Rutgers or UVA?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Rutgers University
1

<p>I need help weighing out the options. I want to major in the sciences, probably Biology or Biochemistry. How is the biology department at Rutgers? </p>

<p>Rutgers - New Brunswick: I got into the honors program and got a full ride (presidential scholarship) However, I've been on campus a few times and attended a class over the summer and I feel like its too big and it reminds me of my high school (considering that most of my high school goes here). I don't want to go, but its hard to say no to the idea of being debt free when I graduate. I also feel guilty about letting my parents take out loans.</p>

<p>University of Virginia: My financial package for 1 year was 20k in grants and 9k in federal loans. This means my parents will have to take an additional 15k in loans. I really love UVA, but my overall debt will be over 100k when I graduate.</p>

<p>I've been dreading the possibility of going to Rutgers since I found out I got a full ride in December and figured my dad would make me go. I really wish I liked Rutgers (I've tried), but I haven't found any appeal to going except for the money. I didn't apply to any large, city schools like Rutgers. I applied on a whim because it was my financial safety and didn't think much of it. I didn't get the serene, collegiate feel I was looking for at Rutgers either. I know I'll be settling, but its hard. I'm willing to try to adjust, but I'm scared I'll be just as miserable as I am now about it.</p>

2

<p>The biology program is great here! </p>

<p>But it appears that you definitely do not want to come here. You’ve made it clear. You should go where you feel most comfortable.</p>

3

<p>How would you say the atmosphere at Rutgers is compared to my initial reaction of the campus? I’ve opened up more to the idea, but it still stings. I’m also not too comfortable taking on the debt for UVA.</p>

<p>Also, I’ve already enrolled and took the spanish placement test for Rutgers, but my mom wants me to put the deposit in for UVA and wait until June or August when they reconsider financial package appeals. Am I allowed to put deposits down for 2 schools?</p>

4

<p>Is Rutgers the only state school you applied to?</p>

<p>I understand that you don’t love the atmosphere right now, but is atmosphere worth 100k to you? </p>

<p>Are you going to grad school? If so, then I would definitely save the money for use later.</p>

<p>I graduated from Pharmacy and although I probably would have liked a ‘quieter’ school, I did just fine at Rutgers. My son is going this fall and although we considered smaller private colleges as well, he chose Rutgers in the end.</p>

<p>College, like a lot of things, is what you make of it. Yes, it’s a big school, but that makes for a lot of opportunities as well. If it would make you miserable though, that 100k might be the price you have to pay. Everyone has their priorities.</p>

5

<p>Can you earn additional scholarships at UVa as you gets great grades? Many schools have merit scholarships just for upperclassmen.</p>

6

<p>This atmosphere stuff is really bullshi…I meant truth be told college is training for life. You’re not always going to get what you want. It sure sounds to me that you could make do with an extra $100,000 not mention the fact that a large class size is nice to get meet different kinds of people.</p>

7

<p>If you have already decided you don’t like Rutgers, nothing will change your mindset. Just know that coming to Rutgers hoping to grow to like it doesn’t always work out, because you may just end up hating everything about college.</p>

<p>If you are going to commit to something, do it wholeheartedly; going anywhere begrudgingly is only a disservice to yourself.</p>

8

<p>I feel your pain, or at least my D did. I’m an Rutgers College alum and my D is at UVA. As far as the traditional college feel, campus, etc., UVA is one of the best in the country. Top notch academics, campus, sports, you name it. BUT it, and no school, is worth 100k in debt. We faced that same exact choice when it came between choosing Duke and UVA (we’re VA residents) and unless you’re willing to saddle yourself with about a grand a month in payments for 10 years, its not worth it. Rutgers is loud and sprawling, frustrating to get around because of the bus system, but you an find pockets of traditional campus. For example, if you loved the lawn at UVA, Rutgers has the Voorhees quad between Old Queens and Silent Willy. Great place to study, frisbee, hang out (unless they’ve turned it into a football practice field since I went there). </p>

<p>Do well at Rutgers and you can use that 100k to go to any grad school you want later on.</p>

9

<p>to answer your question about enrolling in 2 schools, i know someone who put deposits down for three schools. it’s doable, but i don’t think you are supposed to. also, as i’ve said before on this board many, many times, i did not want to come to rutgers, i hated it with a fiery passion, and now i couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else. and if you’ve been to the scholars’ days, this is what most of the student panelists say. i don’t think i’ve met anyone in the hp who truly really wanted to come to rutgers in the beginning (i met a fellow scholars’ day panelist who said he had a complete mental breakdown upon enrolling at rutgers), but now we’re all happy as a peach. </p>

<p>sure rutgers as a whole is not the most aesthetically-pleasing, but have you seen douglass? that’s the campus that saves rutgers’ otherwise homeliness. </p>

<p>we (by we, i mean honors ambassadors) all agreed on the panel that deciding between paying the 0 - 15k a year we were each paying for rutgers on scholarship vs. the 40,000 we would be paying anywhere else, was a no-brainer. especially since if you’re in the hp, i am assuming that you are dedicated to your studies, and would want to pursue some sort of grad school afterwards. so why not go to rutgers undergrad and have your grad experience somewhere else, like uva perhaps, where it really counts? also paying 100,000 for four years of a college experience could take a good five, maybe 10 more years of your life to pay off and definitely more so if you want to pursue a higher degree. </p>

<p>also about being serene: what’d you think of douglass? it is the best looking campus hands down, with all its greenery and such, and definitely saves rutgers’s aesthetics.</p>

<p>also, have you visited uva? do you really like it much more than you would ever like rutgers? if you think that your initial impressions about rutgers will never change, and that you will be incredibly unhappy here, then by all means, go to uva. you should also consider what the price of your happiness is. also i’d like to mention that it is really quite admirable that you are considering your parents’ role in all of this. coming to rutgers was such a difficult decision for me, and i understand your agonizing over this decision. also i’ve just realized that it is past the may deadline, and so i am wondering what decision you’ve made, if i may ask. best of luck!</p>

10

<p>naoise,</p>

<p>What you say is so true. It was the Scholars Day that swayed my son towards Rutgers, particularly all the Honors Ambassadors who talked about how happy they were there. He is really looking forward to attending in the Fall.</p>

11

Hello everyone,
Just wondering if anyone has this similar situation as the OP did back in 2010. We’re weighing in choosing Rutgers or UVA. Rutgers in recent years form a “Honor College”. Anyone knows how good UVA is ??? Any thoughts, appreciated.