Note that these numbers are only those accepted to the Boston campus. These numbers do NOT include those accepted to NU IN or Global Scholars programs. I don’t know that I’ve seen the numbers of those various groups.
Here are the Global Scholars programs: https://globalscholars.northeastern.edu/
and NU IN: https://nuin.northeastern.edu/
Very true. I couldn’t find the numbers for NUin or their other options. It’s why I will frequently indicate “likely” for Northeastern if a student is willing to start outside of Boston, because they seem to offer a non-fall and/or non-Boston option to a number of students. If a student wants to start in Boston, it’s definitely a low probability admit.
But for all the kids who throw in an app to Northeastern because it’s free and doesn’t require a supplement, they will be sorely disappointed if they applied on a flyer hoping for the Boston campus.
Do they list how many applications are received and how many are accepted under EA?
Not that I saw.
I am surprised how many people go with hype of NE. NE really wants ED people. The rest just help their promotion machine. NE probably prefers many ED who can pay full price or almost full price.
But 5%selection in RD? Nope, this is not Harvard. It sounds more like useless push button game. I pay nothing for app, you and me know that this is useless. Lets apply…
I’m guessing if you don’t have any other indicia of demonstrated interest, they just toss your application. That’s how they deal with so many applications. Just playing the numbers game.
Well Harvard does not offer 199 combined majors.
All we have are the numbers they share in the CDS, which we know doesn’t represent all enrolled students and applicants (which is misleading IMO.) For 2023-24 about 52% of the class was filled in ED. For the entire Class of 2027, 49% of the class had financial need (1352 of 2744) and had their full need met (as calculated by NEU), and another 454 students without need received some merit aid.
Agreed, and remember schools see the date a student adds a school to their common app. So those that add NEU near or on the EA or RD deadline dates probably don’t have a high acceptance rate. I would be surprised if NEU doesn’t read every app at least once though, demonstrated interest or not.
US News should get punched for their absurd rankings.
53 others might disagree - if you’re referencing NU is too low. Of course they are lower in other rankings.
But of course rankings don’t necessarily tie exactly to outcomes. Or even selectivity.
Yup, we almost succumbed to it last year since it was free. What a joke.
Rather than debate that rankings that do not take into consideration admissions difficulty are of little use to families, and prompt people to apply to the wrong places…
Wonder what their yield is going to look like? Any knowledge of the # of ED accepted? Likely, they were masterful with their formula so little risk. And they won’t take enough regular decision for it to matter.
Please stay on topic and avoid another discussion about ranking please. Please use pm if necessary. TiA
I am a parent of a child at Northeastern. Anyone can cut and paste/alter a college essay question to another college application. So I’m not buying it because it’s essay free. Maybe for some. The strong reason is because of the co-ops. My child landed a co-op at a prestigious investment bank. This job is what most College graduates would get two years out of school. Also, northeastern’s access to some of these firms is impressive. My child is 19 and has two more co-op’s to go before graduation. That’s not including Summer internships. Classes are hard and competitive. Students are serious. This is not a party school and not for everyone. I would love my other children to go to northeastern. I wish everyone good luck.
When I started this thread, I was wondering how many dismissive replies there would be revolving around how Northeastern supposedly “gamed” the rankings in order to get attention. I have not been disappointed!
Northeastern has a record number of applications, an increase of about 6% from last year. The admissions office is worried about not being overenrolled like in Fall, 2021, rather than hoping that the enrolment goal would be met. They have absorbed a failing LAC in California and will soon absorb a similar college in New York City. They are building a new campus in Portland, ME at the cost of half a billion dollars, largely funded by philanthropy,
So, if you are convinced that Northeastern gamed the system, so be it. But it appears that they won the game!
Compare that to some top 20 universities that have tens of millions of dollar deficits (e.g. Brown); universities that were hundreds of students short or their enrolment goals last cycle (e.g. Drexel); the dozens of small colleges that have closed in the past few years; and relatively low-cost public colleges that have seen undergraduate enrolment fall dramatically recently (e.g. San Francisco State and the PASSHE system).
Boston College used to be a commuter school. Only a few decades ago, Stanford had 37% acceptance rate. It was an agricultural school at first. I could go on about other colleges. The point is that schools evolve and Northeastern University is no different. Also, Boston College, UMass Amherst and others have been acquiring other colleges. As for “ Gaming the system”, call it what you want. I don’t think my child would have the opportunity to get a job at a prestigious investment bank straight out of a non co-op school. At 19, my child’s current co-op is at investment bank. This experience is going to open up doors. For the haters: Employers LOVE hiring Northeastern University students. Why? Because they are smart and have strong work experiences.
Employers also love hiring students from lots of other colleges.
Honestly, it’s the “Lady doth protest too much” from the Northeastern parents that wears out its welcome very quickly. Post that your kid’s seminar in “Sustainable Development in the Third World” was the most challenging business course she’d ever taken- we’d be thrilled. Post that the grad level course in Topology required four times as much effort from your senior as any other math class he’d ever taken- and we’d all be excited to hear about the incredible rigor at Northeastern.
But nobody has posted that about Northeastern in my memory. It’s always about the amount of money your kid will make after graduation and the fact that the number of applications keeps going up. Which means that the parents who measure the academic experience by those metrics will be very impressed, and parents who want to consider other metrics (academic rigor, intellectual engagement, breadth of scholarship by the faculty, number of interdisciplinary collaborations with other universities around the world, etc.) will scroll past.
The question is not how Northeastern attracted so many applications this year. That one’s easy. Success breeds success. As @tsbna44 said, their marketing team does a superb job.
Thirty years ago they were considered a third rate school. Just 20 years ago they were still primarily a commuter school. So, how did they get from there to here?
I was waiting for someone to post that link. Once past the click bait headline it is a very positive article about the university.
Last Fall, The Boston Globe published this article about Northeastern’s transformation. It is behind a paywall but you can get the gist from the comments.
