Northeastern v. Miami(fl) v. Pittsburgh

vinceh
Tue, 19 Apr 2011 09:32:18 +0000

This question comes up a lot across many different boards so I’ll offer my standard answer.

Have you contacted the career offices of the three schools to see if they can provide you with a list of companies and job types that recruiters have come to campus for over the last three years? Who and what they come to campus for can have a big impact on your decision.

Where do you want to work and live after graduation? Each of your schools is regional in it’s alumni network. Obviously Miami will be strongest in Florida and the south, Pittsburgh in the mid-Atlantic and Northeastern around Boston and New England. It’s not that you can’t get a job in the other areas it’s just that the student/new alum will have more contacts to exploit on their home turf than you will as an “outsider”.

Is there anything specific that one of the schools offers that the others don’t? Northeastern has a very robust co-op program that goes a long way toward setting up new grads with job opportunities. Miami will have lots of contacts on the international side of business especially in the Caribbean, Central and South America. I’m not very familiar with Pitt but I’m sure they have a niche as well. Which, if any, of those areas of expertise matter to you?

Are money factors the same? I don’t see that any of your three choices justifies taking on excessive debt versus the others.

Weather, lifestyle, distance from home are also some other factors to consider. Good luck.