As part of our Student to Student video series, College Matters reconnected with its former student Molly, who is studying nursing in college. She explains which extracurricular activities she did in high school, what she considered when applying to nursing programs, and shares other helpful tips for high school students.
INTERVIEW: How You Can Apply to and Attend College for FREE
Are you a high achieving student who comes from a low-income family and/or will be a first generation college student? As part of College Matters' Student to Student series, we interviewed our former student Lee to talk about her application process through QuestBridge. Find out how QuestBridge not only helped her apply and attend college for FREE, but also how it benefited her after college.
INTERVIEW: Do You Have What It Takes to Study Engineering in College?
While it's challenging to study engineering in college, it can also be very rewarding and stimulating! As part of College Matters' Student to Student series, we interviewed our former student Audry to talk about who would be a good fit for engineering, how unlikely classes and clubs helped her, and advice for engineering applicants.
INTERVIEW: The Most DIRECT Way You Can Become a Doctor: BS/MD
Do you have aspirations of becoming a doctor one day? There's a way you can bypass the medical school applications and get earlier assurance into med school. As part of College Matters' Student to Student series, we interviewed our former student Anish to talk about the basics of how BS/MD works and other important advice now that he’s a current BS/MD student.
INTERVIEW: How to Prepare for a Career in Computer Science, from an Amazon Employee
Computer science has been one of the most popular majors across colleges in recent years. If you're interested in studying it, what experiences should you think about in high school and college? How do you know which specific fields of computer science are right for you? As part of College Matters' Student to Student series, we interviewed our former student Vikram to talk about his path from high school to getting a job at Amazon after college.
*NOTE: Vikram’s experience of easily transferring into a computer science major isn’t universal. Please understand that schools will approach this on a case-by-case basis.
INTERVIEW: How You Can (and Maybe Should) Plan BEYOND College
High school students often overlook how their college choices will impact their future finances and plans. As part of College Matters' Student to Student series, we interviewed our former student Cale to talk about how he was able to plan these things ahead in high school.
INTERVIEW: What Co-Op Is and Why It Might Be Right For You
Some high school students really want job experience in college before they start their first full-time job after graduation. Co-op schools can be a great place to get that experience! As part of our Student to Student series, we interviewed our former student Anna to talk about her experience at a co-op institution.
INTERVIEW: Former College Matters Student Discusses Her Greek Life Experience
A big choice that some students make when they get to college is whether or not to join Greek life. As part of our Student to Student series, we interviewed our former student Christine to talk about not just one, but two types of Greek organizations she joined while in college.
Student to Student
Hi there!
My name is Alina Dess, and I attended University College Dublin through the N.U.in program during my first semester of college, during the fall of 2016. I am now a second-year Environmental Engineering student about to go on my first Co-Op. I know it’s a lot to take in when you get accepted to the N.U.in program, but first off, CONGRATULATIONS! It’s awesome that you got accepted into Northeastern and this incredible program.
Usually, around 1/5th of the freshman population goes abroad their first semester, so you don’t have to worry about sticking out on the Boston campus. I like to compare Northeastern to a revolving door; every six months a different group of people moves onto campus from abroad, co-op, or even a different school, so there is a constant flow of people. You will be coming back to campus with all the friends that you made at your N.U.in location as well as with all the other students from the other locations. Northeastern is really good about incorporating the N.U.in students into the student body, so you will have an orientation when you get back in January with fun events like club fairs, comedy nights, and free tickets to events across Boston.
Another concern that I had was in regards to academics. You will be taking Northeastern-approved courses that fit with your major while you are abroad. For me, that was General Chemistry, Introduction to Physics, Calculus One, Irish Presence in America, and Global Experience. What was really nice about this courseload was that I got to experience a new learning environment while not having to worry about my grades affecting my Northeastern GPA because while the credits transferred, the grades did not. If you have any AP/IB credits, you will work with an advisor to see what other course options are at your location. When I got back to Boston, I took Calculus Two, Introduction to College Writing, and Cornerstone One and Two. Usually, Cornerstone is broken into two semesters with Physics One taken during the second semester, but because that was done abroad, some of the other courses were moved around. Regardless of your major, by the end of your second semester, you will have taken all the same courses as other freshmen students who were on campus the whole time.
Hopefully, this information is helpful!!!
Many colleges are offering alternate admission options for first year students: January entrance, guaranteed transfer, and first semester abroad options. Today, Alina, a former College Matters student, shares her experience in Ireland with NUin.
Student to Student
Q: I've got my college list and have done some research on the schools. What do I do now?
A: Visit, visit, visit! College tours can surely get redundant, but I cannot stress enough how important it is for you to visit. Not only does it demonstrate interest, which may influence your admissions decision, but you may also realize that the atmosphere is or is not for you. Explore the town or city surrounding your school, too--it’s going to be your home for the next four years!
Our summer intern Laura Card is a sophomore at Colgate University, where she plans to major in Biology and Women's Studies.