<p>Hello. I was recently accepted into Rutgers as an Economics major and into Fordham's Gabelli School of Business for International Business. I am a transfer student from a community college with my associate's degree in international business. I plan, if possible, to double-major in economics and finance/business in either school. I can easily transfer into Rutgers's actual business school (I had missed the deadline to apply to Rutgers Business school, so I opted for economics). Actual major aside, I plan to get a bachelor's in business regardless. My question is what is a better option? Fordham is ranked above Rutgers, but not by much. It also costs a substantial amount more. I am a NJ resident, so I will be paying home-state rate at Rutgers. However, I am more concerned with the quality of education. Is Fordham's Gabelli that good? I've done some research and Fordham requires its students to complete a core curriculum before students take classes in respect to their fields of study. Financially, it is more affordable to attend Rutgers, but as mentioned previously, I'm more concerned with the quality of education. Does Fordham have a good career resource center and/or good connections with corporations? It is worth the $55k a year or can I get an equal quality of education at Rutgers? I should mention that I graduated in the top 3 students of my CC's graduating class in May, so I'm more than willing to work hard. Any suggestions/opinions are welcome.
Thank you!! </p>
<p>My S went to Fordham - Gabelli and loved it. However, Rutgers is a good school as well. On academics alone I’d give Fordham a slight edge. But there are other important things to consider. </p>
<p>First, because of the huge core curriculum, it may be hard to graduate Fordham in 4 years - my S had a friend who transferred in and it took him an extra semester to complete the core and graduate. I would look at the classes at Fordham you’d still need to take, perhaps even try to find a dean at the school to go over your transcript with you, see what credits they will accept, what you still need, and determine if you could graduate on time. The second important consideration is money. Rutgers will be a lot cheaper in general and if you need an additional semester at Fordham, the differential will be even greater. </p>
<p>As much as my S had an absolutely great experience at Fordham in every respect, I might lean towards Rutgers if I were you unless:: 1) you could easily afford Fordham and 2) you know you could complete the core requirements and graduate in a timely manner.</p>
<p>And congratulations on doing so well at your CC. Your achievements there have put you in a great position where you can choose between two fine four year colleges.</p>
<p>To clarify - it is not a problem to graduate Fordham in four years, but coming in as a transfer student who likely did not take core requirements such as philosophy/theology/etc. it might be hard to fit all the required core classes in during the two years left in order to graduate on a four year schedule.</p>
<p>@happy1: Thank you for your reply. I apologize for my late reply to you. I’ve taken both in to consideration. I’m not too concerned about finishing in two years. If it takes me an extra semester, I wouldn’t really mind. More-so the costs and quality of education are what concern me. Career connections are also a factor in my decision. I would choose Fordham over Rutgers if cost wasn’t an issue. I hope to come in contact with the dean of Fordham and discuss my schedule further with them. Thank you for your compliment! I really do appreciate it. Hard work always pays off! I will keep you informed on my decision.</p>
<p>I’d really encourage you to consider Rutgers. First off, debt is highl overrated and even if money isn’t the issue, why not take the money that would be spent on Fordham tuition and buy a car without a loan. Again, avoid debt as much as possible.</p>
<p>My husband and I went to Rutgers and then moved out of state. Everywhere we went, when people heard that we went to Rugters, they were very impressed. Frankly, they were all more impressed with Rutgers than we were but as Jersey residents, we considered it a just a step above community college. 
Outside of the state, it is highly regarded. </p>
<p>Another point is that the range of extra opportunities at Rutgers is enormous. There are a huge number of clubs, sports and events to attend. I think you’d be hard pressed to be bored there. </p>
<p>Good luck wherever you end up. Your hard work will help you become a success. </p>