If you can reach back into the recesses of your memory and recall the days of college applications, you may remember the term "safety school," that institution you were sure would overlook your sub−par SAT II score or that one C+ you got freshman year before understanding what a GPA was. Schools that high−school seniors even recently relegated to the "safety" list, however, have seen a surge in applicants over the past year, perhaps none more so than Tufts' neighbor across the Charles River, Northeastern University.
Although many colleges in the Boston area, including Tufts, Harvard and Brandeis, have had an increase in applications in the past year, Northeastern has experienced the most drastic jump — 15 percent since last college application season, according to the Boston Globe. For an institution of Northeastern's size, that constitutes a formidable horde of interested students.
Ronne Turner, associate vice president of enrollment and dean of admissions and marketing at Northeastern, explained just how formidable this increase is.
"We had 43,250 applicants and admitted 35 percent," Turner told the Daily. "[Last year] we had an entering freshman class of 2,800, and that has been our goal for the past 10 years."
Not only has the number of applicants to Northeastern skyrocketed, but the caliber of Northeastern's applicant pool has also has also increased, Turner said.
"We have students who were the strongest in their high school applying, and that is a change," she said.
Additionally, Turner said that the diversity of Husky hopefuls is increasing.
"There has been a significant increase in international applicants — 40 percent — and we've seen increases from the West and Midwest regions [of the United States]. [There have also been] strong increases in African−American, Asian and Hispanic [applicants]. Application increases have been reflective of the type of environment we're trying to create."
As the quantity, caliber and diversity of applicants increases, Northeastern can afford to be more selective, hence the relatively slender 35 percent acceptance rate of this past year.
So does this increase in selectivity indicate an increase in the prestige and value of a Northeastern degree?
"As Northeastern has become more well−known, as those outside entities think about us and rank us, and people look at us differently, then it helps our graduates in getting into graduate school and getting jobs," Turner said.
Still, she added, Northeastern's increased selectivity might not be the most important aspect that employers or headhunters consider when they encounter a graduate.
"Employers would say that it's the education that they get here and the co−ops program," Turner said. "That is what further develops the value of the degree. Your reputation is based upon how well your students do."
The Cooperative Education (co−op) program is precisely what draws students to Northeastern, according to Turner. Northeastern's two unique programs — a five−year, three−co−op program and four−year, two−co−op program — requires students to intersperse their classroom studies with practical experience gained by doing up to three "co−op"−style internships with organizations pertaining to their area of study.
"Experiential learning and co−ops are becoming more appealing in this economy and folks are realizing the benefits of being out in the real world and having experience," she said.
Northeastern freshman Anna Neumann agreed.
"The vast majority of Northeastern students do up to three co−ops — six months of working somewhere related to your field," Neumann told the Daily. "I think that if Northeastern wants to maintain their prestigious rep, then the co−op program should be their biggest focus. It's a big reason why a lot of kids come here."
Jean Papalia, director of Career Services at Tufts, also emphasized the importance of prior practical knowledge in finding a job after college.
"We find that gaining experience through internships, volunteer work, extra−curricular activities, class work and part−time jobs has a great impact on a job search and helps students be competitive candidates," Papalia said in an e−mail.
Colin Riley, executive director of media relations at Boston University, which in the past year has seen a nine−percent increase in applicants, agreed.
"Employers are very aware of the preparedness and achievement level [of alumni]," Riley told the Daily. "That reflects more on the school than this notion that if you get more applications, you are more desirable. [Employers] are looking at how strong employees are — are they able to make a transition."
Whether the prestige of a university matters to employers is one thing, though. Whether it matters to prospective students is an entirely different story.
Neumann thinks it does.
"[Prestige] definitely was a big factor," she said. "I definitely considered that specifically because of Northeastern's reputation, even though I was offered better financial aid and such at other universities."
Tufts freshman and tour guide Joe Thibodeau thinks otherwise.
"That didn't really matter to me," he said. "It was more about the vibe that I was looking for. I didn't really pay attention to ranking because I thought that each school is different for each person, so what would be the best school for me might not be the best for somebody else."
