Northeastern University B School undergrad

Hi again WSO, I have a question concerning Northeastern University. I'm an incoming freshman into the business school there, and I'm wondering whether I should plan on staying at Northeastern for 4 years or try transferring out to a target school.

Northeastern is ranked 27 on businessweek undergrad b school rankings, and it's been climbing over the past couple of years. I know that there are definitely students that get a gig at GS or another BB firm out of my school, but I also know that the number of those students is quite low. I'm confident that I will be top 10% of my class. The advantage that Northeastern gives me is the work experience, but I know it's not worth giving up a better finance program. I'm looking to break into IB, but I would be happy doing S&T.

My question is: should I stick with Northeastern and go for that top 10% of my class that could lead to a good job, or do I try transferring out after a year to a target school?

 

Attempt to transfer out. Preferably within the first year. I know some guys at NEU and they are having a bitch of a time finding decent internships. Bentley and Babson have better placement, though its still quite limited. Do your best to get a high gpa and maybe take some classes at harvard extension on the side?

“...all truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.” - Schopenhauer
 

Harvard Extension is definitely possible for me while I'm still at NEU. I know how hard it is to transfer to an Ivy, so I'm going to approach that with very low expectations. It seems more possible to transfer to a place like Northwestern, UC Berkeley, Stern, or UMich. Is transferring to a uni with only econ a bad idea for me since my track right now is BSBA with a concentration in finance? I take only macro/micro my first year so I feel like I might be too far behind. Thanks a lot for your input seabird.

 

It can be done bro, though it obviously is hard - I know a guy who transferred from UMass to Brown so its possible. No, its not a bad idea to transfer to a program with only econ - you can get a lot of the experience you need via internships and your own learning. A lot of people only get in the game junior year, and sometimes senior. Just do your best this year, look for an internship in PWM, IB, PE or whatever you can find and you'll be ahead of the game if you get something.

“...all truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.” - Schopenhauer
 

It is definitely a good idea to try and transfer to a target, but I know quite a few guys from Northeastern who accepted FT Analyst offers at JPM, Credit Suisse, MS, UBS, GS, as well as some other MM Banks and smaller boutique shops. The majority of these guys were/are at the top of their classes and networking ninjas, but its all doable.

 

Thank you everyone for your responses. I think that I will aim to transfer out to a target program after my first semester or year. The general vibe I'm getting is that I would have to have a little bit of luck to get a solid IB or S&T job out of NEU. Now I just have to worry about getting that 4.0... looks like it's time to hit the books for the summer.

 
Best Response

I'm currently at Northeastern, and if you want to transfer go ahead, but you may find it harder than expected after spending a year on campus. The thing you have to realize about NU is that it's only recently gotten top 30 status, so the alumni network is there, but it's very young. Older, more established schools, may have better networks, but NU's placement rate and median starting salary right out of college are very high compared to the "target schools." These are all things you have to consider. I personally chose NU over BC (and others) because I didn't see spending $300k for a piece of paper that says "Boston College" on it as a good investment (NU gives out a lot of scholarships). As for the co-ops, big employers for finance are UBS, GS, MS, GE Finance, State Street, Putnam, etc. You can land a solid analyst role at any if you keep a good GPA (above 3.5).

 
obrien.ti:
" These are all things you have to consider. I personally chose NU over BC (and others) because I didn't see spending $300k for a piece of paper that says "Boston College" on it as a good investment (NU gives out a lot of scholarships). As for the co-ops, big employers for finance are UBS, GS, MS, GE Finance, State Street, Putnam, etc. You can land a solid analyst role at any if you keep a good GPA (above 3.5).

You are aware that Northeastern's tuition is only $2,000 less a semester than BC? Unless you were one of the 50 incoming freshman who got a full ride, your decision seems questionable at best.

 

From Merriam-Webster: Arrogance - n attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions What you said: "Unless you were one of the 50 incoming freshman who got a full ride, your decision seems questionable at best." I'm pretty sure this speaks for itself. I'm not even sure why you commented on this thread.

 
YourMomGrewMyEndowment:
From Merriam-Webster: Arrogance - n attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions What you said: "Unless you were one of the 50 incoming freshman who got a full ride, your decision seems questionable at best." I'm pretty sure this speaks for itself. I'm not even sure why you commented on this thread.

I believe you are incorrectly interpreting reformed's statement; in fact, he would probably support, or at worst respect, your decision to attend Northeastern. He is simply illustrating that full-tuition differences is not a valid reason to choose Northeastern over BC; the reasoning is perfectly logical. Since you are one of the full ride students, your reasoning to attend Northeastern (over BC presumably) is definitely justified.

Now that being said, I genuinely hope your behavior and reading comprehension ability on this thread isn't representative of the 49 other freshmen who most likely heavily considered student finances/debt when selecting Northeastern over universities with probably more prestige.

And in response to the OP, I would vote for transferring out to a target (something I sorely regret not doing).

 

I understand that the Co-Op looks great on paper, but if you can get internships without it every summer (like the rest of us), the whole program is pretty useless. Unless you are really tearing it up (I am talking a 3.9 or so, not a rounded 3.5), then I would say transfer ASAP. Northeastern is a solid school, but when competing against Harvard, MIT, Tufts, BC and hell, even BU kids for internships, its easy to get lost in the process.

Financially speaking, if you could not afford another school, then clearly you are going to be ok. Just network your ass off and ensure that you get the best Co-Op placement possible.

"Whenever you feel like criticizing any one, just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had." -F. Scott Fitzgerald
 

gotta say over the last 5 years, NU's SAT scores, etc. have def gone up. But because its so recent, the school's overall reputation isn't terribly good. Transfer to UMich, William and Mary, UIUC, Miami, UC-anything, Bucknell, etc.

 

theres some pretty terrible advice on here - transfer to a public school with a top ugrad bus program as they're generally more transfer friendly - mich, berk, uva, unc. why handicap yourself by staying at northeastern? disclaimer this is going to be tough if your SAT score sucks

 

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