<p>Thanks, Feareman. It’s hard work to put together a program for a wide body of students with diverse interests. I will share your praise with the campus team responsible for Accepted Students Day.</p>
<p>We look forward to seeing you and all our new students in the fall.</p>
<p>Best wishes to all,</p>
<p>BR</p>
<p>I attended Accepted Students Day with my son. We were also very pleased with the day. There was a wide variety of activities to choose from, and we were able to get our questions answered about musical opportunities for the non-music major. My son Dan is a bassoonist and would very much like to play in one of TCNJ’s ensembles.</p>
<p>He actually spent Saturday night at the Towers with a high school friend who is a current freshman. Overall, he had a great time and said, “It’s easy to feel at home here.” Needless to say, that made us very happy about our commitment to send him to TCNJ.</p>
<p>I am sorry I didn’t read the forum to find out where you’d be, Dean Rifkin. I wanted to thank you for all your kind words of advice on this forum. I have found it all to be very informative and interesting.</p>
<p>That said, I do have a question you might be able to answer. How does one become exempt from taking a writing course? Dan will take the AP exam in English Literature and Composition in May. Would a score of 4 or above allow him to be exempt? Or is there another requirement? Thank you.</p>
<p>You can be exempt with:</p>
<p>SAT scores of 580 or above in BOTH math and critical reading (Our data on TCNJ students indicates that high reading scores matched by high math scores are more effective predictors of college writing proficiency than reading scores alone.)</p>
<p>An ACT composite score or 26 or higher</p>
<p>An AP score of 4 or higher in English Literature, English Composition, US History, or World History.</p>
<p>Or test out of it with the writing placement test.</p>
<p>Mr. Rifkin,
I was accepted as a transfer student for the 2011 school year and am trying to plan out housing for the fall. Is it likely that I will get housing at all? I live an hour from campus; I know the wait list goes by distance.</p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
<p>Dear TriplettdancE:</p>
<p>I’m afraid that the housing situation for transfer students is often tight at TCNJ. We won’t know what the housing options for transfer students will be until after we finish our work admitting the freshmen class and managing these students’ housing needs. I wouldn’t expect you’d have confirmation on this situation until some time in late June. I’m sorry to say I wouldn’t be optimistic, despite the distance you’re faced with. You might want to consider looking for rental options near campus (as many students choose to do).</p>
<p>Best wishes,</p>
<p>BR</p>
<p>thank you; do you where to look for off campus housing? ive begun perusing on-line but it seems that most of the housing near campus has already been taken by upper classmen. suggestions?</p>
<p>Does TCNJ typically admit off of the wait list and if so about how many students? Wondering if my child has any chance at all. Also, should additional information be submitted with the wait list response (a letter stating why you would pick TCNJ for example?). Thanks!</p>
<p>mom2and:
im not sure what Mr. Rifkin would say, but I was recently accepted as a transfer student and I sent a detailed letter to the head of admissions stating why I wanted to go there so badly. I also asked for an interview with someone of admissions. Though the interview wasn’t much help, and the letter was never given a response, I was accepted. So I’d suggest that w/e u can do to show them that you’re determined to go to TCNJ, do it.</p>
<p>Dear TriplettDancE:</p>
<p>For suggestions of how to look for off-campus housing, I recommend this website:</p>
<p>[Residence</a> Assignments :: The College of New Jersey](<a href=“http://www.tcnj.edu/~reslife/assignments/offcampus.html]Residence”>The College of New Jersey | Residential Education and Housing)</p>
<p>Best wishes,</p>
<p>BR</p>
<p>Dear Mom2And:</p>
<p>Every year TCNJ does admit some students off the waiting list. But every year that number varies and there is no way for anyone to predict whether your child would be admitted. The Admissions Dept. weighs the qualifications and background of the student and the diversity of the class as determined by the students who have accepted our offer of admissions. And to be clear, by “diversity” I mean the range of talents, interests, backgrounds, and goals of each of the students. For instance, if all the students we admitted who play the oboe declined, we would likely look for oboe players in the wait-list pool. This is just an example, and an absurd one at that, but it gives you an idea of the kind of diversity I mean.</p>
<p>It certainly does not hurt for your child to write a letter to Admissions stating his/her interest in remaining on the wait list, preference to attend TCNJ, readiness to forfeit a deposit at another institution, any late-breaking awards, 3rd quarter high school grades, etc. You don’t want to pester the admissions staff, but do make it clear that if offered a position on the wait list, your child would come. This is, in general, a good approach for the wait list at any school.</p>
<p>In addition, I encourage you to encourage your son or daughter to look forward to being happy and successful wherever s/he goes to college.</p>
<p>Best wishes to all,</p>
<p>BR</p>
<p>Dear Dean Rifkin,
I recently visited the college of new jersey this week and have fell in love! But I am afraid that my SAT scores will be hindering my chances of getting into this school. But, my question was would my chances increase if I was to apply early admission? Anything you know would be of a great help and highest appreciation.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Hi aammww20. I also just responded to your private message.</p>
<p>For all other readers, I just want to remind everyone that the SAT is just part of your application at TCNJ. We care about the whole student and that means we read about the whole application: your high school grades, letters of recommendations, essays, clubs / teams / volunteer work / jobs in the community, and more. </p>
<p>I can’t speak to the question of early decision but I want to caution everyone that early decision is a commitment - if you apply early decision to TCNJ or any other college it means you promise to enroll if admitted, so you should be certain. And then if you are certain - go ahead! </p>
<p>If you want to ask more about the early decision process, I encourage you to look at the forum from AdmissStaffTCNJ - Ask an Admissions Officer at TCNJ that was started late in the Spring of 2011.</p>
<p>I’m better prepared to answer questions about the academic programs at TCNJ, especially in my school.</p>
<p>Speaking of which, in a few hours my school at TCNJ will change its name. I’ll post about that in a moment.</p>
<p>Best wishes to all,</p>
<p>BR</p>
<p>Dear CC’ers:</p>
<p>The School of Culture & Society will be changing its name as of July 1, 2011. Starting July 1, 2011, we will be called The School of Humanities and Social Sciences.</p>
<p>This name change has NO impact on any of the following:</p>
<p>the departments, programs, majors, and minors in our school
the faculty in our school
the students in our school
academic requirements in our school
the beautiful atrium in the Social Science Building
the fact that the humanities are housed in Bliss Hall (come to TCNJ and you can spend a lot of time in Bliss!)</p>
<p>This name change DOES help us convey to students, faculty, community members, parents, and others that our school is the academic home of the humanities and the social sciences on our campus: African-American Studies, Classical Studies, Criminology, English, History, International Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Religious Studies, Sociology & Anthropology, Women’s & Gender Studies, and World Languages & Cultures.</p>
<p>Please come and visit our website at [School</a> of Humanities & Social Sciences :: The College of New Jersey](<a href=“http://www.tcnj.edu/~hss]School”>School of Humanities and Social Sciences) and learn about our exciting programs, outstanding students, and extraordinary faculty.</p>
<p>Sincerely,</p>
<p>BR aka Ben Rifkin
Dean of the School of Humanities & Social Sciences
The College of New Jersey</p>
<p>I am undecided so far as to what major I would like to choose. My favorite subject is history, and I am just unsure of what I would be able to do with a major in history after college career wise? (Especially in this economy) Is majoring in history a wise choice?</p>
<p>Are the students who complete their major in history able to find jobs out of college?</p>
<p>Sorry if these questions are too specific and off topic.</p>
<p>Dear aammww20:</p>
<p>These are great questions.</p>
<p>Some college majors (accounting, engineering, nursing) lead straight to specific jobs. Other college majors are designed to lead to many jobs, depending on what you want to do. </p>
<p>Liberal arts majors (including History) teach students to read analytically, think critically, and construct compelling arguments in both speech and writing. In these majors, we teach students to solve problems creatively, to collect and evaluate data, to manage deadlines, to work with others with different perspectives and backgrounds, and to use technology wisely.</p>
<p>These skills are valued by employers, as demonstrated in a survey of employers conducted by the Association of American Colleges & Universities.</p>
<p>You can read about that survey and about career paths for liberal arts majors (including history majors) at one of my websites: [Why</a> Major in the Liberal Arts?](<a href=“http://www.tcnj.edu/~culture/LiberalArts.htm]Why”>School of Humanities and Social Sciences)</p>
<p>In this economic climate, it’s definitely hard to get a job, but the unemployment rate for college graduates is half the rate for people who didn’t graduate from college.</p>
<p>College graduates, regardless of major, make substantially more money than individuals who didn’t go to college.</p>
<p>What I recommend to students is to sever the connection between major and career. Study the major that ignites in you the greatest passion and interest. Then you will get the highest grades and that will launch you to the best career opportunities because you will have the highest GPA you can get, the best relationships with professors who can write you a letter of recommendation, and you will network into the opportunities you will find most exciting and rewarding, whether that’s a job or graduate or professional school</p>
<p>I hope this is helpful for you.</p>
<p>And oh yes, the history department at TCNJ is terrific! We have exciting faculty who love teaching and research and the students love them. I encourage you to explore the history website and get acquainted with professors who teach about Africa, China, Europe, and the US. And this coming year we’re hiring two new people in history, one who specializes in the US and one who specializes in Latin America.</p>
<p>With best wishes to all,</p>
<p>BR</p>
<p>Hi, Dean Rifkin,</p>
<p>I was wondering if TCNJ still offers Persian? I’m an in-state student of Iranian descent who REALLY wants to learn Persian better, and I recall that you had it before but I don’t see it listed anymore. Please tell me you didn’t get rid of it!</p>
<p>Dear Skittsie13:</p>
<p>This is a great question. Unfortunately, we have not been able to offer Persian/Farsi for two years due to the lack of federal and state support and low enrollments.</p>
<p>Five years ago - the last year for which we have numbers - there were fewer than 2000 undergraduates studying Persian across the entire US. (Compare that to over 600,000 students of Spanish). </p>
<p>My sense is that only a few of the largest state universities are offering Persian now with the withdrawal of federal support (reduction of US Department of Education dollars for less commonly taught languages) because only those institutions have the large student body to recruit a viable class of Persian. </p>
<p>For the latest news about the withdrawal of federal support for the teaching of less commonly taught languages, such as Persian, Kazakh, Indonesian, Yoruba, see this article, published just yesterday:</p>
<p>[News:</a> Cutting Back on Kazakh - Inside Higher Ed](<a href=“http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2011/09/02/foreign_language_programs_face_deep_cuts]News:”>http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2011/09/02/foreign_language_programs_face_deep_cuts)</p>
<p>(You’ll notice a comment from me in the comments section.)</p>
<p>So I’d like to assure you that we didn’t get rid of Persian, but we did lose funding for it. Without funding, we are unable to offer all the subjects that smaller groups of students would like to see while keeping the cost of attendance at a manageable level. As a public institution, we have to focus our tuition dollars and the ever-shrinking pool of state dollars on those areas where student demand continues to be strong.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I can’t be optimistic about Persian at TCNJ in the near future due to lack of financial support. One large grant or gift could change that in an instant, but there is no guarantee that that will happen. In addition, I’m sorry to say, if you decide to enroll in an institution where Persian is currently offered, you might find that by the time you arrive or by the time you enter your second year, Persian will have been cut due to budgetary constraints. In the state of New Jersey, I believe that Persian is currently offered only at Rutgers and Princeton. There may be other institutions, but I’m not aware of them.</p>
<p>For other institutions in the US where Persian is offered, you might want to look here:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.mla.org/pdf/allotherlanguages_2006.pdf[/url]”>http://www.mla.org/pdf/allotherlanguages_2006.pdf</a> (statistics on the teaching of Persian - search the website for Persian)
[url=<a href=“http://www.aatpersian.org/]AATP:”>http://www.aatpersian.org/]AATP:</a> The American Association of Teachers of Persian<a href=“American%20Association%20of%20Teachers%20of%20Persian”>/url</a>
[url=<a href=“http://nmelrc.org/]NMELRC”>http://nmelrc.org/]NMELRC</a> | Home<a href=“National%20Middle%20Eastern%20Language%20Resource%20Center”>/url</a></p>
<p>Good luck and best wishes,</p>
<p>BR</p>
<p>Hello Dean Rifkin. I’d like to thank you in advance for taking out your time to answer these questions, especially since your answers are great because they are long and detailed. My question is about the Undergraduate Nursing program. I’m thinking about applying to the Undergraduate Nursing program for next fall and I was wondering how much harder it is to get into the program then by just regularly applying to the school. I know that the seats must be limited, but I’m not sure as to how much harder it is to get in the program at TCNJ.</p>
<p>Dear Aewsome1612 (awesome screen name):</p>
<p>Thanks for your message and for your kind words. </p>
<p>Our nursing program is, indeed, very competitive. </p>
<p>Please bear in mind that students interested in applying to TCNJ cannot apply “general admission” as there is no such thing. You have to apply to a particular major or to “Open Options” within the school of your interest.</p>
<p>The College of New Jersey has seven different schools within it:</p>
<p>The School of Arts & Communication
The School of Business
The School of Education
The School of Engineering
The School of Humanities & Social Sciences (that’s where I work)
The School of Nursing, Health & Exercise Science
The School of Science</p>
<p>Some of these 7 schools have “Open Options” programs for students who aren’t sure of which major within that school they are most interested in. For instance, if you can’t decide between marketing and finance, you could apply “Open Options” for the School of Business. If you can’t decide between History and Political Science, you could choose “Open Options” for the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. And if you can’t decide between biology and chemistry, you could choose “Open Options” for the School of Sciences. </p>
<p>In the case of Open Options for the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, the students in Open Options are of the same caliber as students in any other HSS major (in terms of SAT scores and high school GPA) and they wind up distributing themselves into the majors of the school in the same proportions as students who come in with a major. They also graduate in the same period of time with the same average college GPA as the students who enter the college directly into a major.</p>
<p>Typically students can transfer from one major to another within the college, but generally students can’t transfer into nursing. (But if you start in nursing, you could transfer out to political science, for example, if that’s what you want to do.)</p>
<p>So you’ll have to choose whether to apply to nursing (no open option there) or to some other program in the college. There is virtually no possibility of transferring into nursing from another major due to the intensive curriculum (due to state regulations and requirements).</p>
<p>Whether it’s harder to get into nursing than other programs in the college, I can’t say, but if you want to go into nursing, I don’t see how you have another option to get there. </p>
<p>What I can tell you, however, is that if you apply and can be admitted to the college, but not to nursing, admissions will contact you and offer you a seat in the freshman class if you agree to change your major. </p>
<p>I hope this information is helpful for you.</p>
<p>One other point: people at TCNJ are really friendly, so if you have specific questions about nursing, I encourage you to go to the school’s website at [School</a> of Nursing :: The College of New Jersey](<a href=“http://www.tcnj.edu/~nursing/]School”>School of Nursing and Health Sciences | TCNJ) and find the e-mail of the dean or assistant dean and write them directly. </p>
<p>With best wishes,</p>
<p>BR</p>
<p>Benjamin Rifkin
Dean of the TCNJ School of Humanities & Social Sciences</p>