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NEU CS Align

This is the CS Align program (designed for students with near-zero CS background looking to transition into CS). It should be distinguished from the MSCS program.

Program Overview

Bottom line first: if you're set on staying in Silicon Valley, can accept a non-traditional campus, and are willing to grind LeetCode and rely on your own efforts, this program is actually quite appealing. NEU's brand + Silicon Valley location + Co-op system does open a solid door for career changers. However, if you're expecting a full university campus, top-tier faculty with full transparency, an advisor who hand-holds you through job hunting, or hardcore coursework from this program, you may be disappointed. The gap between satellite campuses and the Boston main campus is real.

Let me start with the campus environment. The Silicon Valley campus is still in that commercial office building in downtown San Jose (similar to a WeWork setup). As of 2026, they still haven't fully moved to a brand-new independent campus. Although the school keeps promoting expansion plans, it's still the "classes in an office building" model. No lawns, no dorms, no big library, and parking costs money. The upside is that downtown is super convenient -- you can use SJSU's campus nearby for study sessions (the study atmosphere there is actually great), and there are plenty of Chinese supermarkets and restaurants around. The weather is pleasant year-round, with occasional heat waves in summer and a rainy season in winter. For housing, many people choose the 95131/95133 Chinese neighborhoods, which are relatively safe, with a 2B2B shared room running $1,000-1,500/month per person (likely higher now). Downtown apartments are a 5-minute walk to campus, but there are more homeless people and it feels less safe. Biking, public transit, or driving all work depending on where you live.

If you want to apply for this program, note that you cannot have taken more than 2 CS prerequisite courses. If you've taken more than two, you can only apply to the MSCS program instead. A few application tips: submit as early as possible! Silicon Valley is extremely popular, and spots fill up fast (reviewer note: this is debatable -- starting from 2025, NEU's application popularity has dropped significantly, roughly halved from the 2023 peak when it was a must-apply "lottery ticket" program for everyone). Don't include data structures/algorithms or other CS fundamentals in your application background -- Align assumes you have zero CS background, and listing them will hurt your application. You can apply to Align + General CS + DS/IS simultaneously and see which one comes through first. Highly recommend scheduling a 1-on-1 meeting with an admissions officer to review your resume and essays beforehand -- the service is quite good, and you can find contact info with a quick Google search.

When applying, look for a waiver code to get the application fee waived.

Admission Preferences & Representative Data Points

The student body is extremely diverse: fresh graduates, second master's degree holders, and career changers with years of work experience. Chinese students make up a large proportion (making homework discussions and group projects super convenient), and there are also many Indian students. The atmosphere is friendly, with everyone helping each other out, and frequent dinners and outings together. Each Align cohort is roughly 80-150 students, and the program is still expanding.

Starting from Fall 2025, popularity has decreased and the admission threshold has dropped noticeably.

  1. Nanjing University, business undergrad, with Alibaba internship
  2. UMN statistics undergrad, GPA 3.7

Job Outcomes & Data Points

The core value is still job hunting / Co-op. Silicon Valley's biggest selling point is this: being in the heart of tech, internship opportunities are theoretically abundant, and NEU's Co-op system is genuinely strong -- many companies specifically recruit Northeastern students through the system. Amazon even has an Align-specific prep program (helps you practice OA, but it's not a guaranteed pass). However, reality is harsh, especially after the 2023-2025 downturn: advisor help is limited, and often comes down to "focus on your coursework first." The employment rate is roughly 1/3 to 1/2 of students finding internships/full-time positions relatively early, and getting return offers from big companies is difficult. Ultimately, it still comes down to your own ability -- LeetCode grinding + projects + resume. Strongly recommend grinding hard before enrollment or during your first year (200-400 problems minimum as a starting point), so you can go straight for internships in the third semester. Many people regret not starting earlier, ending up pulling all-nighters in the library after work during their co-op.

  1. Nanjing University, business undergrad, with Alibaba internship, landed CDK Global SDE
  2. UMass finance undergrad, landed a small company internship in Boston
  3. Huazhong University of Science and Technology finance undergrad, landed Meta SDE new grad

Available Campuses

Campuses offering MSCS (including both regular MSCS and Align versions). Generally, Silicon Valley and Seattle have the highest application demand:

  1. Boston, MA (main campus, most traditional and comprehensive, typically the most resource-rich, suitable for transitioning to PhD)
  2. Seattle, WA (Seattle campus, dense with tech companies, strong job opportunities, occasionally offers ~25% scholarships)
  3. Silicon Valley, CA (San Jose/Silicon Valley campus, close to tech giants)
  4. Oakland, CA (Oakland campus, generally offers more scholarships, baseline 15% + merit up to 25%)
  5. Arlington, VA (Arlington, Virginia campus, close to Washington DC)
  6. Miami, FL (Miami campus, open in select semesters)
  7. Vancouver, BC (Vancouver, Canada campus, popular choice for international students, thriving tech industry)
  8. Portland, ME (Portland, Maine campus, some students report a fixed $25K scholarship)