Tufts

Tufts is a highly selective liberal arts college just outside of Boston. Accepted students tend to score well over 1400 on the SAT (R+M) and be in the top 10% of their class. Most major in the Liberal Arts but a significant number study engineering. With students from nearly every state and all over the world, there is a lot of diversity but I think it’s also fair to say that most students here come from pretty wealthy families. Most go on to some type of graduate school upon completion of their Bachelor’s Degree.

Suffolk University

Suffolk is literally just around the corner from Emerson. It is also across the street from Boston Common. Formerly a commuter school, now a fifth of the 5000 very diverse undergrads live in campus housing. B students certainly have a good shot at acceptance here. Over half of Suffolk's students are enrolled in the College of Arts and Science with the rest attending the Business school or the New England School of Art & Design (part of Suffolk U).
At about $40,000, the price tag is said to be the lowest for a private school in the Boston area. It should be noted that there are over 40 colleges in said region. It should also be mentioned that at any of the schools right in Boston, having your own car really is not an option. There is simply no place to park! I was fortunate to find a 'deal' at a garage for just $26 per day!

Emerson

Located at the corner of Boylston and Tremont in Boston's theatre district and across the street from Boston Common (think Central Park but smaller), Emerson is truly an urban campus. Known for it's Communications programs, students here are likely to major in journalism, media production, marketing, writing or theatre. There are 3100 undergrads and nearly all will live on campus their first 3 years upon completion of their new dorm next year. They are also renovating an old theatre which will bring the number of buildings to 11. Students are involved in productions, the campus radio station, television station and newspapers. Things here are quite new, with over half the campus renovated since 2002. The technology is state of the art and helps prepare students for careers in the communications industry.

Northeastern

Northeastern is a 73 acre college campus right in Boston, making both a traditional campus and an urban campus at the same time. It's a big school with over 15,000 undergrads. Probably the most defining trait of Northeastern is it's Co-op program. Nearly all students participate in this program which has students working in their chosen career field prior to graduation for at least one semester. As a result, most students here take either 5 years to graduate or use a summer vacation in order to fit in all requirements. During co-op, students are not required to pay tuition and usually are paid by thier employer so, in theory, it may actually cost less. The most popular majors here are engineering, sciences and business. Architecture, physical therapy, international affairs and computer science are also interesting options here.
Many classes here will have over 40 students enrolled and housing is only guaranteed for the first 3 years. It is a competitive school in terms of admissions standards (B+/A- with 1260 ish SAT) yet nearly 1/3 will transfer or drop out prior to graduating.

Boston College

Boston College is located in Chestnut Hill, just minutes from the heart of the big city which shares its name. Chestnut Hill is an upscale town where the 9000 undergrads at BC feel very safe. The 4 schools at the college are: Arts & Sciences, Education, Business, and Nursing with communications and finance being the most popular majors. Nearly all students live on campus, at least when they are not studying abroad (40% do during junior year) and enjoy big-time college athletics and typical college life on campus except without any Greek organizations. Although the city beckons nearby, most students would rather stay at the college so as to not miss anything.

Important factors to the admissions office besides good grades (A/ A-) and test scores (1350-ish SAT), include diversity (students come from 49 states, 10% are international)and children of alumni. Total cost for a year is just over $51,000. This is another Jesuit school with a large contingent of priests living and working on campus.

Cazenovia College

Cazenovia is located less than 30 minutes from Syracuse. The town itself is quite small, as is the college. With less than 1000 students, the college is one of the smallest I will visit during my sabbatical. Art & Design and Business are popular majors, but the college may be best known for its Equestrian program. Many students major in Equine related studies and even more participate with the Equestrian team. 75% of the student body is female, SAT/ACT tests are optional, most students live on campus and about 30% play on an athletic team. B and even C students can gain admission here. Total cost is about $34,000.

LeMoyne College

LeMoyne College in Syracuse is a small school (2400 undergrads) in a nice part of the city. It’s a Jesuit school, which means you will be required to take 2 religion classes and you’ll be expected to work hard. Students with a B average will have a decent shot of acceptance here and A students with above average SAT/ACT scores can expect significant merit money. While visiting, I had a chance to have lunch with 2005 VHS grad and current LeMoyne senior, Laura Pasquali who LOVES her college and thinks it is a great fit for Voorheesville students.
The top majors here are Biology & Health Sciences (with most going on to some type of advanced medical training after graduation), Business & Management, and Education. There is also a new engineering program.