NorthEastern University in Boston - weirded out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It was basically a commuter school when I lived in Boston many years ago. They’ve admitted that they purposefully spent enormous resources to game the rankings and voila, it worked.

Exactly this. I went to a top school in Boston a m million years ago and NE was basically the equivalent of a CC. They spent millions of dollars over the past decade doing exactly this to appear more selective and gamed the system. The more selective a school is/appears to be, the more people apply, regardless of how selective it is in reality. Make something appear unattainable and suddenly everyone wants it.

In the late 80's, early 90's, NU lagged behind many Boston area schools but it was NOT the equivalent of a community college. I hope you are speaking of a time before then and not just being obnoxious. They have invested in tangible ways in the school and programs - this is not all just smoke and mirrors. For the right student and right major, it is a solid school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s a school for strivers, nothing wrong with that.

Can we stop with the "striver" nonsense? YOu are the only poster using it. It adds nothing to the conversation. All parents and students going to college are striving to make something of themselves.

[Anonymous]

Why do people find it so distasteful that this school took steps to become more attractive to great students? Many schools’ amazing « outcome » stats are likely related to the talent they attract. Just because a school was once (gasp!) a commuter school doesn’t mean that it’s now a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It was basically a commuter school when I lived in Boston many years ago. They’ve admitted that they purposefully spent enormous resources to game the rankings and voila, it worked.

Exactly this. I went to a top school in Boston a m million years ago and NE was basically the equivalent of a CC. They spent millions of dollars over the past decade doing exactly this to appear more selective and gamed the system. The more selective a school is/appears to be, the more people apply, regardless of how selective it is in reality. Make something appear unattainable and suddenly everyone wants it.

In the late 80's, early 90's, NU lagged behind many Boston area schools but it was NOT the equivalent of a community college. I hope you are speaking of a time before then and not just being obnoxious. They have invested in tangible ways in the school and programs - this is not all just smoke and mirrors. For the right student and right major, it is a solid school.

I agree with this PP: NU was never the equivalent of a community college. I grew up in Boston suburbs in the 1970s, and my father had faculty appointments at Harvard, BU and NU. It was always a 4-year university with both good undergraduate programs and rising graduate disciplines. Dad always spoke highly of NU students and programs. It is true that there were many commuter students in that era, but that by itself doesn't make it a community college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure what the issue is. It used to be a commuter school and has transformed itself with a unique program that is wildly successful (co-op)

It will always be overshadowed by MIT, Harvard and Tufts, but will be right there with BU, BC, Brandeis etc putting the city of Boston and near the top of "college towns" in the US.

It isn't going to be for everybody, and certainly not my kids, but for the right fit, it is a great option.

Isn't that true for any school?

[Anonymous]

It's not that it's improved, it's the weird arrogance + insecurity and bragging that it's going to be a top 20 school anytime now that is laughably off-putting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not that it's improved, it's the weird arrogance + insecurity and bragging that it's going to be a top 20 school anytime now that is laughably off-putting.

Agreed. It's still a wannabe and they know it from top to bottom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure what the issue is. It used to be a commuter school and has transformed itself with a unique program that is wildly successful (co-op)

It will always be overshadowed by MIT, Harvard and Tufts, but will be right there with BU, BC, Brandeis etc putting the city of Boston and near the top of "college towns" in the US.

It isn't going to be for everybody, and certainly not my kids, but for the right fit, it is a great option.

I know someone there and the work he's done before even graduating is undeniable impressive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure what the issue is. It used to be a commuter school and has transformed itself with a unique program that is wildly successful (co-op)

It will always be overshadowed by MIT, Harvard and Tufts, but will be right there with BU, BC, Brandeis etc putting the city of Boston and near the top of "college towns" in the US.

It isn't going to be for everybody, and certainly not my kids, but for the right fit, it is a great option.

I know someone there and the work he's done before even graduating is undeniable impressive.

NU is really an innovator that tapped into a learning style that suits a lot of students, especially in STEM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It was basically a commuter school when I lived in Boston many years ago. They’ve admitted that they purposefully spent enormous resources to game the rankings and voila, it worked.

This. Our kid is not applying because we don't think the quality of the education is remotely in line with the rankings (dual academic family here.) The co-op approach is great for some kids/majors/professions, but it's a VERY mixed bag. And everyone we know who has sent a kid there has wound up spending freshman year in Europe. It's a con game - much better to aim for any of the other highly ranked Boston schools (not just Harvard/MIT but Tufts, BC, BU or Brandeis are all far superior to Northeastern.)

[Anonymous]

I think there are a couple posters who have a bee in their bonnets about “strivers” in general and Northeastern in particular. It reminds me of the weird md and uva boosters/haters.

It’s a big school with many thousands upon thousands of students. There are jerks (and yes, I suppose “strivers”) and nice kids and everything else. You don’t have to go or send your kid back there but it’s weird to be enemies with a school! -not an alum or parent of student

[Anonymous]

It it has to be a directional private university, let it be Northwestern.

[Anonymous]

Not a college story but years ago, I toured Gilman, a Baltimore private school. Three different people, a teacher, an admin, and a parent all said the same thing to me. "Our boys are reading at least 1-2 grade levels above their current grade level." It was very odd. Of course, many boys are redshirted by their parents or they go to pre-first so they are essentially "held back" in a fake grade. They SHOULD be reading above grade level! So I get that weird vibe. The admin person I spoke to had never met my son but when I told him my son's birthday was in mid-April, he said "Oh so he should apply for pre-k then, instead of kindergarten." Um, what? I didn't apply but that never left my mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It was basically a commuter school when I lived in Boston many years ago. They’ve admitted that they purposefully spent enormous resources to game the rankings and voila, it worked.

This. Our kid is not applying because we don't think the quality of the education is remotely in line with the rankings (dual academic family here.) The co-op approach is great for some kids/majors/professions, but it's a VERY mixed bag. And everyone we know who has sent a kid there has wound up spending freshman year in Europe. It's a con game - much better to aim for any of the other highly ranked Boston schools (not just Harvard/MIT but Tufts, BC, BU or Brandeis are all far superior to Northeastern.)

+1

I don't know how many times I have to reiterate this. For most students, 4 years of regular schooling + internships + 1 year of full-time work > 5 years of schooling + co-ops thrown in between. At the end of five years, the average college grad from a comparable or better university will have one full year of work experience over a NEU grad.

The system is great for some students, but it is overrated and speckled in marketing gizmo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It was basically a commuter school when I lived in Boston many years ago. They’ve admitted that they purposefully spent enormous resources to game the rankings and voila, it worked.

Exactly this. I went to a top school in Boston a m million years ago and NE was basically the equivalent of a CC. They spent millions of dollars over the past decade doing exactly this to appear more selective and gamed the system. The more selective a school is/appears to be, the more people apply, regardless of how selective it is in reality. Make something appear unattainable and suddenly everyone wants it.

In the late 80's, early 90's, NU lagged behind many Boston area schools but it was NOT the equivalent of a community college. I hope you are speaking of a time before then and not just being obnoxious. They have invested in tangible ways in the school and programs - this is not all just smoke and mirrors. For the right student and right major, it is a solid school.

No one said community college. Commuter school is different.