Scathing Summary of Northeastern Admissions

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The issue is that Northeastern counts the total applicant count in the denominator but not the numerator, which is, at best, misleading and realistically, an outward lie.

All of the full-pay admits to their portfolio of campuses around the world are not calculated in their admission rate. In fact, they are misleadingly considered rejected in the calculation (and the GPA, test scores of the non-Boston admits aren't incorporated either).

Ugh how misleading. And it's included in all the rankings too. Then because it appears to be more selective than it is, gullible teens apply thinking it's a proxy for quality.

Sounds like your kid didn’t do his research so now you’re all butthurt about it.

Northeastern is very clear about the multiple locations. Anyone who is “duped” didn’t do basic research.

Kids who are looking at highly selective colleges figure it out.

Not everyone is obsessed with rankings and selectivity as you.

What are you talking about?Northeastern is so obsessed with (perceived) selectivity, that they resorted to unethical admissions practices to game the rankings. Then again, you threw in the term “butthutt” - so clearly a few cans short of a six-pack.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The issue is that Northeastern counts the total applicant count in the denominator but not the numerator, which is, at best, misleading and realistically, an outward lie.

All of the full-pay admits to their portfolio of campuses around the world are not calculated in their admission rate. In fact, they are misleadingly considered rejected in the calculation (and the GPA, test scores of the non-Boston admits aren't incorporated either).

Ugh how misleading. And it's included in all the rankings too. Then because it appears to be more selective than it is, gullible teens apply thinking it's a proxy for quality.

Sounds like your kid didn’t do his research so now you’re all butthurt about it.

Northeastern is very clear about the multiple locations. Anyone who is “duped” didn’t do basic research.

Kids who are looking at highly selective colleges figure it out.

Not everyone is obsessed with rankings and selectivity as you.

What are you talking about?Northeastern is so obsessed with (perceived) selectivity, that they resorted to unethical admissions practices to game the rankings. Then again, you threw in the term “butthutt” - so clearly a few cans short of a six-pack.

The applicants. Obviously. 🙄

Sorry, your kid was too lazy to research. Hopefully they were offered a solid merit package?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the people on here who keep spitting out rankings are missing the point. The whole "rise" of Northeastern has been a deliberate strategy not to improve quality or student experience, but to climb all the rankings they could. USNWR was most important to them, but other rankings matter to them too. It's what they prioritize and focus on. Why else would the hire that scammy guy from Tulane who ran their admission strategy?

Finally, I hate "one size fits all" rankings because they don't fit all. For example, my kid cares about the quality of student community (collaborative, intellectual, kind) and class size as well as strength of faculty and major, and finally location.

Northeastern being in Boston is such a wonderful location to go to college. There are 10+ colleges with access to Boston, so it's far from the only choice. But each has different admission profile, culture, vibe.

I will say that BU does engage in some of NEU's tactics - like offering guaranteed transfers and delayed semesters so that they can hide the admissions and stats of those admits. Vandy, NYU and USC do this too.

I think there's a lot of defensiveness from NEU boosters on this thread and regurgitation of random and various rankings (global or national) don't really make their points effectively.

Our argument is their tactics and quality, not some BS rankings.

You are totally backward.
Quality of student experience and satisfaction at NU is top-notch.
It's reflected in the retention rate - https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/freshmen-least-most-likely-return
It's top 20 on par with schools like Duke, Princeton, JHU, Georgetown, etc.

How do you make this possible? threaten students to come back?

Bro, you really think Northeastern Uni is on par with Duke, Princeton, Hopkins, Georgetown? It's on par with GW maybe (if you take out the amazing Elliott school).

PP clearly wrote about the retention rate.

Go reread and then apologize for your error. If you aren’t trolling…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The issue is that Northeastern counts the total applicant count in the denominator but not the numerator, which is, at best, misleading and realistically, an outward lie.

All of the full-pay admits to their portfolio of campuses around the world are not calculated in their admission rate. In fact, they are misleadingly considered rejected in the calculation (and the GPA, test scores of the non-Boston admits aren't incorporated either).

Ugh how misleading. And it's included in all the rankings too. Then because it appears to be more selective than it is, gullible teens apply thinking it's a proxy for quality.

Sounds like your kid didn’t do his research so now you’re all butthurt about it.

Northeastern is very clear about the multiple locations. Anyone who is “duped” didn’t do basic research.

Kids who are looking at highly selective colleges figure it out.

Not everyone is obsessed with rankings and selectivity as you.

What are you talking about?Northeastern is so obsessed with (perceived) selectivity, that they resorted to unethical admissions practices to game the rankings. Then again, you threw in the term “butthutt” - so clearly a few cans short of a six-pack.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the people on here who keep spitting out rankings are missing the point. The whole "rise" of Northeastern has been a deliberate strategy not to improve quality or student experience, but to climb all the rankings they could. USNWR was most important to them, but other rankings matter to them too. It's what they prioritize and focus on. Why else would the hire that scammy guy from Tulane who ran their admission strategy?

Finally, I hate "one size fits all" rankings because they don't fit all. For example, my kid cares about the quality of student community (collaborative, intellectual, kind) and class size as well as strength of faculty and major, and finally location.

Northeastern being in Boston is such a wonderful location to go to college. There are 10+ colleges with access to Boston, so it's far from the only choice. But each has different admission profile, culture, vibe.

I will say that BU does engage in some of NEU's tactics - like offering guaranteed transfers and delayed semesters so that they can hide the admissions and stats of those admits. Vandy, NYU and USC do this too.

I think there's a lot of defensiveness from NEU boosters on this thread and regurgitation of random and various rankings (global or national) don't really make their points effectively.

Our argument is their tactics and quality, not some BS rankings.

You are totally backward.
Quality of student experience and satisfaction at NU is top-notch.
It's reflected in the retention rate - https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/freshmen-least-most-likely-return
It's top 20 on par with schools like Duke, Princeton, JHU, Georgetown, etc.

How do you make this possible? threaten students to come back?

Bro, you really think Northeastern Uni is on par with Duke, Princeton, Hopkins, Georgetown? It's on par with GW maybe (if you take out the amazing Elliott school).

Bro, what the F is wrong with your reading comprehension?
The PP pointed out quality of student experience, and I provided the retention rate which is the best metric for overall satisfaction and experience.
Yes, Northeastern’s retention rate is on par with Duke, Princeton, Hopkins, and Georgetown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the people on here who keep spitting out rankings are missing the point. The whole "rise" of Northeastern has been a deliberate strategy not to improve quality or student experience, but to climb all the rankings they could. USNWR was most important to them, but other rankings matter to them too. It's what they prioritize and focus on. Why else would the hire that scammy guy from Tulane who ran their admission strategy?

Finally, I hate "one size fits all" rankings because they don't fit all. For example, my kid cares about the quality of student community (collaborative, intellectual, kind) and class size as well as strength of faculty and major, and finally location.

Northeastern being in Boston is such a wonderful location to go to college. There are 10+ colleges with access to Boston, so it's far from the only choice. But each has different admission profile, culture, vibe.

I will say that BU does engage in some of NEU's tactics - like offering guaranteed transfers and delayed semesters so that they can hide the admissions and stats of those admits. Vandy, NYU and USC do this too.

I think there's a lot of defensiveness from NEU boosters on this thread and regurgitation of random and various rankings (global or national) don't really make their points effectively.

Our argument is their tactics and quality, not some BS rankings.

You are totally backward.
Quality of student experience and satisfaction at NU is top-notch.
It's reflected in the retention rate - https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/freshmen-least-most-likely-return
It's top 20 on par with schools like Duke, Princeton, JHU, Georgetown, etc.

How do you make this possible? threaten students to come back?

Bro, you really think Northeastern Uni is on par with Duke, Princeton, Hopkins, Georgetown? It's on par with GW maybe (if you take out the amazing Elliott school).

Bro, what the F is wrong with your reading comprehension?
The PP pointed out quality of student experience, and I provided the retention rate which is the best metric for overall satisfaction and experience.
Yes, Northeastern’s retention rate is on par with Duke, Princeton, Hopkins, and Georgetown.

You must be joking. That is meaningless, like saying the number of cafeterias is on par with Princeton and Stanford. I can’t believe how dumb people are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The issue is that Northeastern counts the total applicant count in the denominator but not the numerator, which is, at best, misleading and realistically, an outward lie.

All of the full-pay admits to their portfolio of campuses around the world are not calculated in their admission rate. In fact, they are misleadingly considered rejected in the calculation (and the GPA, test scores of the non-Boston admits aren't incorporated either).

Ugh how misleading. And it's included in all the rankings too. Then because it appears to be more selective than it is, gullible teens apply thinking it's a proxy for quality.

Sounds like your kid didn’t do his research so now you’re all butthurt about it.

Northeastern is very clear about the multiple locations. Anyone who is “duped” didn’t do basic research.

Kids who are looking at highly selective colleges figure it out.

Not everyone is obsessed with rankings and selectivity as you.

What are you talking about?Northeastern is so obsessed with (perceived) selectivity, that they resorted to unethical admissions practices to game the rankings. Then again, you threw in the term “butthutt” - so clearly a few cans short of a six-pack.

Smaller class sizes and increased faculty = unethical these days... SMH at these crazy times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the people on here who keep spitting out rankings are missing the point. The whole "rise" of Northeastern has been a deliberate strategy not to improve quality or student experience, but to climb all the rankings they could. USNWR was most important to them, but other rankings matter to them too. It's what they prioritize and focus on. Why else would the hire that scammy guy from Tulane who ran their admission strategy?

Finally, I hate "one size fits all" rankings because they don't fit all. For example, my kid cares about the quality of student community (collaborative, intellectual, kind) and class size as well as strength of faculty and major, and finally location.

Northeastern being in Boston is such a wonderful location to go to college. There are 10+ colleges with access to Boston, so it's far from the only choice. But each has different admission profile, culture, vibe.

I will say that BU does engage in some of NEU's tactics - like offering guaranteed transfers and delayed semesters so that they can hide the admissions and stats of those admits. Vandy, NYU and USC do this too.

I think there's a lot of defensiveness from NEU boosters on this thread and regurgitation of random and various rankings (global or national) don't really make their points effectively.

Our argument is their tactics and quality, not some BS rankings.

You are totally backward.
Quality of student experience and satisfaction at NU is top-notch.
It's reflected in the retention rate - https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/freshmen-least-most-likely-return
It's top 20 on par with schools like Duke, Princeton, JHU, Georgetown, etc.

How do you make this possible? threaten students to come back?

Bro, you really think Northeastern Uni is on par with Duke, Princeton, Hopkins, Georgetown? It's on par with GW maybe (if you take out the amazing Elliott school).

Bro, what the F is wrong with your reading comprehension?
The PP pointed out quality of student experience, and I provided the retention rate which is the best metric for overall satisfaction and experience.
Yes, Northeastern’s retention rate is on par with Duke, Princeton, Hopkins, and Georgetown.

You must be joking. That is meaningless, like saying the number of cafeterias is on par with Princeton and Stanford. I can’t believe how dumb people are.

Sigh

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the people on here who keep spitting out rankings are missing the point. The whole "rise" of Northeastern has been a deliberate strategy not to improve quality or student experience, but to climb all the rankings they could. USNWR was most important to them, but other rankings matter to them too. It's what they prioritize and focus on. Why else would the hire that scammy guy from Tulane who ran their admission strategy?

Finally, I hate "one size fits all" rankings because they don't fit all. For example, my kid cares about the quality of student community (collaborative, intellectual, kind) and class size as well as strength of faculty and major, and finally location.

Northeastern being in Boston is such a wonderful location to go to college. There are 10+ colleges with access to Boston, so it's far from the only choice. But each has different admission profile, culture, vibe.

I will say that BU does engage in some of NEU's tactics - like offering guaranteed transfers and delayed semesters so that they can hide the admissions and stats of those admits. Vandy, NYU and USC do this too.

I think there's a lot of defensiveness from NEU boosters on this thread and regurgitation of random and various rankings (global or national) don't really make their points effectively.

Our argument is their tactics and quality, not some BS rankings.

You are totally backward.
Quality of student experience and satisfaction at NU is top-notch.
It's reflected in the retention rate - https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/freshmen-least-most-likely-return
It's top 20 on par with schools like Duke, Princeton, JHU, Georgetown, etc.

How do you make this possible? threaten students to come back?

Bro, you really think Northeastern Uni is on par with Duke, Princeton, Hopkins, Georgetown? It's on par with GW maybe (if you take out the amazing Elliott school).

Bro, what the F is wrong with your reading comprehension?
The PP pointed out quality of student experience, and I provided the retention rate which is the best metric for overall satisfaction and experience.
Yes, Northeastern’s retention rate is on par with Duke, Princeton, Hopkins, and Georgetown.

You must be joking. That is meaningless, like saying the number of cafeterias is on par with Princeton and Stanford. I can’t believe how dumb people are.

Sigh

Who said retention rate is meaningful beyond just being able to pay tuition? Transferring or leaving college is pretty extreme and most likely due to external circumstances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the people on here who keep spitting out rankings are missing the point. The whole "rise" of Northeastern has been a deliberate strategy not to improve quality or student experience, but to climb all the rankings they could. USNWR was most important to them, but other rankings matter to them too. It's what they prioritize and focus on. Why else would the hire that scammy guy from Tulane who ran their admission strategy?

Finally, I hate "one size fits all" rankings because they don't fit all. For example, my kid cares about the quality of student community (collaborative, intellectual, kind) and class size as well as strength of faculty and major, and finally location.

Northeastern being in Boston is such a wonderful location to go to college. There are 10+ colleges with access to Boston, so it's far from the only choice. But each has different admission profile, culture, vibe.

I will say that BU does engage in some of NEU's tactics - like offering guaranteed transfers and delayed semesters so that they can hide the admissions and stats of those admits. Vandy, NYU and USC do this too.

I think there's a lot of defensiveness from NEU boosters on this thread and regurgitation of random and various rankings (global or national) don't really make their points effectively.

Our argument is their tactics and quality, not some BS rankings.

You are totally backward.
Quality of student experience and satisfaction at NU is top-notch.
It's reflected in the retention rate - https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/freshmen-least-most-likely-return
It's top 20 on par with schools like Duke, Princeton, JHU, Georgetown, etc.

How do you make this possible? threaten students to come back?

Bro, you really think Northeastern Uni is on par with Duke, Princeton, Hopkins, Georgetown? It's on par with GW maybe (if you take out the amazing Elliott school).

PP clearly wrote about the retention rate.

Go reread and then apologize for your error. If you aren’t trolling…

Apologize for misusing retention rate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the people on here who keep spitting out rankings are missing the point. The whole "rise" of Northeastern has been a deliberate strategy not to improve quality or student experience, but to climb all the rankings they could. USNWR was most important to them, but other rankings matter to them too. It's what they prioritize and focus on. Why else would the hire that scammy guy from Tulane who ran their admission strategy?

Finally, I hate "one size fits all" rankings because they don't fit all. For example, my kid cares about the quality of student community (collaborative, intellectual, kind) and class size as well as strength of faculty and major, and finally location.

Northeastern being in Boston is such a wonderful location to go to college. There are 10+ colleges with access to Boston, so it's far from the only choice. But each has different admission profile, culture, vibe.

I will say that BU does engage in some of NEU's tactics - like offering guaranteed transfers and delayed semesters so that they can hide the admissions and stats of those admits. Vandy, NYU and USC do this too.

I think there's a lot of defensiveness from NEU boosters on this thread and regurgitation of random and various rankings (global or national) don't really make their points effectively.

Our argument is their tactics and quality, not some BS rankings.

You are totally backward.
Quality of student experience and satisfaction at NU is top-notch.
It's reflected in the retention rate - https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/freshmen-least-most-likely-return
It's top 20 on par with schools like Duke, Princeton, JHU, Georgetown, etc.

How do you make this possible? threaten students to come back?

Bro, you really think Northeastern Uni is on par with Duke, Princeton, Hopkins, Georgetown? It's on par with GW maybe (if you take out the amazing Elliott school).

Bro, what the F is wrong with your reading comprehension?
The PP pointed out quality of student experience, and I provided the retention rate which is the best metric for overall satisfaction and experience.
Yes, Northeastern’s retention rate is on par with Duke, Princeton, Hopkins, and Georgetown.

You must be joking. That is meaningless, like saying the number of cafeterias is on par with Princeton and Stanford. I can’t believe how dumb people are.

Sigh

Who said retention rate is meaningful beyond just being able to pay tuition? Transferring or leaving college is pretty extreme and most likely due to external circumstances.

Sure, your gut feeling and imagination are better indicators.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The idea that somehow NEU has transformed itself into an elite university should raise a lot of eyebrows. It is a fine school, but let's not get carried away.

For a more accurate view of NEU, both of these rankings are more reputable than the USNWR.

Times Higher Education 2026 World Rankings
#2 MIT
#5 Harvard
#76 Boston University
#189 Tufts
#201-250 Northeastern

2026 QS World University Rankings
#1 MIT
#5 Harvard
#88 Boston University
#334 Tufts
#384 Northeastern

This.

[Anonymous]

I asked AI.

A college's retention rate is the percentage of first-time, first-year undergraduate students who continue at the same school the following year.

In the world of higher education, this is often considered the "ultimate pulse check" for a university. Here is what a high retention rate (typically 90% or above) actually signals:

1. Student Satisfaction and "Fit"
A high rate suggests that the school is delivering on its promises. When students return for their sophomore year, it means they found the academic rigor, social environment, and campus culture to be what they expected. If students are unhappy or feel "misled" by marketing, they tend to transfer out after the first or second semester.

2. Academic Support Systems
High retention usually indicates that the school has strong support structures, such as:

Effective Advising: Helping students navigate difficult majors.

Tutoring Centers: Keeping students from dropping out due to academic struggle.

First-Year Programs: Helping freshmen transition from high school to college-level work.

3. Financial Stability and Value
Students are consumers. If they (and their families) feel the "Return on Investment" (ROI) is high, they will find a way to stay. A high retention rate often correlates with a high graduation rate, which is the primary goal for most students.

4. Campus Engagement
It’s a strong indicator of "social glue." Schools with high retention rates typically have active clubs, strong Greek life, successful sports teams, or a tight-knit community that makes students feel like they belong.

5. Institutional Selectivity
There is a high correlation between selectivity and retention. Schools that are harder to get into (like the Ivies, Stanford, or top-tier research universities) often have retention rates between 96% and 99%. This is partly because the students are highly motivated and partly because the "prestige" of the degree makes students more likely to persevere through challenges.

The "Benchmark" Numbers
Elite/Top-Tier: 95% – 99% (e.g., Yale, Duke, Northeastern, UChicago)

Very Good: 85% – 94%

National Average: Around 75% – 76% for four-year institutions.

The Bottom Line: While rankings look at prestige and research, retention looks at the actual experience of the people living on campus. If everyone stays, it usually means the school is doing something right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The idea that somehow NEU has transformed itself into an elite university should raise a lot of eyebrows. It is a fine school, but let's not get carried away.

For a more accurate view of NEU, both of these rankings are more reputable than the USNWR.

Times Higher Education 2026 World Rankings
#2 MIT
#5 Harvard
#76 Boston University
#189 Tufts
#201-250 Northeastern

2026 QS World University Rankings
#1 MIT
#5 Harvard
#88 Boston University
#334 Tufts
#384 Northeastern

This.

Agree, it is an decent school but one that has simply gamed the USNWR ranking system and appeals to try hards who care too much about attending a "T50" on that list. It has no reputation internationally and it's domestic reputation is unlikely to be durable through the coming enrollment declines

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The idea that somehow NEU has transformed itself into an elite university should raise a lot of eyebrows. It is a fine school, but let's not get carried away.

For a more accurate view of NEU, both of these rankings are more reputable than the USNWR.

Times Higher Education 2026 World Rankings
#2 MIT
#5 Harvard
#76 Boston University
#189 Tufts
#201-250 Northeastern

2026 QS World University Rankings
#1 MIT
#5 Harvard
#88 Boston University
#334 Tufts
#384 Northeastern

This.

Agree, it is an decent school but one that has simply gamed the USNWR ranking system and appeals to try hards who care too much about attending a "T50" on that list. It has no reputation internationally and it's domestic reputation is unlikely to be durable through the coming enrollment declines

+1

I am really surprised how many NEU boosters are fighting for their life in the comments here. I thought it was universally known that NEU was a bit scammy and yet they were unapologetic about their scrappy sales tactics and "adapt or die" hustle.