Northeastern University vs. UNC, Berkeley, and UC Santa Barbara?

Question

I am currently going to Northeastern University, I'm going into my sophomore year this fall, but I'm considering transferring to either UNC, UC Berkeley (if I can get my grades way up) or UC Santa Barbara. I am a communications major interested in media, so these schools seem appropriate. Any advice? Recommendations? Input?

Northeastern is very expensive and all these schools (despite me being a non-resident of all the states they reside in) are cheaper, I'd like to go somewhere a good bit cheaper than $43,000+ a year.

Answer 1

The only reason to go to Northeastern over those other schools is their Cooperative Education program http://www.northeastern.edu/coop/ That program is excellent. I have had one cousin who went through it, a number of my former students, and a few of my friends. I would suggest only going to Northeastern over the other schools for that reason because the education at Northeastern is most likely inferior or the same as the other schools you have mentioned.

I hope this helps.

Good Luck!!!

Answer 2

good idea.

If you can get in, Berkeley is great -- my granddaughter just graduated there.

As to UC Santa Barbara, I'd be wary -- too many distractions and fun in the sun. [My grandson checked into this school but decided to go to UC Irvine as he became an engineer under the theory that campus social life was much poorer so he'd study much more.]

Which suggests UNC ... alas, I and my family know zip about the school climate and attitude of students there. I'm wondering though if they are as intense as NE students. Work put into learning usually leads to results coming out.


Now, how can you check the opinions of likely employers of the schools' graduates??


:-)

Answer 3

You can have a lot of fun at Berkeley, trust me. I'd definitely pick Berkeley because in the end, you want to get a job/go on to grad school. Berkeley gives you the most benefits in that.

Answer 4

I live in MA near Boston. NEU is doing some neat things, but it's still just NEU. Any of the three you're considering is world's better than NEU - and cheaper, as you said.