Very little of what has been posted on this thread about TCNJ is “factual”. Most of what has been posted has been from the perspective of the poster and their experiences with their child or otherwise. Your unnecessary and immature disparagement aside, the difference between those schools ranked as “National Universities” or, as “National Liberal Arts Colleges”, as in the case of a small liberal arts school such as Williams, and the classification given to TCNJ, is that the two former categories are NATIONAL designations. Whatever one may think of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (apparently the OP’s flagship), it is ranked in the top 125 of National Universities and is evaluated on that playing field. TCNJ is a REGIONAL college. I am not comparing apples and apples. I am pointing out that to the extent the OP is comparing large public schools (including her flagship) to TCNJ, there is really no comparison. So what? Since the OP is coming from the Midwest and her child may actually wish to return to her home State or perhaps just to that general region of the country, I certainly think the recognition factor of her chose undergraduate has relevance. In all deference to your previous post, it is exactly the opinion and hearsay you decry in my posts. This takes nothing away from my opinion which is equally as valid. I never called you a shill for TCNJ. There are other posters on this thread who have more than earned the championship in that arena. My post does not “bash” TCNJ. I thought I responded directly and thoughtfully to the OPs post. You may not agree with my opinions or anecdotal evidence, but that’s what makes horse races.
@BrooklynRye Thank you for your post and kind words. It’s reassuring.
@stones3 @ekdad212 @bopper and others Thank you for your personal insights and experiences regarding TCNJ
@njdadjets Completely agree with your assessment about cost of college and debt.
WE just returned form our 2000 miles of driving college trip marathon and it looks like my daughter has it “narrowed down” to UAL, USCarolina, UDel, or VTech. As you can see the pattern is a big D1 school with decent greek life. So TCNJ is out (which I my wallet thinks is somewhat unfortunate). It’s a great school from everything I read and from what I’ve learned here on CC.
Thanks again
@NPKR01 Don’t forget your wallet is allowed to have a veto
What absurdity! A “big D1 school with decent Greek life” that’s what’s driving your kids decision? And you are going along with it as if you have no say?? TCNJ is more selective than any of the schools you just mentioned except arguably VATech engineering. If you are in state NJ, TCNJ is a no brainer for cost and quality over any of those other schools. You are going to burn thousands more so your kid can party at a D1 school? Sorry, that’s just irrational (unless you truly have money to burn)
THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR DAUGHTER IS GET OUT OF HER FACE AND LET HER LEAD THIS PROCESS
@njdadjets - Read the OP’s posts more carefully. First, she is not in-State NJ. She is apparently based in NE (I missed this the first time around as well). Many of the non-elite (as in not Michigan, UVA or Berkeley) public schools, offer pretty reasonable tuition even to OOS. They can’t fully/always compete with one’s in-State, but some really make a run at it, e.g., UMass vs. SUNY. Second, the rah-rah, DV1, and Greek life the OP’s daughter would like on her ideal college campus is pretty common among aspiring college students. This by no means precludes serious academics and other more ‘worthy’ endeavors. In fact, this particular student is considering a pre-dental curriculum. No cakewalk at any college, with or without rah-rah. Third, recognizing the OP’s criteria, whatever its relative merits TCNJ is simply not in the running. This is not a comment on the school’s selectivity or academics. Whatever the calculus, TCNJ is not a DV1 school offering elements important to the OP’s child. While the current economic conditions put a disproportionate amount of focus on cost, this cannot always be the only consideration. The decision to spend and even to stretch is personal, but sending one’s child to a patently imperfect fit to save money is just foolish.
Cost and fit are both important. If the kid wants a D1 school, there are plenty of good state flagships that may be reasonably priced, in line with TCNJ. That’s where to look. TCNJ (or any school for that matter) just ain’t for everyone and that’s okay.
There’s a compromise to be had. As parents, we don’t want to put ourselves or our children in debt, but we also want them to succeed. Demanding that they go to the cheapest school could be disastrous if the child does not feel at home there. As I’m sure many other parents do, I have tons of stories of neighborhood kids that chose a college with the wrong fit, only to return home after a semester, a year, or even THREE YEARS, because they decided they were in the wrong place. Then they spend a couple semesters at county while they figure out what to do next. If the kid wants a D1 school, by all means find a D1 school that you can afford and has the right program. Should not be a problem.
I am a graduate of TCNJ and loved my time there. I was looking for a smaller school that had a more personal touch than the large State Universities. If you are looking for a large school experience, this is not the school for you. I keep reading about the lack of a national reputation and while I agree with that to a point, I would say what is more important is what opportunities does the school open to you. Please take the time to visit or call the Student Placement office. You may be surprised to learn that TCNJ has most of the big Pharmaceutical companies recruiting there, has impressive connections with the large national Accounting Firms and has a really strong reputation with multiple large corporations. Numerous co-ops and internships are also available. If you are looking for a relatively reasonable school that prepares you for life after college, I would strongly suggest you consider TCNJ. If you want to go to big time college football games, have a huge campus, or be able to get “lost” in the number of students, this is not the school for you.
2nd Zline ! Son attended and came from one of the top HS in the nation. finance major, he had several top (like as in IVY league students competed for ) internship offers . He enjoyed his time, did extremely well and is well prepared for a career and graduate school. Truly a great experience and amazing value! If you have a child that is capable of working hard and will proactively take advantage of opportunities then TCNJ is probably the best place other than Princeton.
Thank you for your nice post, Zline. What I like most about what you wrote is that it is both very much from your personal perspective, while recognizing that your experience does not necessarily apply to everyone. You clearly found opportunities at TCNJ, looking for a smaller school, and took advantage of co-ops and contacts the school offered. I also noted the comparison with other State Universities, and assume that it was particularly relative to this pool of schools that TCNJ so well met your needs. It is not just about working hard and taking advantage of opportunities. It’s about the right fit for the particular student. There is no size fits all. Glad you found the size that was just right for you!
Just thought I would add that S was just made a very generous offer for when he graduates! So thank you TCNJ for the internship opportunities. My son’s high performance, and proactivity had a lot to do with it. And he is on track to do it all in 3 1/2 years! Excellent experience.