Northeastern University

Northeastern University (NU) is known for its experiential learning, providing both hands-on-learning and incorporating real life experience into their curriculum.  They accomplish this by having students students participate in co-operatives and research so that they may see real life applications of what they are learning in the classrooms as well as test and refine what they are learning.  This provides NU students with some of the strongest resumes for any graduating senior.  92% of NU graduates are employed or enrolled in graduate school nine months after graduation.  Some have multiple job offer before graduating from their co-operative employers.

Undergraduates at NU attend one of eight colleges:

- the College of Arts, Media and Design

      ( School of Architecture and School of Journalism);

- the College of Business Administration

      (School of Technological Entrepreneurship);

- the College of Computer and Information Science;

- the College of Engineering;

- the College of Professional Studies

      (School of Education,  Lowell Institute School and the World Language Center);

- the College of Science; and

- the College of Social Sciences and Humanities

       (School of Criminology and Criminal Justice and School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs

There is also a program for undeclared students if you don’t know to which school you want to apply.  The program introduces you to the broad range on academic opportunities available and advises you until you find the right fit.  Switching majors can be done but depending on the school can be difficult.  Health sciences only accepts transfers within NU.  Transferring to Engineering can also be difficult because of course requirements NU has  80 majors and nearly 200 major minors and specializations.

The experiential learning comes into play because NU students have the opportunity for 2 or 3 experiential learning experiences.  They choose.  If they choose to participate in two, they can graduate in four years.  If they pursue 3 experiences, they usually graduate in five years.  Experiential learning can take the form of co-operatives, 6 month full-time positions with organizations outside NU or research.  Co op starts second semester second year or fall a students 3rd year.  They can be degree related but do not have to be related.  On average the school helps students find 6000 co-ops every year at approximately 2400 organizations in 160 cities and 69 countries.  97% - 98% of students participate in at least one co-op. 

The other option for experiential learning is to participate in research.  Students pursuing degrees in security, sustainability and health are more likely to pursue some research experience.  The school has relationships with 37 active research centers, five federally funded labs and participates in research co-ops with hospitals, labs, units and corporations.

Located in the heart of Boston, the students not only benefit from the co-op and research opportunities right outside their door but also all the cultural and social events and possibilities.  NU students tend to have that entrepreneurial spirit.  You don’t need to know exactly what you want to do but you have to be excited to find out.

Boston University

Boston University (BU) is one of the largest private universities in the country with over 18,000 undergrads and14,000 graduate students.  The university is comprised of 11 schools and colleges.  Undergraduates can apply to the college of:

- arts and science,

- communication,

- music,

- health and rehabilitation sciences,

- education,

- visual arts, 

- management,

- engineering,

- hospitality administration, or

- general studies.

Each of BU’s schools has their own general education requirements but all students take the two semester Freshman Writing Program.    Students are also very positive about the First-Year Student Outreach Program which brings freshmen to campus a week early for community service projects.

The schools strongest programs include communications, management/business, biomedical engineering, natural sciences, psychology, international relations and the fine arts.  The school offers enormous opportunities from international paid internships, hands-on-learning opportunities, robotics and biomedical engineering labs, its own concert hall and more.  However, like all large institutions the opportunities are there but it is up to the student to make the most of them. To get the most out of BU, you need to be self-motivated and pro-active.  The school encourages both cooperation and competition.  Unlike many large schools, BU is able to maintain small class size with over 90% of classes being 25 students or smaller.  It accomplishes this by creating smaller groups within the various college freshmen co-horts.

In addition to the size of BU, another characteristic that dominates the BU experience is that it is an urban school that is integrated into the city like GW and NYU.  One may be walking through campus and not realize they are walking through a university.  The urban integrated nature of the school allows for great internships, a faculty that is also working on what they are teaching and cultural opportunities that are hard to match.Simply put it empowers the academic and social life of the academic community.

Since BU is so large, there is no typical students.  With a liberal culture, BU has strong athletics and arts programs which attract particular students but the school is so much more.  Whoever you are, you can find a home at BU.

Brandeis

Brandeis was founded in 1948 by the American Jewish community to provide a top tier institution for all students including those battling quotas at the ivy league colleges.  Because of their unique beginnings, Brandeis has always had a progressive culture with an eye towards social justice.  Cultural respect and diversity is also a hallmark of the institution as evidenced by the three chapels on campus originally erected to serve Catholic, Jewish and Protestant communities,  The structures were designed so that the shadow of one chapel never crosses the shadow of another, an architectural symbol that articulates the values of the institution.  The jewish community makes up 40% of the student body.  There are also 200 muslim students with their own dedicated prayer space.  The student body is 4% African American, 4% Hispanic and 9% Asian American.  24% of students come from Massachusetts and the population tends to be very bi-costal.

Academically,  Brandeis is a  top tier liberal arts college and respected research institution.  Brandeis is said to be particularly strong in the pre-professional programs, pre-med and pre-law.  Pre-med students get a significant amount of support and guidance through special advisory programs, internships and their own pre-med center.  They also benefit from research opportunities usually reserved for graduate students and have the advantage of participating in some of Brandeis’ strongest programs, Neuroscience and Biology.  Other highly regarded programs include Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, Music, English and American Literature, Theater Arts, Economics and Psychology.  Brandeis maintains a core curriculum, with a focus on writing, quantitative analysis, foreign language and Non-Western and comparative studies. 

With Leonard Bernstein as an original faculty member it is not surprising that the theater arts plays a large role academically and in students social lives with many performance-based clubs.  Students are also very involved in community service, political and social activism, ethnic clubs, political clubs, independent sports clubs and just about anything else one can think of.  Brandeis is located in Waltham, not a particularly exciting town but its only 9 miles outside of Boston and the school runs a free shuttle service Thursday through Sundays.  Brandeis is not a big sports or party school but these is a lot going on.

Boston College

Boston College (BC) has it all. Great academics, great athletics, a gorgeous campus in a beautiful suburb just outside the number one college town in the country, Boston.  BC is a jesuit school and as such focuses on developing the whole person intellectually, socially and morally.  To reflect the ideals of community, spirituality, and social justice central to Jesuit teachings, the school requires classes in philosophy, theology and cultural diversity,  Other aspects of the core curriculum include literature, science, history, social science, writing, math and the arts.  All students in all four colleges are required to take the BC core curriculum which determines 15 out of 38 courses required to graduate.  Each school then has its own core curriculum for that school.  The philosophy, theology and ethics departments play a significant role in developing the culture of the entire campus including a strong focus on volunteer work.  

When applying to BC, a student applies to one of four colleges/schools,  the business school, the school of education, the school of nursing or the college of arts and science.   The business school, or Carroll School of Management, is the second largest of the four colleges with 450 incoming freshmen. Economics and Finance are the strongest concentrations.  The school of education is home to 120-130 freshmen.  Students specialize in either elementary or secondary education.  Nursing is the smallest school with 85-90 freshmen and one of the most highly regarded nursing schools in the country.  The college of arts & sciences is the largest with approximately 1,585 students and 30 programs.  The strongest programs are Chemistry, English and Political Science.  If you do not know what you want to major in, it is recommended that you apply to Arts and Science.  However, if you are deciding between one of the pre-professional schools and arts and science, apply to the pre-professional program.  It is easier to transfer into arts and science than a pre-professional program.

BostonCollege students in the past have been characterized as a J Crew catalogue come to life and walking through campus, the description seems justified.  The typical student is white, Catholic (70%), from the Northeast and usually has family who went to BC.  However, with 9,000 undergrads you are bound to find the diversity you are looking for.  Jesuit teachings stress tolerance which means if you don’t fit this mold, you are still welcome and can find a home here.  BC students are also hardworking and ambitious.  They have also been known to party hard although that reputation is diminishing with stricter rules regarding alcoholic consumption.

Harvard

Its Harvard.  What else is there to say.  Its perhaps the most sought after acceptance in the country (9%), among the most intellectually competitive and arguably one of the strongest universities in the country.  Compared to other Ivy League schools,  Harvard might be characterized as an all-american bastion of our countries best and brightest.  It also attracts the most accomplished faculty and the most lavish donors of any school in the country.  Some departments may be smaller than others but all are comprised of leaders in their field.

Something unique about Harvard and not widely known is its unique approach to housing.  All freshmen live in Harvard yard which is comprised of 17 dorms, all of which have a common room.  All freshmen eat together in Annenberg.   At the end of freshman year, students form block groups of seven students.  Each group is then assigned a house where they will live for the remainder of their college experience.   Every house has own dining hall, computer lab, gym, and lounge area.  In addition, each has something unique  (pottery studio, climbing wall, photography studio...)  Each house serves 300-500 students.

In addition to the physical make-up being somewhat unique so is the social and cultural aspect of housing. Every house has masters who serve as parents.  They entertain students, invite them for food, etc.  Tutors (grad students) also live in each house.  Different tutors have different specialties (pre-med, pre-law...) These tutors provide guidance on classes, summer internships and more.  These houses are  mini-communities within the larger Harvard community. Each house has a house committee to create activities and make improvements.  Different houses have different personalities. Every week each house has academic speakers and weekly life lesson seminars. 98% of students live on campus all 4 years because the houses are the center of social life and they are cheaper.  97% think their house is the best.

On a final note, if applying to Harvard, remember it’s Harvard with a 9% acceptance rate. They are interested  in interesting people. They look for involved engaged 

students with strong academics.  Some say they go for lopsided people  ie people with an exceptional strength in a particular area.  They do no disagree.  However, when considering the thousands of gifted and accomplished students who apply, remember  when reviewing candidates they are splitting hairs and basing their decisions on complimenting the people who they have already accepted.  Many students qualified and gifted enough for Harvard don’t get in because there simply isn’t enough spaces.   

Olin College of Engineering

“The future model for engineering education,”  that’s how the founders and current faculty at Olin College of Engineering describe their school. Interdisciplinary project-based instruction that trains students how to think, learn and approach challenges is at the core of this school’s curriculum. Olin is a small school serving less than 350 students who are all pursuing a degree in engineering. The school is young, having graduated their first class in 2006.  The school is also unique in that one of its major goals is to provide a tuition free college education to the best and brightest in the engineering field.  Due to current economic conditions they have had to amend this goal and currently offer half tuition still making it one of the best college buys in the country.

Olin’s curriculum is based on the “Olin Triangle” emphasizing engineering and science, business and entrepreneurship and liberal arts.  Classes are held in labs and machine shops as well as traditional classrooms.  Classrooms have state-of-the-art instructional media.  Basically, the place is gorgeous with the newest and best of everything.  

To be a part of this little oasis is not easy though.  To be accepted you have to be incredibly accomplished (SATs CR 780, M 770, ACT’s 34).  In addition, the school looks for students with strong social and verbal skills.  Once at Olin, students are described as working all the time.  However, they also point out that they are working because they are intrigued and excited by the projects.  Faculty are young and passionate as well.  There is no tenure and while professors are expected to conduct research they are not expected to do it at the expense of teaching.  Professors leave MIT and other top tier engineering schools because they are equally excited by the innovation that is Olin.

Inherent in the culture of Olin is a strong honor code which highlights respect, patience and understanding for your community.  While students are generally liberal, there are also students who come from highly religious and conservative backgrounds.  This, however, has not seemed to create a problem.  Women make up over 40% of the student population.  The school is 1% African American, 4% hispanic and 11% Asian.   

Babson College

Babson is one of a kind.  Yes, there are other undergraduate business programs but at Babson everyone studies business.  Specialization comes into play in your junior and senior year where you may choose a focus in accounting, marketing, entrepreneurship, finance and other sub-disciplines.  

The curriculum at Babson surprisingly requires approximately half of your classes be business and half liberal arts for all four years.  Liberal arts is viewed as equally important because of the skill building involved.  Liberal arts classes are designed to strengthen and hone research, writing and presentation skills.

Freshman year students participate in the Foundations of Management and Entrepreneurship.  This year long program groups students into teams of 30 with the goal of inventing developing, launching, managing and liquidating a business.  Sophomore year and first semester Junior year, students participate in Intermediate Discovery an integrated management course designed to show how accounting, economics, finance, organizational behavior and operations issues must be balanced when managing a company.  Classes often use case study methodology and the work load is tough but students say its worth it because they know they will graduate prepared to pursue their dreams.

The student body at Babson is often characterized as white, conservative and wealthy.  There is a significant international population which broadens the ethnic pool but does little to expand socio-economic diversity.  Socially, students characterize their peers as athletes, Greeks and Internationals.  Freshman and sophomore year students tend to socialize on campus.  By Junior year, students are more likely to venture to Boston for the night life.