My name is Ray, I am from NJ, and I am currently deciding on which school I’m attending this fall. I have narrowed it down to Penn State, Rutgers, and Providence College. Penn State is more expensive, (about 10k more per year), than the other colleges, but it has a higher ranked business school and it has a better overall campus feel. The only thing holding me back is the cost. Is it worth the extra money?
I’m dealing with the same dilemma right now. I also from Jersey and am trying to choose between Rutgers and Penn State. Hope we both find the answers we’re looking for.
I don’t believe that Penn State will give you an advantage over Rutgers in the business world. Rutgers location is also ideal for internships.
In this world, especially, you are going to have virtual coursework for some period of time. Do you want to pay $10K extra for that? have you figured in travel, and the inevitable tuition and board and fee increases? PSU goes up about 4% a year… If I offered you $50K to go to Rutgers, would you take it? Because that 50K difference is real money that will come from a paycheck at some point. Smeal is very highly regarded, but avoidable debt is not a good idea, imho. I’ve lived in both towns, and while New Brunswick is certainly more urban, it isn’t horrendous. and while State College is certainly more rural, it isn’t utopia because the sidewalks are prettier and the houses further apart.
IIRC correctly RU is 30k and Penn State 55k so I assume ( you got some aid from Penn State , maybe both of you on this thread) Penn State is not very generous with OOS from what I have heard, so with that said is Penn State a better looking campus vs Rutgers , Yes especially if you want a traditional in the middle of nowhere campus. Will Penn State Football beat Rutgers 8 out of 10 times yes, maybe 9 out of 10 , is it worth the cost difference, no not really unless you love the ra ra sports school and your family can afford it, RU has a new business dean who is hoping to push its rep up. One thing I can say for sure the further you go from NJ the better rep Rutgers has. If you think you want grad school that extra 10k a year would come in handy, if you want to live by yourself after undergrad the extra money will come in handy as well.
Where would the difference come from?
Have you been admitted as “pre-major” anywhere?
What about Providence, is it the same cost as Rutgers?
At PUS, you can’t declare a business major until you are between 40-59 credits with both a cumulative and Entrance to Major classes GPA. Many PSU kids just don’t make the cut GPA wise to get in the business school. At OOS prices, that can be a hard pill to swallow. It’s a great school, lots of spirit, involved alumni and student body. We are OOS and I just finished paying OOS tuition for my D to sit in my living room taking online classes (no tuition partial refunds). It stung…lol. Good luck with your decision.