<p>Started in the 70s. They weren’t sure if was going to fly, so they built the main building as an airport terminal. Still looks like one. In the beginning, it was a local “hippie school” with pass/fail grading, concentrating on the arts and humanities, and skinny-dipping in Lake Fred. That went away in the 80s. They added a computer science program geared to the FAA aviation testing center and medical center down the road. In the 90s, they expanded and added buildings and kicked-up the curricula and fundraising. They also added a Jewish Studies institute. </p>
<p>That expansion continues. Stockton’s recent coup was capitalizing on the success of the local cc’s culinary school. Stockton has purchased the historic and legendary Seaview Resort and has partnered with Cornell University (probably the best hospitality management school in the land) to develop a top-notch hospitality management college. Stockton unquestionably is pushing forward.</p>
<p>That said, it is still a commuter school with weekly residents. It’s in the middle of the South Jersey Pinelands. Little in the way of activities other than varsity sports. The expansion has not yet yielded a “college town” atmosphere. Stockton students, by and large, attend classes, then go home or back to their room. On weekends, they go home, go to their retail job, or visit Rowan or Rutgers for the “college life”.</p>
<p>Nothing wrong with the education. Depends on what you want.</p>
<p>As I think Rowan excels at Engineering, I think Stockton excels at Physical Therapy. </p>
<p>Stockton is more of a party school as compared to Rowan and Millersville. Not a suitcase school at all. You will find a small percentage of kids off-campus renting in the shore communities. </p>
<p>IMO - I wouldn’t pay OOS costs for any of these schools.</p>
<p>By the way, Stockton is right smack in the middle of a sprawling medical center community. Getting Rx’s filled and delivered should be easier than ordering a pizza.</p>
<p>West Chester is the most selective of the PA. state-owned universities. It has a nice compact campus, plus a south campus with apartments, athletic facilities, etc. The town is great, with restored architecture and an active downtown full of restaurants. It is not as easy to get to Center City Phila. as it should be. There is no direct train service. It takes a long time to take a bus to 69th Street near the edge of Phila., where you can then take the subway. </p>
<p>Parts of Millersville are pretty, but it has never had a real downtown. You can take a bus to Center City Lancaster, which has some interesting areas and businesses. Many students choose to live in Lancaster City.</p>
<p>Both universities have been replacing their student housing. At West Chester, the new housing is much more expensive and less sociable than the old housing, but the new housing has many amenities.</p>
<p>PA.'s governor keeps trying to slash the funding of all PA. universities. If he succeeds, the state owned universities will have lost 1/3 of their state funding in 2 years. He tried to do a 50% cut last year.</p>
<p>This is interesting. Thanks. I’m a bit uncertain of Rowan’s true admissions standards. A neighbor’s kid was recently admitted for 2012. He had a 3.0 (with junior year being the worst year), about 1100 on the SAT (superscored), no Honors or AP and limited EC (a few years in the band). Taking the second year of Spanish in 12th grade. Not a minority; not a legacy (if that would matter at a state school); no apparent “hook”. He is in-state. I was surprised he got in.</p>
<p>About picking majors – yes, it’s definitely best to pick a school knowing your major. But how many people really know their life’s calling in 12th grade? You are ahead of the game if you do, particularly when there’s a budget for education, but self-discovery is part of what college can offer, and we don’t want to squelch it. So I hope to help my kids identify their likely fields, and then steer them toward schools where they could complete any of them without a transfer. They may be starting at community college in part for that reason.</p>
<p>I changed my own major from a science to a humanity, and then proceed to professional school, and it was a good thing. I was able to change in the 4th semester without losing time or money, probably because I was a B.A. candidate at a private LAC. I had one or two semesters that I had to take 18 credits, but they offered (and let me into) everything I needed. I get the impression it’s not always so easy today.</p>
<p>the PA. legislature is probably going to reduce the severity of the Governor’s proposed budget cuts. The state funding is mainly used to keep in-state tuition reasonable. If the state funding decreases, the colleges will be tempted to try to attract even more out of state students to make up for the loss. At colleges like West chester, I don’t think they can increase their out of state tuition by too much, or they will have trouble attracting new out of state students.</p>
<p>Wondering what OP’s decision finally was? We were looking at Stockton (front runner for in-state tuition), West Chester and Millersville, among others for my daughter, but for Marine Science/Biology.</p>
<p>Any updates anyone can offer or insight into those programs would be much appreciated.</p>