I Ended Up at Northeastern University: Here's Where Else I Applied
Twenty-two college applications were a lot to take on, but through exploring all of these options, I am confident that I ended up in the best environment for myself to learn and grow while also having fun.
University of Washington
The University of Washington was very high on my list. My family was right in the middle of starting to transition a move to Washington when I was applying to colleges so the circumstances made it stand out. I was excited by the idea of technically going out of state and being in a brand new environment while still having my family nearby, essentially the best of both worlds. I was accepted here with a merit scholarship as well and I think this would have been my second choice to where I ended up. The campus is famous for how pretty it is, and after touring it and exploring the area I definitely could have seen myself in that city environment while still having an established campus feel.
University of Southern California
I also really loved USC, however I was not accepted here. Being in the heart of Los Angeles, I liked the location but it also worth noting that with a school like this, despite being in the city, the campus is separated from the city action which may appeal to some, but for me I wanted to be right in the city.
University of San Diego
I was able to tour USD and the campus was absolutely beautiful. I was accepted here, but it didn't end up playing a big role in my decision making process. The environment just didn't end up being what I was looking for in the end.
University of California, Berkeley
With the UC application, you can submit the same application to any of the UC schools, so I ended up adding UC Berkeley in as well. UC Berkley has an extremely well respected business school, however the downside I saw was that it is very difficult to get into the business school directly as a freshman. I was not accepted here, but found that because I applied to many schools, it was much less disappointing to receive rejection letters because I felt confident that I would still have solid options.
University of California, San Diego
Another reach school, I was actually accepted here but it wouldn't have been my top choice out of the California schools I applied to. When I applied to schools, I cast a wide net, but upon receiving acceptances, I began to narrow it down by any initial feelings I had. UCSD stood out as being less of a lively college experience so that would be the main reason I didn't end up considering this one.
Arizona State University at Tempe
Being that I am from Arizona, ASU was my top in-state college option. Although I didn't personally see myself staying in-state, I wanted to ensure I had that option if needed. Both of my parents attended ASU and my brother currently goes there and they do have a very strong business program. I was accepted into the Barrett Honors College as well and received a good scholarship so ASU would've been the most cost effective choice.
Northeastern University
Northeastern University was the winner! I never would've expected to end up here as I didn't know much about the university before touring it. I had never been to Boston before either, and when I visited, I instantly knew I wanted to be in this city. Northeastern was one of very few urban schools that had a real campus feel so that was a big plus. Northeastern is also unique from all the school's I applied to in that they have their co-op program where students hold at least one paid internship during their college years. Students take a semester off of classes to fully immerse themselves in real-world job experiences, which I find extremely valuable. When applying to college, I knew I wanted to major in business, but I didn't know what I wanted to do specifically within in that. So, the co-op opportunity was especially appealing as I think that will help me get a feel for different careers through first-hand experience. In addition, Northeastern has a strong emphasis on global opportunities, which I am very excited about exploring throughout my time here. All in all, Northeastern checked every box for me and I think it is a very unique and personalizable college experience that I couldn't find elsewhere.
Fordham University
Fordham was intriguing to me because it was more of a safety school and it had that city allure that I was seeking. Fordham is a Jesuit university so I did like their values and well-rounded learning approach. There are two Fordham campuses, one in the city and one in the Bronx. After touring both, I found that neither one was a good fit for me. The city location had no campus to speak of and while the Bronx location was a beautiful traditional style campus, the location was not ideal. I was accepted here with merit, but it just wasn’t exactly what I was looking for.
New York University
NYU was another hard reach for me. It had been my dream school for a while, but I did not get accepted. I was super interested in their global study opportunities, and their business school is also very highly regarded. I will note that after touring here, I walked away unsatisfied with the campus. Throughout my application/decision process, I was very particular about having a campus to foster that sense of community, so NYU was lacking in that area for me personally.
American University
American University stood to me for its urban environment and its strong pre-law program. I am a majoring in Business, but have been considering going into business law as well so looking at pre-law programs was something I paid attention to. I love Washington D.C. as well and think it would have been a really fun college experience. This was more of a target school for me, however American is known for placing high value on "demonstrated interest" in the application process. I did not end up getting in here, so I would recommend that anyone applying here makes sure they emphasize their demonstrated interest through tours (virtual or in person), informational sessions, social media, etc.
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount was a target school for me. I didn't know too much about the school before touring it, but once I did I really liked the overall campus feel. It is a Jesuit institution, which despite not being religious myself, I did like the values the school had surrounding the development of the individual as a whole. I was accepted here and also received a good merit scholarship. After receiving all of my decisions, Loyola Marymount was definitely a top contender which I wasn't necessarily expecting, but out of my California acceptances this would've been my top pick alongside UCSB.
University of California, Los Angeles
I was very excited by the UC schools, especially UCLA. This school was my favorite in California, especially after touring it I loved the area it was in and the campus was very active and lively. I have a cousin who attends UCLA so hearing about her positive experiences when I visited the school played a role into this being a top preference. However, this was definitely a reach school, and I was waitlisted but ultimately withdrew myself from the waiting list as it just wasn't meant to be.
Columbia University
Columbia was the hardest reach school I applied to. I did not get accepted here, but I really did love the school. Of course, being an ivy league, Columbia offers some of the best programs in the country. They also have a very prominent campus feel despite being right in the city which I loved. Overall, I was very excited by everything the school has to offer and it had the ideal location and campus feel that I was looking for.
Boston University
While I did really like Boston University, the lack of a campus setting was hard for me to look past. They had great programs and a lot of exciting opportunities within the city and with all its resources, but I really valued a being in a physical community space so that was the one downside.
Boston College
I toured Boston College along with Boston University and Northeastern. Of the three, BC was my least favorite. This was because of its location as it is located in a suburb of Boston. In addition, they have two campuses, one of which is for a majority of the freshman class. To me, it seemed isolating to be separated from the entire school population and having to shuttle back and forth seemed inconvenient.
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt was a definite hard reach, and I wasn't accepted here. Although it is not officially considered an ivy league, it is considered to be the "ivy league of the south". I did not get a chance to tour here, but I was intrigued by the lively environment in Nashville. With that being said, a southern school wasn't really what I wanted so I wasn't too disheartened by this one.
DePaul University
DePaul was another school I selected more based on location in addition to their business program and their merit opportunities being a smaller private university. This was another target school, and I did get in here with good merit, but never got the chance to tour it which I think resulted in it moving down on my list.
Baylor University
Baylor was another safety school that I was accepted to with generous merit. I applied here because of their highly acclaimed business school, but the non-urban environment alongside the religious emphasis were the factors that ending up turning me away.
Southern Methodist University
SMU ended up relatively high on my list in the end. I did receive a merit scholarship here as well. I liked the location and the well-respected business school here made it a strong contender. I ultimately chose against it just out of preference for a more urban setting as opposed to a more southern one.
Texas Christian University
TCU was a safety school for me. It has a solid business program and a semi urban environment, but it kind of flew under the radar for me in the decision making process. They did offer me generous merit, but without getting the chance to tour the school, I wasn’t super excited about it.
University of California, Santa Barbara
UCSB was another top pick on my list, despite not getting the chance to tour here. I was attracted to their business school and the fun environment location wise. This was also a reach, and I was accepted here but decided against it as I was really looking for more of an urban city rather than a beach atmosphere.
The University of Arizona
This was my other in-state option. Being in Tucson, this would've felt a little more like being away from home in comparison to ASU being 20 minutes from my house, but ASU does have a stronger Business program so despite also being accepted here and receiving scholarship money, I would have still preferred ASU in-state wise.
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