Wondering how comfortable an out of state student would be at TCNJ? We have heard it is a suitcase school and have a relative there who commutes to and from home in NJ. We live in Mass. but have Grandparents who are alumni and have visited and liked the school. Also realizing they are trying to attract out of state students we were told by an admissions rep that TCNJ will probably end up costing the same as a state school in Mass. While academics are paramount and TCNJ fits the bill there we are also looking for a social scene that doesn’t disappear on the weekends. Thanks for your thoughts
it is NOT a suitcase school. 95% of freshman live on campus and similarly high number of soph. Juniors and seniors tend to arrange off campus (not commuters) housing. In fact , the addition of the new 125mm campus towne added more housing and the “towers” are about to go under renovations. Son attends b school and loves it. Good luck.
It is very academically challenging, voted one of the most academically competitive schools in the country by Barrons #75 in the nation. Many other accolades as well.
It is a high quality state school with nearly all of the students being from NJ. Agree with Stones3 that is not a traditional suitcase school but kids do go home for dinner, laundry, and/or weekends. Although many sport teams are competitive to excellent, kids are not clamoring to attend games on weekends. It will not be a ghost town but it will not be like an SEC football weekend either.
NJ’s greatest export is high quality college students. TCNJ is doing a good job to fight the flight.
I’m sure they would love an OOS student. If you like kids from NJ, they will like you back - You may even be glorified for your accent!
I don’t think OOS would be a problem. My daughter is close friends with kids from all over the state and PA. Being from north NJ, a kid from south Jersey is basically a foreigner. These kids are all smart and well adjusted and they welcome any diversity that comes along.
I also would not describe TCNJ as a suitcase school. This was a minor concern of ours as well, but it’s not really the case. My daughter is always doing something. This Friday, she is going on a school sponsored moonlight cruise on the Spirit of Philadelphia. Last week was a homecoming game and poetry slam and Chris Hardwick is coming to campus soon. She also takes day trips to Princeton on nice days with her friends. There are plenty of things to do and even though we are only 1.5 hours away, my daughter has zero desire to come home, except for holidays.
i would add that B-school students also take various trips to NYC and have plenty of opportunity for internships.
We live 1 hour away from TCNJ. My DD doesn’t come home on weekends. Some of her classmates who live very locally do sometimes have jobs near home or go home on weekends.
Thank you for all your insights! One big reason we are considering it is that it has a great reputation for its students and academics. I think it seems to be quite a hidden gem as a lot of people do not realize the strength of its student body. It is not a typical state school - thank you!
Thank you! We definitely know that TCNJ has a great Rep for its academics. We will visit (again) when and if he is accepted and hopefully get a better feel for the vibe of the school.