Northeastern University
“My co-op went out of business”
PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS:
Jay-Z
Architecture
Currently a sophomore Scenic Design major at Emerson College
Looking into transferring to Northeastern in Fall 2012
Frank Fishe (it was really Kevin Binder, our Wentworth tour guide!)
Graphic Design
Currently a sophomore film major at Hofstra
Looking into transferring to Northeastern in Fall 2012
THE REVIEW:
First Impressions:
Location - 7
The admissions office was somewhat difficult to find on Northeastern’s large campus. The directions given on the website were easy to follow, but a map would have been helpful. The office is located in the Behrakis Health Sciences Center on the first floor, which seemed to us like an odd location. Once inside the building the office was immediately visible. The staff was ready with information specific to our intended majors and were eager to answer any questions we had.
Lobby Appearance - 9
The lobby/waiting room for the admissions office was both welcoming and aesthetically pleasing. The furniture was very classy while still maintaining a modern feeling. All of the information was very easy to access and the staff was ready to assist us with anything that we needed. There was also a water cooler, which was greatly appreciated.
** We did find out that the school is currently building a brand new Visitor’s Center that will be open later in the summer. **
Tour Guide:
Alex, New York, NY, 3rd year chemical engineering major, Fun Fact: He competed in and won a dodgeball tournament on a team with other engineering majors against one of the school’s fraternities.
Personality - 8
Alex was very friendly and courteous. We did feel as though we couldn’t get a great sense of his personality due to the size and set up of the tour. His jokes were greatly appreciated and he was really good at walking backwards while speaking. We were particularly fond of his joke about the library being the largest in Boston because “Harvard is across the river in Cambridge so it doesn’t count.”
Appearance - 9
Alex was wearing a nice button down shirt which made him look very professional and put together. I would have liked to see a little more personal style in his look. On the hotness scale, Alex received a 5.
Ability to answer questions - 8
Throughout the tour not many questions were asked at all, which seemed to upset Alex. We could tell that he was very eager to answer any questions that we had. When questions were asked he was able to give a great a response.
Ability to relate - 7
We found it a little difficult to relate to Alex, simply because of a difference in our interests, but that is to be expected at a large school like Northeastern. He shared a lot of his experiences with the intermural sports offered at the college, but we would have liked to hear more about other organizations.
On another note, we would have liked the opportunity to introduce ourselves and say what our intended major was. Perhaps this would have allowed him to gear the tour a little more.
Tour:
Informative (1) vs Entertainment (10) - 3
The tour was much more informative rather than entertaining. Alex’s jokes kept this score at a three. We would have liked to see more of what Northeastern had to offer, specifically impressive technology. Alex incorporated facts and statistics in a nice way that was not at all obnoxious. We found the use of name dropping and bragging rights to be incredibly effective, and focus attention on the great things that the school has to offer.
Quality/Quantity of free stuff - 8
When we arrived for our tour, it was raining, and the admissions staff handled this very well by giving everyone on the tour a Northeastern poncho, which we got to take home. Other than that we received information booklets about the school.
Quality of literature provided - 4
The information was very informative, but we found it to be too text-heavy. The visuals could have also been more eye-catching. The “Husky Handbook”, though cutely named, looked more like a book for prospective parents rather than students. It did not hold my attention.
Length of tour (1=too short, 10=too long) - 5
The tour was scheduled to last from 11:30-12:30, and we arrived back at the admissions office right around this time. Alex kept the tour right on schedule without skimping on the information.
Quality of tour content - 6
Overall, we feel that we learned a lot about Northeastern, with a major emphasis on student life, including Co-Ops and sports. Although we understand that this was a large tour with a diverse range of majors, we would have liked to learn more about the actual academics at the school. We did not learn anything about the application process, interviews, or financial aid.
Alex did a great job of introducing us to the city of Boston. He went over general information about the T and where Northeastern is in relation to many of the city’s landmarks, highlighting the great location of the school.
Miscellaneous:
Was there Dr. Pepper? 10
Was there a sitcom TV set in the library? 0
Font choice/use? 4 (We were not big fans of the branding for the school or Times New Roman in general)
Favorite tour member? The Cool Dad who was never shy about laughing out loud at his own jokes or in a silent room. A close second was the prospective student who was embarrassed by her entire family, especially after her father proudly rocked his Northeastern rain poncho.
Meal Plan Breakdown:
Although Alex did a good job of explaining the meal plan, we were still confused.
On our 3rd attempt to learn about the meal plan, here is what we were able to surmise from the website:
You can have 10, 15, or 19 meals per week. The 3 dining halls are open all day from 7am-10pm. There are also “Dining Dollars” and “Husky Dollars.” We asked a friend, Swiss, who goes to Northeastern, listened on the tour, and checked the website but we still don’t understand.
There are also Profiler Plans for upperclassmen living in on-campus apartments who would still like to eat in the dining halls.
PHOTOS:
We loved the staged dorm room, especially this notebook.
Treadmills in the student center are conveniently located for judging those who have chosen to eat food instead of exercise.
She was so easily embarrassed!
Alex explains the co-op program while the Cool Dad listens intently, waiting for a chance to make a joke.
Even Northeastern is not immune to the current fad of Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe”.
OVERALL NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE - 6
If you want to know actual information about possibly attending Northeastern University, head over to StudentAdvisor.com to find out if this is the right school for you.
