I posted this on the Rutgers forum but there isn’t a lot of activity there and seems like the focus is on admissions. If there are any Rutgers parents out here who have any experience with Douglass and or the Global Village would really appreciate any info.
My daughter is applying to transfer to Rutgers for the fall of 2020 from a small LAC and thought that Douglass might be an easier way to transition into a large university. We were able to visit the Douglass campus over a weekend this month and there was no sign of life. We passed no more than 4 people - it was very strange. Student center looked empty we saw an area of tables through a window with one lone person sitting alone, beautiful day and no one outside. This now has her second guessing whether Douglass would be a good pick. She was interested in the Global Village thinking that it would be a good way to meet people as a transfer student. We walked past the Global Village dorms which seemed very nice but we didn’t see one person coming or going. We stopped first on College Ave so expected Douglass to be quiet by comparison but this was well beyond our expectations. Is there a vibrant community at Douglass? She now has cold feet so hoping someone might be able to share any info or experience.
I"m a Douglass alum but haven’t been there very recently. That said, I’d encourage her to still consider it. I suspect that there was a reason why the campus was so quiet that simply wasn’t readily apparent during your visit. Was it during a football game? The beauty of a large school is that there are tons of things to do and this is very true for Rutgers. There will always be things for your daughter to get involved with. And the dorms at DC are much nicer than the ones at RU. The cafeteria at Douglass also served better quality meals than the one on College Ave.
My daughter is a sophomore. Last year she was in the Honors College dorm, which is the College Avenue campus. Almost all of her major classes on on Cook/Douglas because she is a dance BFA. She enjoys the campus during the day but not when rehearsals or class goes until later or when it is dark. She does not enjoy waiting in the dark for the shuttle and we are ok with an uber at that point. She is a city girl and likes the hustle and bustle of College Avenue. There is a good cafeteria and Harvest cafe there. I think they have a their own gym. Most of the other dancers are on that campus and while she likes her major classes there, she enjoys interacting with the larger college ave. campus at night and on the weekends. I am not certain if the other BFA students also live on that campus but they are all usually in the studio or classroom for most of the day.
Let me know if you have any follow up questions.
@bookreader thanks for your response. My daughter is back at school out of state but I plan to stop by tomorrow and walk around as we live very close by and see if I notice a difference.
@amom2girls thanks for your feedback. I think my daughter would prefer the excitement of College Ave but is a bit nervous that the dorms might be too crazy for her. She’s not opposed to having a good time but doesn’t want to be surrounded by people partying 24/7. As a transfer she can’t chose her dorm so she’s afraid it might be risky to choose CA and end up dorming somewhere that doesn’t fit her. The appeal of Douglass was that as someone who isn’t outgoing and makes friends very slowly there might be more of an opportunity to meet people as part of DRC. I saw there were some LLC on College Avenue that might be a good fit and a way to meet people so she can look into that as an alternative. Any other advice appreciated! This is going to be culture shock for her on a variety of levels!
@Dancer41 while I am sure that there is a mix of kids at Cook, all of the students my daughter knows on that campus are in the performing arts/BFA program (not just dancers. there are actors and musicians)
My daughter was in the Honors College dorm so I am not familiar with the other options. She is living off campus for her sophomore year (but only 1 block from College Avenue). This daughter is hugely social so her perspective and what I worried about with living arrangements is different than the research that I will do for my junior daughter in high school. She sounds more like your daughter.
I will say that my oldest is enjoying Rutgers. She likes her major. She is doing well and being cast in good dance pieces by visiting choreographers. She is challenged by the honors/academic classes that she has. She has friends. She joined a sorority. She has a very nice boyfriend. She enjoys the vibe on College Avenue and purposefully picked Rutgers for it’s incredible diversity.
Feel free to ask any questions about dorms or locations and I can easily ask my daughter for feedback.