about it. He made at least a couple good friends. But since they are guys, that is all the info I got. Sorry!
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Anonymous
| Friend’s daughter did Rome. Business student. Really liked it and bonded with a group of kids she stayed close to. |
Anonymous
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NU.in used to be kind of a backdoor way in to NEU. Now, many, many kids are opting to choose it as a first choice. You rarely hear anything negative about it. Keep in mind that NEU's class size including Boston, NU.in and Global Scholars (1 semester abroad, 1 at Oakland) is fewer than 4,500.
If you can afford it, it is a great experience. Let's face it, studying in Europe for a year where you make friends and travel is pretty appealing to a lot of students. |
Anonymous
One of the PP's. So...if the kid really wants to go to the university, should the kid care if the first year is spent away from main campus in pleasant and interesting circumstances? Chicago is still a good school even if it's a deceptive targeter of mass mailings... I don't know whether the university is overrated or not. But sometimes gameplayers' interests align. Here, the special programs are a commitment device...a more interesting way for the elite than sending their kids to an unprestigious branch campus. |
Anonymous
| My kid spring admit elsewhere. It’s perfectly fine. The way to think about it is - It’s study abroad - but instead of junior year, it’s first semester freshman year. Don’t over think it OP. It’s 3.5 months. Your kid will get some GE credits done. The quality of the courses will be between meh and kind good. They won’t have access to LSE or Bocconi level for example. It’s fine. Enjoy the three months, travel a lot, then enroll in Spring and pick things up from there. It’s all good. Pick the location your kid hasn’t been to/has easiest access to weekend travels. There’s a LOT of weekend travel. So get okay with your kid hopping around Europe (if they haven’t done that before). Also, at 18, they are drinking age in Europe. So, be okay with that too. Mostly it’s an adjustment for You. The kid will bond with some new friends and will be fine assimilating to campus in the spring. |
Anonymous
| I know two students that are happy at NE, both started NUin, one in Dublin, the other in Madrid. Both STEM. |
Anonymous
Unless they're stuck going to Oakland. |
Anonymous
| My DS begged us to let her ED to NEU for NU.in. But it was too hard to commit to that without shopping for merit, etc. She was in tears. She ended up getting in RD with a surprisingly good aid package. She is so happy there. It's not for everybody. You have to have an adventurous spirit. |
Anonymous
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Northeastern only enrolls 2,500 freshmen at the Boston campus. Its yield has been rising, that is more are selecting it as its first choice. If you have the opportunity to do NU.in, take it.
Be prepared to not get in, though. It has become uber selective. |