<p>Rutgers is a major research University with all the upside and downside that implies. It is a member of the Association of American Universities. It has numerous high quality programs and is world class in philosophy and women's studies. It has a good location, a bus or train-ride from NYC. RU benefits from that in terms of the cultural resources available, and faculty members who are attracted to being, and many cases actually living, in NYC. </p>
<p>It has Division I sports, and if you care about basketball the expansion of the Big East in that sport should make for some exciting games. It's women's team should be in the top ten this year. It has an energetic new President who was is Rutgers born and just came to the University after serving as the President of the University of Washington. He has offered up a plan to combine all the New Brunswick colleges and to physically rebuild the University. New buildings have already gone up in downtown New Brunswick and more green space is expected.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.president.rutgers.edu/letter_071805.shtml%5B/url%5D">http://www.president.rutgers.edu/letter_071805.shtml</a>
<a href="http://www.president.rutgers.edu/letter_033005.shtml%5B/url%5D">http://www.president.rutgers.edu/letter_033005.shtml</a>
<a href="http://www.president.rutgers.edu/letter_022305.shtml%5B/url%5D">http://www.president.rutgers.edu/letter_022305.shtml</a></p>
<p>The further away you get from New Jersrey the better reputation Rutgers has.</p>