TCNJ senior taking questions

Colleges and Universities A-Z The College of New Jersey
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<p>Little bit of my background:</p>

<p>I'm a double major in the School of Culture and Society. Going to a top law school next year. Gave up Princeton to go here on a full ride as I didn't want huge debt knowing I would be going to law school immediately afterwards. I regret it a little bit just because no one knows what TCNJ is outside of NJ; sometimes not even then. It's somewhat disconcerting having to introduce not only myself but my college as well.</p>

<p>Anyway, fire away, kids. The semester is about to start this week. I wish I knew about this forum when I was applying as an undergrad.</p>

<p>PS: Don't ask me what your chances are.</p>

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<p>I was just accepted at TCNJ with a full tuition scholartship. I plan to major in Business, either accounting or finance. What do you think of the business school? </p>

<p>I see TCNJ as a great undergrad for someone like yourself who is going to pre law or pre med. Save money on the undergrad and get a great education. For me though I struggle with the name recognition. Most important to me is career services and landing a top job. </p>

<p>Thanks for your input.</p>

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<p>I don't have any personal experience with the business school but I do know people who have received jobs with top notce places such as Goldman and Sachs so that speaks well of what they think about our school and career services' ability to get jobs for their undergrads. The school sends out emails about job fairs and internships with specific companies. Merrill Lynch and Johnson & Johnson are two other places where several graduates go.</p>

<p>Several people, regardless of major, seem to have no problem getting a job $50k starting. I'm sure if you excel in your class, you have a better shot. Don't rely solely on career services, either. Do your own legwork in addition to career services.</p>

<p>Yes, I am sad about the name recognition. It would be more prestigious to state that I have a degree from Princeton but I would be out of law school with over $300k in debt with no financial aid. Not worth it. My family is nowhere near wealthy, either; lower middle class. But now I have the ability to position myself anywhere I want, regardless of price, as I have ZERO undergrad debt.</p>

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<p>TCNJ is a strong possibility for my son. We visited the campus and were very surprised how nice it is since it's a state school. Feels like a private and the students seemed friendly. Here goes several questions. The usual question about how many people bolt for the weekend. Percentage? Is it real noticeable on the weekends? How far is the mall people told us about since apparently there is no local town/pizza,etc. to walk to. Why is there security at the front desk of every dorm 24/7? Were there security problems? What are your majors? My son was thinking political science or history but it seemed like those majors weren't very strong at TCNJ. Are we wrong? If you were thinking Princeton, you must be extremely bright. But what is the average TCNJ student like. Not sure if my son could handle classes with mostly kids Princeton eligible. Thanks...</p>

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<p>The campus is beautiful. It really is a very nice place to study. However, there is always, ALWAYS some form of construction going on. This is good in that The College is always improving itself but I suspect that even when your son graduates, there will still be construction somewhere. Despite this, it's still a great looking campus and the library has a very welcoming feel to it. Excellent place to get studying done.</p>

<p>I'm not sure how many stay on campus now, since I live off campus. I lived on campus freshman and sophmore year. I would say 40%+ leave from when I lived there. This is not a huge deal because your son will make good friends with the people that do stay there over the weekend. There are just less people but it's not like you are alone. It's a good bonding experience, I believe. But yes, the campus is noticeably diminished.</p>

<p>The mall is about a 10 minute drive away. TCNJ provides transportation to the mall and a grocery store. It's called "The Loop" where a bus drives you around. I've never taken it myself but the option is there. </p>

<p>There are a plethora of local places to eat. Perhaps not within walkable distance but less than 2 miles off of campus is a good estimate. Check <a href="http://www.campusfood.com%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.campusfood.com&lt;/a> and look up TCNJ's section on there. Lots of local eateries. Students, as freshman, can have their car on campus two weeks out of the semester, I think. If a floor organizes themselves well, it can be such that there are always two cars available for the benefit of others.</p>

<p>As for TCNJ's security problems: Google "John Fiocco" He is the reason why the security has been tightened. The area is just fine; I believe the security is there to show that TCNJ has taken steps to prevent further incidents. The police on campus should be ashamed that they treat the campus the way they do. The receive little respect from not only the students, but the administration and the professors. They have the "something to prove" attitude.</p>

<p>I'd rather not say what my majors are to maintain some form of anonymity but I will have a BS degree and a BA degree. I do not know how the poli sci or history departments are here. I have, however, taken one poli sci course with Dr. Fair and he is an excellent professor. He knows his stuff and teaches the material in an engaging manner.</p>

<p>Thank you for your compliment. The average TCNJ student is not overwhelmingly intellectual. Conversations are not centered around politics, the arts, etc. I would consider this a fault of the campus, as I would enjoy more intellectually stimulating conversation. Suffice to say that while the students here are smart, their interests lie in more mundane things, such as what Britney Spears is doing now. There are bright kids here and it's easy to find others who share my interests but as a whole, TCNJ's students' conversations are not overbearingly intellectual. It is a major gripe of mine. I believe Princeton Review once ranked TCNJ as one of the more politically apathetic colleges out there. It's a shame.</p>

<p>I suspect less than 2% of the students here were Princeton eligible, with most being the 7 year medical students. Your son will not have a problem doing well in class so as long as he puts his head into his work. With such small class sizes, professors will get to know you well and they have office hours where you can approach them for more help outside of class. They are very helpful and understanding and will do their best to help your son if he puts the effort into it.</p>

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<p>do you know much about the program/students of the 7 year med program?</p>

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<p>Yes.</p>

<p>...That's quite the general question.</p>

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<p>My son has been accepted to TCNJ as a physics major. Presently he is taking both AP physics and engineering courses in high school and is now leaning towards engineering. I don't think TCNJ would allow him to change his major at this time, however do you know how hard it would be to change his major from physics to engineering once he's there?</p>

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<p>He can change his major when he gets here, I'm sure. It's just a form to fill out. I don't see why he wouldn't be able to.</p>

<p>I never knew so many parents held their children's hands in this process.</p>

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<p>hi, tcnj08,</p>

<p>you are not only intelligent but also very kind and helpful (to answers many questions like an advisor).</p>

<p>in your case, according to my school counselor, in general good undergraduate colleges (including those small liberal art colleges) will be well recognised my graduate schools (at least by their relevant academic departments). Do you think this is the case? Or you are worrying about employer recognitions if you don't advance to graduate schools?</p>

<p>in my case, I am a Chinese student from Hong Kong, currently studying with the IB Diploma (year 13). I am not a very bright student, I got only 460 in SAT CR but 750 in Maths (may be typical for Asian students), 98 in TOEFL ibt (equal to 550 for computer-based). I am interested in Chemistry. </p>

<p>Do you think I may be accepted and can survive in TCNJ (if so luckily acceptaed). Are most students in TCNJ near-Ivy eligible and are very smart from most aspects? Do you think international students will be happy in TCNJ as TCNJ is not internationalized)?</p>

<p>please kindly give me some advice.</p>

<p>Wish you good luck and success in your studies and job (no matter you anwser me or not)!</p>

<p>Cheers!</p>

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<p>TCNJ does not have the reputation of other well known colleges. Whether this is the case for graduate schools, I am unsure. But when applying to law school and speaking to schools outside of the area, such as Yale and Harvard, no one knows what TCNJ is. It is quite difficult to not only introduce myself but to introduce my school as well. I am sure that, within the area TCNJ is in, such as the Tri-State, it is well known.</p>

<p>I did not worry about whether my college was well known when applying to law schools. Law school heavily relies upon numbers and I would take my 4.0 at TCNJ over a 3.7 at Cornell any day of the week. I do not know about graduate school admissions so I cannot speak to this.</p>

<p>I stated not to ask me whether or not you would be admitted. I don't know so please don't ask.</p>

<p>I suspect there are a great deal of Ivy eligible persons here, but weak Ivies like Cornell and Brown. Students here are smart enough to get their work done but I imagine that most are the "smart enough to get by without studying during high school" type. Smart but not smart enough to make that leap from good to amazing. Most do not spend their entire day at the library.</p>

<p>I have come to know several international students. I know some from Greece, Singapore, Japan. They all seem happy. You would do well to join the Asian American Association. There are are few international students from Asia there and they are well received. You will make friends easily. Just make the effort. Here is the AAA webpage: TCNJ</a> Asian American Association » Home</p>

<p>Thanks and good luck on your acceptance.</p>

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<p>thanks a lot, tcnj08.</p>

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<p>OP: You are definitely one of the more helpful posters on the parts of the website I frequent. Thoughtful and measured. Those are excellent qualities. I am also a parent - my excuse for performing research is that son is w-a-a-y too busy with his IB projects/homework to do initial inquiries. I plan to hand him a list of 20 or so schools which fit his criteria...and I ran into TCNJ. Had never heard of it, although I had heard of Trenton State. TCNJ seems to have a teeny, tiny out of state population. Does that mean that there's a mandate to accept a high percentage of in-staters or does it mean they have few oos applicants? What would you think a normal suburban kid from a large magnet public school might think of TCNJ? Your school's stats are commendable, and the size of the student body is ideal, in my thinking. The COA is downright reasonable, too. I'm thinking I may have found a hidden jewel...and I read mostly very positive reviews on the **************.com website. Do you have a gut feeling about why isn't this whole situation better known?</p>

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<p>Thanks for all the info you have already provided tcnj08.. do you know if there is separate housing for freshman who have been accepted into the honors program ?</p>

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<p>investorscooter: Thank you.</p>

<p>Yes, TCNJ used to be known as Trenton State. It used to be far less difficult to get into. It was known as a school to go to if you couldn't get into any other schools. But The College wanted to change this and, along with more difficult admissions criteria, they changed their name to go along with their new philosophy.</p>

<p>I'm not sure if the out of state student population is low because of self-selection by students or what, but I don't doubt that admissions would probably be easier for out of state students since TCNJ wants to gain a more national reputation. I don't believe there is a minimum requirement for NJ residents, probably because the situation isn't worth having a rule about as the applicant pool is most likely 95% in state.</p>

<p>A normal suburban magnet school kid is the norm around here. Your child will fit right in. I don't think there's a better way to describe the population here other than white suburban persons who were B+/A- students and active in extracurriculars during HS.</p>

<p>I'm not sure why TCNJ is relatively unknown but I suspect it is due to its beginnings as a "safety" state school. Things have been changing but Rome wasn't built in a day. I'm curious as to what the notoriety of TCNJ will be in a decade or so. LOTS of construction is ongoing, new buildings are being created every year; TCNJ is working towards becoming something special, like a UNC-CH of the Northeast.</p>

<p>CHR1S: There was when I was a freshman but I'm not sure now. Why would you want to? If you think your peers will study more often, the answer is probably not, from stories I've heard. You can request to be housed in a certain section (starting second year, I think) which is a completely alcohol free environment. Rules are pretty strict there but if you want to study, it's probably the best route. Probably should call the admissions for information about this. It may have changed since four years ago.</p>

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<p>I was just wondering if you knew any statistics for this program. As I know it is highly competitive.</p>

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<p>tcnj08,</p>

<p>I know TCNJ guarantees on campus housing for frosh and sophomores. But how many students seeking to stay on-campus after that are forced to move off campus . Is the lack of availability of on-campus housing a problem for upper classmen? </p>

<p>Thanks in advance.</p>

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<p>jkwon182, no. I'm a senior here, I'm not a freshman. I don't know anything about what admissions are now. The SATs aren't even the same from when I took them. All I can say is if you don't have excellent numbers, don't waste your time. The seven years I know all had 1500+ SAT scores, out of 1600 back when that was the scoring.</p>

<p>toblin, I don't think many are "forced." Numerous people decide to go off campus on their own. I haven't heard any stories of people unable to get on campus housing if they wanted it but it may take some time. I imagine that the new housing apartments will be done so this won't be a big concern to you by the time of your third year and up.</p>

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<p>hey thanks for answers questions so well!</p>

<p>I was just accepted for TCNJ class of 2012. Although I think i really got in because of my grades and class rank rather than SAT score because they weren't that great. Anyway, I am really deciding between TCNJ and Rutgers because I don't think I can afford private schools. I have heard all the things about TCNJ but just a few more questions:</p>

<p>1) I really want diversity. I am chinese so more asians and international would be nice. How is the diversity? i know you said the typical is the "white, A/B, lots of sport student". That is the type I want to be surrounded less by since I have lived in suburbia all my life.</p>

<p>2) are there a lot of internship, part time jobs and job recruitment opportunities? </p>

<p>3) I am probably going to major in international studies and/or economics. How are these departments? Do students with these majors get good employment and internship opportunities?</p>

<p>4) I would like my professors to know me so i have the choice of going to them for help if needed. Are they generally knowledgeable and great at teaching?</p>

<p>5) This is more of an opinion questions. I want to pick TCNJ because it's a smaller, more personal school but I don't because like you said no one outside of Nj knows about it and lack of diversity. I don't want to pick rutgers because it's too large, no personal attention with professors but has tremendous diversity and opportunities. I am 5th in my high school class out of 155 kids( small school). I think I did well not because of "superior" intelligence but I worked my butt off. what do you think would be a better fit for me in you opinion? rutgers? tcnj?</p>

<p>6) i also applied American U, BU, NYU. if I am accepted in april to any of these and finanical aid is good. Should I choose TCNJ over these? </p>

<p>thank you so much for reading and answering all of these. Thanks!!!</p>

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<ol>
<li><p>They're all mostly white. But if you want Asian friends, I guarantee you'll be alright. The Asian club is very tight. There's also a Chinese club, Korean club, Filipino club... If you want a strong Asian community, go to Rutgers and live on Busch campus. I really mean it when I say they're mostly white kids. I would say 7/10 are white. Most minorities do have their own ethnic cliques but everyone is very friendly.</p></li>
<li><p>Lots of internships are available. I had one and received it easily. If you want to work on campus, you'll have no problem finding a job. The school also has career fairs every semester. There was just one last week.</p></li>
<li><p>Can't answer this, sorry.</p></li>
<li><p>Absolutely, the professors are great. At least, in my department. Very knowledgeable and always willing to help you. I can't speak to your department.</p></li>
<li><p>If you want to work in NJ, who cares about who knows TCNJ outside of NJ? Are you looking for prestige? If so, you won't find it at TCNJ but if your SAT score is not as good as you say it is, you probably won't be getting into BU or NYU either. Rutgers is far more well known than TCNJ. Plus it harbors all the Asian kids who couldn't get into any Ivies. I would say Rutgers is more prestigious but the fact of the matter is that they're both state schools not on the level of UMich, UVA, UCLA, Berkley.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>I can't tell you where to go to college. If you want small classes, go to TCNJ. If you want a large campus, go to Rutgers. That's what it comes down to, I think. Rutgers is a more urban, busy campus while TCNJ is quiet and suburban. It's a nice campus, save for the perennial construction.</p>

<p>You won't have a problem making friends of your own ethnicity, I'm positive. So as long as you make the effort, of course. Show up to an AAA meeting and say hi. People there are extremely friendly, albeit a bit cliquey.</p>

<ol>
<li>I can't answer this for you. It's a lot of debt to be paying off if you don't get much grant/scholarship money. Is it worth $160k to you? I think BU is the best of that bunch.</li>
</ol>