Aatmaj Amol Salunke Review at Northeastern University [NEU BOSTON], Boston | Collegedunia

My Dream University - Northeastern University Experience

6.3
Verified Review (Out of 10)
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Academic
8.0
Accommodation
4.0
Faculty
4.0
Infrastructure
6.0
Social Life
8.0
Placement
8.0

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Aatmaj Amol Salunke
Reviewed on Feb 28, 2025(Enrolled 2024)

Course Curriculum

8

  • The course that I am in is pretty difficult. As long as you did well in your undergraduate, you would do go in the Masters in AI program at NEU as well, but you have to put in a lot more effort and time into this. The professors here are good and thus they expect much more from the students. The courses here are a mix of both theory + practical. It focuses on theory and projects, along with regular quizzes and assignments, which are quite tough and lengthy.
  • My course is very well structured and industry-oriented, I would say. This course has high demand and respect in the industry. The negatives would include that the department doesn't provide the flexibility to waive any course that we have already done and take up something else that we are interested in.
  • So at NEU, there's a 32-credit system, so 8 credits to fulfil per semester. Which means 8 hours of lectures per week.
  • Indian students make up the majority of my programme, with approximately 50–55% being Indians. Others include Chinese and Americans.

Admission Experience

  • I had applied to 10 universities in total. (4 Dream, 3 Target, 3 Safe)
    • 1. Northeastern University
    • 2. Ohio State University
    • 3. Indiana University Bloomington
    • 4. Syracuse University
    • 5. Columbia University
    • 6. University of Southern California
    • 7. Purdue University
    • 8. University at Buffalo
    • 9. Arizona State University
    • 10. University of Maryland College Park
  • Categorization-
  • Dream Universities (Difficult to get an admit from)
    • 2. Ohio State University
    • 5. Columbia University
    • 7. Purdue University
    • 10. University of Maryland College Park
  • Target Universities (Medium Chances of Admit)
  • Admitted -
    • 1. Northeastern University
    • 3. Indiana University Bloomington
    • 6. University of Southern California
  • Safe Universities (Surely an Admit)
    • 4. Syracuse University
    • 8. University at Buffalo
    • 9. Arizona State University
  • Admitted -
    • 1. Northeastern University
    • 2. Ohio State University
    • 3. Indiana University Bloomington
    • 4. Syracuse University
    • 6. University of Southern California
    • 8. University at Buffalo
    • 9. Arizona State University
  • Rejected -
    • 5. Columbia University
    • 7. Purdue University
    • 10. University of Maryland College Park
  • Reason for my rejection in these universities would be:
    • The batch size of these universities is a lot smaller as compared to other common universities.
    • These universities hold positions in the top 15 in the US for computer science, thus making it very competitive for getting an admit even with an above-average profile.
    • My profile, especially my CGPA, wasn't that great. I had a CGPA of 8.8 when sending out my applications, which was one thing I think could have led to the rejections. A CGPA of above 9 is considered good and sufficiently competitive.
    • These 3 universities were in my "dream university" category in my shortlist and thus were a long shot.
    • These universities demand extensive prior research experience (all top universities are research-based), which I think was lacking in my profile.
  • I didn't get waitlisted for any application; I got either a reject or an admit.
  • I got a confirmed admission from all the universities i got an admission from:
    • 1. Northeastern University
    • 2. Ohio State University
    • 3. Indiana University Bloomington
    • 4. Syracuse University
    • 6. University of Southern California
    • 8. University at Buffalo
    • 9. Arizona State University
  • Northeastern University was the next best option I had after Ohio State University. In terms of ranking, both Northeastern University and Ohio State University stand the same for computer science, but the overall tuition fee at Ohio State University exceeded my budget. Along with that, Northeastern's location was better than OSU and had a better industry track record. Winters in Ohio are more severe than in Boston; hence, Boston was always my better choice over Ohio. Boston in itself is the hub of education here in the US, with top-notch neighboring universities like MIT, Harvard, Tufts, Boston University and the list goes on. This opens up more opportunities and calls for better connections.
  • The application fee for the graduate programmes at NEU is 100 dollars. The application portal was pretty much the same as what the universities have but with some additions. They had asked for my technical expertise, like the programming languages I know and how many lines of code I had written in each. They also asked for my personal history statement in addition to the statement of purpose. They were some basic screening questions related to social, cultural and economic barriers and how I overcame them. I had to put in all my basic personal information along with my previous education information and also any internship/work experience I had. There was a section to upload my resume, and then in the end was a section to put in the details about my recommendations. On entering their email and mobile number, they would contact them for my recommendation letter and other general questions.
  • For admission to any of the courses of the Khoury College of Computer Sciences, you are required to have a good enough GRE score (although its not compulsory, its optional); with that, you have to submit your TOEFL/IELTS score as well; TOEFL - 100 and IELTS - 7.5 are the minimum requirements for admission. Along with this, good research experience is also expected for an admission into the Khoury College of Computer Sciences. Admission into the Khoury College of Computer Sciences can be really competitive, so the better the scores on GRE and TOEFL/IELTS, the better the chances of an admit.
  • My overall admission experience was filled with ups and downs. With me having no one to guide me and tell me about how to go about things in a new country, I reached out to my BTech college seniors studying at Northeastern University. I made around 10–15 connections and asked them doubts regularly; they were kind enough to put with so many questions of mine. Out of those, I am still in regular contact with 3-4 of them.
  • After I got my admit, it was time to get the i-20. Upon uploading my financial documents, NEU issued my i-20 form in just 2 days; this was in February. After that came the visa process in June. My biometrics and interview took place at the Mumbai Consulate and it went pretty well. I suggest getting help from a counselling service for filling up the visa forms and also preparing for the visa interview. After my visa got approved, me and a friend of mine (who also got admitted to MS in Data Science at NEU) started searching for accommodations. We somehow got lucky with finding all 5 flatmates through mutual connections and didn't have to go through the painful process of getting to know someone from scratch. We contacted a Boston-based broker through their Mumbai office for giving us options close to the university, and we got one after 1 month in July. In August it was time to leave and packing is like the most crucial part; you have to very strategically plan what to take along with you and what to leave given the airline baggage constraints.
  • I applied to universities for the Fall 2024 intake because I had completed my B.Tech in June 2024 and wanted to pursue my master's directly instead of taking up a job. I chose to go for an MS as soon as I completed my BTech so that I wouldn't lose my habit of studying and then take up a job after all my education is done altogether.
  • Admission Timeline:-
    • It took a total of 12 months, starting from preparing my application documents and file to acceptance and then flying to the US.
    • June 2023: I started working on my SOPs and LORs with the help of my professional counselor, friends, and family.
    • October 2023: Completed and submitted all my applications. (Tip: applying early increases the chances of admission and scholarships.).
    • January–March 2024: Received admits/rejections from universities.
    • May–June 2024: Begin the visa process and preparations for travel. (Accommodation and bag packing)
    • August 2024: Flew to Boston.
    • September 2024–Fall 2024 semester started on 4th September.

Class Schedule

8

  • Scheduling and registering for classes totally depends on the students and we can choose the professor we want to learn from and the suitable timings of the class according to our convenience.
  • Average students in a class depend on the demands of the professor and course. High-demand courses have around 100-120 students in a class and others have 40-50 at least.

Faculty

4

  • The faculty-to-student ratio in my program is around 15:1. This ratio is pretty decent and we get enough time to discuss doubts and have a chat with the professor.
  • Yes, the teaching approach is very good; its a mix of discussions, projects, assignments, and uizzes. This makes the class quite engaging and effective.
  • Yes making a good connection with the professor and approaching him/her might result in the professor actually helping out the student in getting Lab assistantship or other relevant roles. Full time is something that the employer engagement department handles.
  • Till date, I really admire this one professor, Christopher. I had taken this reinforcement learning course under him last semester and it was very fun. He has tremendous domain knowledge and his way of teaching and energy are fantastic. He supposedly studied from one of the dignitaries who was among the top researchers in the field of artificial intelligence.

Campus Life

6

  • Northeastern University has a total of around 13 campuses across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
    • Arlington, VA
    • Boston, MA
    • Burlington, MA
    • Charlotte, NC
    • London, UK
    • Miami, FL
    • Nahant, MA
    • Oakland, CA
    • Portland, ME
    • Seattle, WA
    • Silicon Valley, CA
    • Toronto, ON
    • Vancouver, BC
  • On the Boston campus, we have access to these facilities:
    • Library: Snell Library
    • Sports Facilities: The Marino Recreation Center and the SquashBusters Center are the main recreational facilities.
    • Medical Services: University Health and Counseling Services (UHCS) offers medical care.
    • Curry Student Centre: This is a common student activity center for us to hang out and collaborate.
  • Northeastern hosts several major events:
  • Major Events:
    • The Indian Student Association at NEU hosts events and functions for all Indian festivals, including Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi, Holi, and Dussehra.
    • Husky Hunt: A 24-hour city-wide scavenger hunt organized by the Resident Student Association.
    • Springfest: A student-organized festival featuring music, giveaways, food, games, and other entertainment.
  • Extracurricular activities:
    • Sports: The university has many sports teams, with its most popular team being the hockey team. NEU also has intramural sports competitions each semester for students to participate in.
    • Cultural Events: Northeastern hosts various cultural events, including performances, festivals, and traditional functions mainly led by the undergraduate and graduate Indian student clubs here at NEU.
    • Student Organizations: Students can join a wide array of clubs, including the Graduate Student Club, Data Science Club, Artificial Intelligence Club, Astronomy club and so on.

Part Time Jobs

  • Getting a TA or RA position in the first semester is not likely, as the applications for that start way ahead in May.
  • Students do get TA from the second semester onwards. Getting a RA position is very difficult unless you have prior good research experience because RA positions are mainly reserved for PhD students.
  • The pay for TA for Masters courses ranges from 18-20 dollars/hr. For RA, it goes up to 30 dollars/hr.
  • Other on-campus jobs available for students include working at on-campus restaurants and outlets like Dunkin Donuts, Wollastens, Starbucks, etc.
  • Some students also get jobs as a library assistant, technician, RSO proctor, student mentor, etc. The hourly wages for these are 14-16/hr.
  • The maximum hours of work allowed per week is 20 hours for part-time.
  • Getting an on-campus job is pretty competitive here at NEU because of the large number of students and everyone wanting to earn. This makes the odds very less for everyone to get one. But referrals do work and make it easy to get an on-campus job here at NEU.
  • Students on average earn about 16-18 dollars/hr, but it really depends on where you work part time. It is not that difficult to manage studies along with part-time work; as long as you are willing to sacrifice some fun moments and focus on earning, then it won't be a problem at all. Getting part-time employment in an organisation is a whole different process and students usually don't prefer that we international students are full-time on-ground students at NEU. Applying for part-time jobs is pretty much the same as full-time. Looking out for openings on job board websites and applying to them. If they find you a good match, they might reach out, conduct interviews and then inform you about the further process.

Placement

8

  • Employment Rate Post-Graduation:
    • Around 80% of graduates get job offers within six months of graduation.
    • Average Salary Range:
    • The average salary for graduates from the Khoury College of Computer Sciences is $95,000. It can also go up to $120,000 if very skilled.
  • Job Search Methods:
  • Co-op Program: Northeastern's is very famous for its co-op programme, which allows students to gain hands-on experience in their field of study, often leading to full-time job offers upon graduation.
  • Networking: The university's extensive alumni network and industry connections provide students with opportunities to connect with potential employers.
  • On-campus career fair: Usually there is a Talent Connect Career Fair, which takes place each semester, in which around 100-120 companies come to seek and talk with us students about the possible opportunities and roles in the company.
  • Placement experiences and major employers:
  • At the moment, the US job market isn't the best; there are layoffs happening very regularly and not many roles are out in the market. But still, many of my friends have got internships.
  • I have many seniors who have gotten a job at these companies for various roles like Software Developer, Data Analyst, Data Scientist, Data Engineer, etc:-
    • Amazon
    • Google
    • Deloitte
    • Goldman Sachs
    • Pfizer
  • Major companies hiring from MS in Artificial Intelligence are Fidelity Investments, Jane Street, Whoop, FTI consulting, etc.

Accommodation

Off Campus
4

  • I found my accommodation via a broker named StudentLandings Inc.
  • Monthly expenses include rent and utilities (electricity, gas, and wifi bill). Rent costs around 530 dollars, and utilities cost around 70-80 dollars max per month. Facilities only include all the in-unit appliances like microwave, dishwasher, oven, Washer and dryer.
  • We didn't face any challenges while finding accommodations; as such, everything went smoothly.
  • Do look out for accommodation mainly in the Mission Hill area, as the utility bill there is free of charge and its very close to the university. Also, the neighbourhood is very safe and lively.
  • I don't have any transportation costs as there's a free bus ride on the route where my house is located. And on top of that, my house is just 1.3 km away from the university, which is pretty convenient.
  • Most Indian students stay in areas like Roxbury, Mission Hill, Fenway, and South End. These are places that are near the university.

Exams

  • For admission to any of the courses of the Khoury College of Computer Sciences, you are required to have a good enough GRE score (although not compulsory, its optional); with that, you have to submit your TOEFL/IELTS score as well; TOEFL - 100 and IELTS - 7.5 are the minimum requirements for admission. Along with this, good research experience is also expected for an admission into the Khoury College of Computer Sciences. Admission into the Khoury College of Computer Sciences can be really competitive, so the better the scores on GRE and TOEFL/IELTS, the better the chances of an admit.
  • While filling in my application to NEU, they asked me about all programming languages I had experience in, along with the number of lines of code I had written in each language. There was also a section to upload personal history statements describing our journey and motivation, which led to us applying to a graduate program.
  • Along with uploading the Statement of Purpose, I also had to fill out a questionnaire to answer some questions regarding social, cultural, and economic barriers I had overcome. Moving forward, there was a section to upload the resume. And in the end was the Letter of Recommendations part, where we were told to fill in the email address and contact number of our professor or official who was willing to attest for us. Upon filling out an email from the university, it would be sent to the professor to upload the Letter of recommendation and answer some additional questions.

Fees

  • The entire tuition fee for MS in Artificial Intelligence is 57,100 dollars. I have taken up an apartment with 4 others (off campus housing, which costs me 530 roughly per month for a double-sharing bedroom). Unfortunately, NEU doesn't offer on-campus housing to graduate and PhD students.
  • There are various payment options and plans to pay for the fees. Students generally pay the entire semester fee at once. But I use the 4/5 monthly payment plan for the semester fee payment. The per-credit cost for MS in Artificial Intelligence is 1785 dollars.
  • Also, there are 3 methods to pay the fees: 1. international wire payment via Flywire; 2. US bank account (e-check); and 3. US credit card.
  • Monthly expenses include rent and utilities (electricity, gas, and wifi bill). Rent costs around 530 dollars, and utilities cost around 70-80 dollars max per month.
  • I don't have any transportation costs as there's a free bus ride on the route where my house is located. And on top of that, my house is just 1.3 km away from the university, which is pretty convenient.
  • The majority of the expenses for me go into buying groceries for the month. It costs me around 100-150 dollars max.
  • And another 20-30 dollars for miscellaneous expenses per month.
     

Scholarship

  • Yes, I received a scholarship of 1,000 dollars called the Global Learner Award. It is basically given to all the students who got an admit and have enrolled in the Khoury College of Computer Sciences.
  • The award amount was 1,000 dollars.
  • Yes, some of my batchmates received other scholarships of 5% on the total tuition fee. This is only given to students enrolled in the Khoury College of Computer Sciences and who have a very good profile.
  • While I don't know the exact number of students getting scholarships each year, I can say that getting a scholarship for the Khoury College of Computer Sciences is easy, as if you have gotten into the Khoury College of Computer Sciences, that means that you are already among the top students in the university. The typical award amount is 1,000 dollars.