Plus CDS is a courtesy. It’s voluntary. Not all do it.
Is the data avail somewhere in NU internal records - no clue.
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For those who haven’t seen this argument, can you briefly summarize the key points as to why some think a coop is better than an internship? Genuinely curious as to how coops favorably differ from other internship opportunities for students.
Having read the article by the UVM student, I sometimes think students and parents believe that university career centers can (or should?) do more to “get” their students a job/internship. I think career centers can certainly play a role with resume help, interview prep, networking skills, career fairs, Handshake and LinkedIn, even making introductions. But the reality is that students will need to pursue multiple angles—career center, professors, faculty advisors, peers, extended networks—and connect with people, even when it might seem like a “waste of time”. I’m not saying the UVM student (or others who have been job hunting for months) aren’t doing this, but I think the best the college career center can do is to help prepare the student to recognize and capitalize on an opportunity that presents itself. Which opportunities arise and when they arise are not under the applicant’s control. I know my daughter had countless informational interviews which ultimately strengthened her skills when it came time for a “real” job interview. Her college career center was very helpful, but the legwork was on her.
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Even public schools are following the model. UNC has a Global Launch program in costa rica/ireland/korea I think. Not sure if they include the data or not.
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This video explains some of the differences between coop and an internship.
From the Northeastern website:
Co-op vs. Internship: What’s the Difference?
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By my calculations, per the 23-24 CDS, so for the Boston campus, EA/RD acceptance rate is 4% and, assuming ED yield is 100%, EA/RD yield is about 33%.
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I realize other colleges do satellite campuses or spring admission - but are any schools enrolling such a significant percentage of its class in those types of programs? Not to mention, the satellite campuses have a much lower yield rate, so even more kids accepted into those programs.
Yes, but I believe that Global Launch is only about 135 students, so wouldn’t really have a significant impact on UNC’s overall numbers.
I think one of the most important factors that differentiates Northeastern from other internship programs, which isn’t mentioned enough, is that these co-ops are ONLY reserved for Northeastern students. This makes a huge difference. I was deeply involved in my other kid’s IB recruiting and know how things work. I understand your child might not be interested in IB, but I’m using it as an example.
Most people probably don’t understand the huge difference between FO and MO/BO jobs in IB. Jobs in investment banks are not necessarily IB roles; these are totally different concepts. Northeastern is, at least for now, not a target school for IB (it might be slightly more recognized on the Sales & Trading side, but definitely not on the banking side). However, Northeastern is pretty much a target for MO/BO jobs. Even though these are not FO roles, they would give Northeastern students a huge leg up, serving as a stepping stone for junior IB internships, which are the primary source for full-time IB roles. Again, those MO/BO roles are only reserved for Northeastern students, and it’s much easier to get into them than summer internships.
My daughter works at the career center at her school, helping other students with resume preparation and interviews. The services that college career centers provide are simply not enough, and they can’t be compared to the huge advantage provided by Northeastern’s co-op program.
I see people talking about high school counselors or college career centers. Sorry for my bluntness, but they don’t know your child, they don’t know what your child wants for their career, and they don’t have the time or resources to fully understand every school. They tend to be very general and have limited perspectives. You can’t rely on them alone. We’ve got to do our own homework.
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This is just not true.
There are exceptional college career centers; there are helpful college career centers; there are sub-par college career centers. And there are colleges with career centers that are superior to Northeastern’s coop advisors, sorry to tell you.
I think it’s great that Northeastern provides robust career support via its coop program, advising, etc. But it’s not necessary to trash hundreds of college career centers- that you personally have no dealings with- in order to make your point.
My own kids NEVER had an undergrad helping them with any aspect whatsoever in their dealings with career services. Maybe a student answers the phone? I don’t know. But the resume review, the mock interviews, facilitating the career panels, and probably the most important function- outreach to a wide variety of companies in a wide variety of industries- all of this was done by actual adults with experience in the field.
So you are already comparing Northeastern to a college where students are permitted to help other students. Which is NOT the norm. One of my kids won a competitive international fellowship. Kid would have been very disgruntled had the “fellowship advisor” at the college been a 20 year old.
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But are students required to visit these superior career centers? And if so at what point in their college careers?
Well, you are entitled to your opinion. I knew my words might not be viewed as ‘xxx-correct’, from whatever angle you want to look at it, which is why I said ‘Sorry for my bluntness.’ In terms of IB recruiting, it’s probably simply because of the sheer competitiveness of its nature—career services won’t be good or sufficient enough. The competition is too brutal.
Sorry for my bluntness again. With this approach “probably the most important function- outreach to a wide variety of companies in a wide variety of industries- all of this was done by actual adults with experience in the field.”, the answer is probably No. The kid won’t get a job in IB this way.
? Yes the competition is brutal. But how do you account for all the U’s that have more success in IB recruiting than Northeastern-- those kids just trip over opportunities at Goldman Sachs? And forget IB-- look at the DE Shaw, Jane Street, Citadel? Also brutal.
You can be blunt. But that doesn’t make your point accurate.
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It’s not like gym class in middle school.
Many kids don’t need career services. I don’t think you have to force a 20 year old to do mock interviews for banking jobs if the kid’s plan is to apply to doctorate programs in geology.
Definitely not because of their career service at school.
The article that sparked the current discussion was not about students seeking Ph.D.'s in geology. it was about students graduating and unable to find jobs.
Degree in hand, jobs out of reach: Why recent grads are struggling in a competitive market - KVIA
Although considering the number of unemployed Ph.D.'s, perhaps they should have some exposure to career services so they know how to interview when they finish their doctorate.
Yes.
And then the conversation seemed to imply that a career services function which does NOT require students to take advantage of its services is somehow inadequate. And I pointed out that many students don’t need career services- at all- whether on a voluntary or mandatory basis.
I’m sure there are students who would benefit from being required to think past senior year during college. And for THOSE students, it makes a lot of sense to require a visit to career services. See? I did read the article.
It’s true that this is not required, but it SHOULD be. 
All schools really should have to post these stats. The students are applying and are counted in the school’s applications, and then they are being accepted, but they are not being counted in the school’s admit rate; they appear in the school’s stats as though they were rejected. Without stats available to the public, if a school admits a significant number of students under these programs, there is no way for the public to get a realistic understanding of that school’s actual admit rate and the actual stats of admitted students.
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I don’t know a lot about Northeastern except for the fact that its name crops up a lot in the “Colleges Your Crossed Off the List…” thread. People seem to love it or hate it. You have to ask yourself whether their increase in applications has less to do with anything magical they are doing inside the classroom than with the fact that they’ve managed to create a more traditional campus atmosphere (like actual dormitories) where none existed before? And, of course, all of that takes money, mostly in the form of tuition revenue. Happily for Northeastern, it’s a lot easier to attract full pay students, if you don’t have to worry about counting them as full-time students either because they are in coop programs or part of satellite campuses. They’re not worried about diluting their brand.
The number of applications is also a function on how enrollment and engagement division is run at the university. The present VP of enrollment was poached from Tulane where applications peaked during his tenure (in 2022 I believe) and I believe he might have instituted something similar at northeastern.
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Well said! And honestly, NU is a marketing genius, not “the best” school. NE, Drexel, GA Tech, and so many others have highly regarded fully dedicated Co-Op programs. Others have AMAZING alumni networks that they use to place kids in internship programs that simply are not well known.
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