August 29, 2025
@HuntNewsNU
The independent student newspaper of the Northeastern community
CITY New building coming to Huntington Avenue Read more about this 34-story multi-use apartment complex.
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LIFESTYLE
Northeastern acceptance rate rises for Class of 2029 after four-year decline ZOE MACDIARMID Campus Editor Northeastern recorded a 5.6% acceptance rate for the Class of 2029, up from last year’s record low of 5.2%, a university spokesperson told The Huntington News Aug. 26. The 5.6% only reflects students admitted to the university’s flagship Boston campus for the fall semester and does not factor in students enrolled through alternate admissions programs like N.U.in or Global Scholars. This semester was also the first time the university admitted “NYC Scholars,” a group of students who will spend their first year in New York following Northeastern’s merger with Marymount Manhattan College in 2024. “Consistent with federal reporting guidelines — and the practice of other universities with alternative
entry programs — the 5.6% admit rate is determined by dividing the number of students admitted to the Boston campus by the total number of applicants. This is standard across higher education,” Vice President for Communications Renata Nyul wrote in an email statement to The News. Northeastern reached a record-high 105,092 applications for the 2025-26 academic year, up from 98,373 the previous year. There were a total of 22,695 undergraduates enrolled across all campuses for the 2024-25 school year. This is the first year the acceptance rate has increased since fall 2020, when it was 20.5%. Despite some fluctuations, the university has seen a consistent downward trend in its acceptance rate as it evolved from a commuter school to a “global network” with 14 campuses. This year’s acceptance rate breaks a four-
year streak of decreasing rates. For the Class of 2028, Northeastern received 98,373 applications, and around 5,115 students were offered admission to the Boston campus. The year before, the university reported 96,631 applicants. But Northeastern has not always been this selective. In 2010, Northeastern’s acceptance rate sat around 37.9%, according to National Center for Education Statistics data. During President Joseph E. Aoun’s 19-year tenure, the acceptance rate has fallen as the number of applications has skyrocketed. In an April 2024 interview with The News, Northeastern Chancellor and Senior Vice President for Learning Ken Henderson discussed how Northeastern approaches admissions. “It’s about ensuring that we choose the right student who is going to make the most of the opportunities
that Northeastern offers,” Henderson said. “We have multiple entryways into the university, which goes into: What’s the right way for you to enter and have your first experience at Northeastern? It could be that you come to Boston in the fall. It could be that you enroll in Oakland. It could be that you’re in London.” In fall 2021, Northeastern reported an acceptance rate of 18.4%. The next year, it fell to single digits, sitting around 6.7%. In fall 2023 and 2024, it dropped to 5.6% and 5.2%, respectively. “We provide a lot of different experiences of different routes into the university, depending on what’s the right fit for that student,” he added. “Our job in admissions is ensuring that it’s the right student who’s going to make the most of Northeastern that comes here.” Graphic by Catherine Gore
Dorm room essentials: Advice from second-years Read about what students should bring for move-in.
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CROSSWORD Solve The News’ September crossword! Answers will be revealed in the next print issue.
Graphic by Emma Liu
Several Office of Belonging employees leave NU ZOE MACDIARMID AND BOWEN RIVERA Campus Editor and News Staff
Photo by Brian Daniels Junior forward Cam Lund high-fives excited fans before a game against University of Massachusetts Lowell Feb. 17, 2024. Matthews Arena has hosted iconic Husky events such as the Beanpot semifinals and Broomball.
Community reflects on 115 years of Matthews Arena FRANCES KLEMM, SIERA QOSAJ AND ISABELLE WARREN News Staff, Deputy Sports Editor and News Correspondent Everywhere Lindsay Berman goes, she hears another story about Matthews Arena. After all, its storied rafters have hosted everything from
the Boston Bruins to Beanpot finals, concerts by legendary musicians and addresses by prominent politicians. After 115 years, Northeastern will tear down the building — formerly known as the Boston Arena — and replace it with a new state-of-theart athletic facility at the end of this year. The decision was made
as a result of the facility’s increasing structural issues, including an unsturdy foundation. Beyond hosting both the Northeastern men’s and women’s hockey programs, along with men’s basketball games, the arena is steeped in Boston history. MATTHEWS, on Page 2
Six months after rebranding the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to the Office of Belonging and Engagement, at least four Office of Belonging staff members no longer work at the university, according to internal emails obtained by The Huntington News. The university declined to confirm whether the positions had been eliminated. When asked whether new positions would be added, the university directed The News to a September 2024 memo sent following Richard O’Bryant’s appointment as chief inclusion and belonging officer, now chief belonging officer. “In accordance with longstanding university policy, we do not comment on specific personnel matters,” Vice President for Communications Renata Nyul wrote in a statement to The News. “More broadly, as communicated in our September 2024 announcement of Richard O’Bryant as Chief
Inclusion and Belonging Officer, we are committed to cultivating a climate of belonging at Northeastern. We’ve implemented a more decentralized approach, which places more responsibility within the colleges and at our 13 campus locations.” People in at least four positions at the Office of Belonging appear to have left the university. They include Cecilia Akuffo, the director of communications for the Office of Belonging; Christine McDade, the executive assistant to the chief of belonging; Rosa Rodriguez Williams, the executive director of the Office of Belonging; and Lisa Susser, the manager of belonging. Melissa Berry-Woods, the director of belonging, has also had her staff page removed from the College of Social Sciences and Humanities website, which had been live as recently as July 22. When The News attempted to contact the staff members’ Northeastern email addresses, an identical automated response was received, with the exception of Berry-Woods. BELONGING, on Page 2