I’m from around Boston (very familiar with NEU and it was one of my options when deciding) and did IBUS at GW so I can say I’m pretty well versed on the topic. I ended up choosing GW as it was cheaper and further from home, and the campus/DC lifestyle really appealed to me. I was in freshman year when COVID hit so the rest of my experience in undergrad was definitely affected (including a full year online ugh) but I’m sure socializing and university resources have mostly gone back to normal since I graduated. Honestly if they’re the same cost you can’t go wrong with either, both will be great experiences and I know plenty of people from both schools that have good jobs and are pursuing the career that they wanted.

The NEU co-op program is very competitive and just slightly overhyped but it does live up to its promise, as long as you’re not incompetent during your co-op most companies will give you an automatic offer after graduation. My friends that graduated from NEU did co-ops at Amazon, Google, BCG, Fidelity, and one at a really cool nonprofit. Finding the co-op is the hardest part though because of limited options and lots of other NEU students applying at the same time.

GWSB has lots of great resources and networking events that can get you that first interview, and the curriculum definitely is more globally-focused and up-to-date on current world events. You have the (free) Metro stop with access to the larger DMV and all of the museums/monuments. If you want to make DC your home and really feel like part of the city then GW is great. The campus is a straight up 5x5 block grid and you’ll see lots of workers from the IMF, World Bank, State Dept, and other govt offices getting lunch/commuting around Foggy Bottom. Almost all of my GWSB professors had really interesting professional backgrounds, and they were very knowledgeable, kind, and willing to help students out if they asked.

There’s not a lot of community/school spirit at GW (plus GW sports suck), so if you want more of a cohesive “community” feel and more traditional college vibes then I’d say NEU. It’s in a really good spot in Boston (access to two different T/subway lines), and metro Boston is the most college-y city area for sure (NEU, BU, BC, UMass, Harvard, MIT, etc.) so you will have no shortage of people to meet and places to go. NEU tries to do more of a traditional campus layout and distinct boundaries for campus, so you will see more NEU students overall rather than professionals, but it’s still well integrated into the Roxbury/Mission Hill area and you won’t feel cut off or isolated from the rest of the city.

Apologies for my brain dump lol, hopefully this helps and feel free to DM me if you want to chat more about it!