<p>For those of you with first hand knowledge, could you tell me about the major advantages of Rowan? I am not looking for comparisons with other schools or long lists of gripes. I am essentially asking a question similar to what an applicant might be asked - Why Rowan?</p>
<p>Like everything else, depends on what’s important to you. A general pitch:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Big school (10,000+ undergrads) with a decidedly small-school feel. You won’t get lost, you can become a “big fish” quickly in any area which you choose, and you can deal directly with a cooperative, knowledgeable professor, not an assistant.</p></li>
<li><p>Its Education college has been a standard-bearer for generations. Its Communications program gained a great reputation in the ‘80s. Its Engineering program, only 10 years old, already has gained a foothold and is one of the country’s highest-rated in Chemical Engineering, attracting a national and international student base. In the Top-40 radio days, they would say it’s “Top_ with a Bullet”. The Business Management school has received a recent generous endowment and is moving up. Just opened a Medical College to duplicate its success in Engineering.</p></li>
<li><p>Excellent, well-maintained facilities. Lots of “nooks” where you can be around people yet alone with your thoughts/studies at the same time. The library is a gem to be explored. So is the Rec Center. And it seems as though there is a new or remodeled facility opening every year.</p></li>
<li><p>Fast, wireless computer network all over campus. Plenty of computer labs, too. I recommend the lab at Mimosa Hall, open 24/7. </p></li>
<li><p>Housing keeps getting better. The undergrad dorms are par. Rowan Blvd. apartments are beautiful & spanking new. Honors housing just opened. Townhouses are great, with a neighborhood feel. Also plenty of just off-campus housing.</p></li>
<li><p>Diverse, with a capital D. Can’t think of a socio-economic, ethnic, religious, or any other group that isn’t represented. Although predominantly New Jerseyans (North vs. South Jersey is an ongoing cultural war anyway), that’s even changing a bit with the growth of the specialty colleges. If you can’t find your crowd at Rowan, there’s something wrong with you.</p></li>
<li><p>There’s a club/intramural for everyone. Participation is good. Or, if you want to do the legwork, it’s possible to start your own. Rowan has frats, but it’s clearly more of a club school than a frat school.</p></li>
<li><p>Not isolated, not urban. Country (although the once-numerous farms are rapidly turning into housing developments) is 5-10 minutes away. Immediately surrounding the area are peach/apple orchards. Mall is 15 minutes away. Philadelphia is 30 minutes away. NYC is 90 minutes away. The beach is 45-60 minutes away. The mountains are 2 hours away. And there are regularly scheduled trips to all of them. Little in the town itself, although the Landmark Grill is a popular just off-campus spot, and there’s a bowling alley. The PB Diner (just rebranded as a bar/grille) is very good; snapper soup is a specialty. It’s a good place to get out of your room and drag the parents. Only thing missing is a decent overnight hotel/motel for visitors, although one is planned for Rowan Blvd. If you have a favorite chain restaurant, you can find it within 10-15 minutes.</p></li>
<li><p>Nothing beats home-cookin’, but the college food service is above par, as far as quality and selection. During the spring/summer seasons, there are Jersey Fresh roadside produce stands just a minute up the road. Shop-Rite in town is very good. So, once you get out of the dorm, you can cook yourself. I also recommend finding your own favorite pizza or cheesesteak place. There’s plenty of 'em, for all tastes. </p></li>
<li><p>If you like the old-school historic stately brick buildings with a grassy quad, it’s there on the south side of campus. If you like modern techy buildings, they are on the north side of the street. </p></li>
<li><p>It’s South Jersey. “Cheap gas, and we pump it for you,” is the motto. Wawas are everywhere. If you don’t know what a Wawa is, you need to know to exist in South Jersey.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>In closing, if you are a Do-er, you can Do at Rowan. If you are a Spectator (in other words, you NEED to go to a place with Big Football or Big Basketball games), you might choose somewhere else.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Thank you for the helpful and very informative reply.</p>
<p>I think spacemanEd hit the nail on the head with everything.</p>
<p>The bottom line is Rowan is a school that is growing, improving, and on the way up. It’s fun to see it change every year, we are always adding buildings and it will be a true college town with boulevard taking shape more and more. It’s not a stagnant school by any stretch.</p>
<p>Oh and the eating areas in the student center and cafe are really cool, the cafe has a trendy vibe you’d only think to see in a movie.</p>
<p>Yah and we got a pretty nifty two story barnes and noble if you are the coffee and reading type. Plus landmark is decidedly very nice for a “college bar”.</p>
<p>1) You mentioned that Philly and NCY are close by. What are the public transportation options available?
2) It looks like 1500 or so freshmen start each year, but the undergraduate population is 10K. That seems unusual - any explaination?
3) How many kids go to the Honors Engineering Program? What are their average SAT scores? Is there info on Average SAT scores in the overall Engineering major?
4) How large are the first and 2nd year classes in the Engineering major?
5) What companies recruit from Rowan’s Engineering major?
6) What percentage of kids in the Honors Engineering Program do research?</p>
<p>Thanks,
PS</p>
<p>ParentSparkle - you should be able to get detailed and accurate information on all of these questions directly from admissions</p>
<ol>
<li><p>There are scheduled trips to the city from campus but I don’t know the frequency. Or students can rent a car (zipcar) for $7/hour which includes insurance and gas. Get more details at this link: [{rowantoday}</a> - News and Happenings at Rowan University](<a href=“Rowan Today | Rowan University”>Rowan Today | Rowan University)</p></li>
<li><p>My guess is that the difference accounts for transfer students or returning students but this is an admissions question.</p></li>
<li><p>There is no Honors Engineering Program but there is a general Honors Concentration Program open to any major. You can apply only if you qualify, but most engineers do. Look at the honors requirements carefully before applying. You need to take extra classes each semester, as well as lots of community service / involvement. Get more details at this link: [Honors</a> Concentration at Rowan University](<a href=“Honors Home”>Honors Home)</p></li>
<li><p>My freshman son says his biggest class is Intro to Mech Design with 61 students. All his other classes are under 30.</p></li>
<li><p>I can’t comment on recruitment, but I know that recent engineering students have landed jobs at Lockheed Martin, Dupont, and John Deere. Others have gone on to graduate school at Cornell, Penn State, and Stanford.</p></li>
<li><p>Research is open to any student; they don’t have to be in the honors program. Ask admissions about percentages.</p></li>
</ol>
I originally wrote this in 2011 as a reply to an inquiry on www.collegeconfidential.com. I wrote from a perspective as an alumnus (1978), an observer, and a parent of two children who chose to attend Rowan rather than other colleges they visited.
Why Rowan?
Like everything else, depends on what’s important to you. A general pitch:
- Big school (10,000+ undergrads) with a decidedly small-school feel. You won't get lost, you can become a "big fish" quickly in any area which you choose, and you can deal directly with a cooperative, knowledgeable professor, not an assistant. *2016 Update: Keeps getting bigger. When I attended, GSC/Rowan was more of a commuter and in-state school. While still primarily in-state, out-of-state students are growing, especially in the engineering and medical schools..
- Its Education college has been a standard-bearer for generations. Its Communications program gained a great reputation in the '80s. Its Engineering program, only 10 years old, already has gained a foothold and is one of the country's highest-rated in Chemical Engineering, attracting a national and international student base. In the Top-40 radio days, they would say it's "Top_ with a Bullet". The Business Management school has received a recent generous endowment and is moving up. Just opened a Medical College to duplicate its success in Engineering.
- Excellent, well-maintained facilities. Lots of "nooks" where you can be around people yet alone with your thoughts/studies at the same time. The library is a gem to be explored. So is the Rec Center. And it seems as though there is a new or remodeled facility opening every year. 2016 Update: To ease the crowding of the Rec Center, smaller fitness centers have been incorporated into the newer housing.
- Fast, wireless computer network all over campus. Plenty of computer labs, too. I recommend the lab at Mimosa Hall, open 24/7. * 2016 Update: The speed of the network hasn’t always kept pace with the growth in students, the number of devices, the number of operating systems, the demand for access, and the need for security and data protection.
- Housing keeps getting better. The undergrad dorms are par. Rowan Blvd. apartments are beautiful & spanking new. Honors housing just opened. Townhouses are great, with a neighborhood feel. Also plenty of just off-campus housing. 2016 Update: New freshman housing complex, Holly Pointe Commons, has just opened at Main Street/Carpenter Street/Rt 322 intersection, adjacent to Rowan Bpulevard. Massive housing/retail complex has already been built at Rowan Boulevard. I would expect to see more growth west of the main campus, along the Route 55/Route 322 intersection. A regional hospital is already slated for construction there. Some athletic practice fields have already been relocated there, and I foresee the day when the athletic facilities are all relocated to that area to make room for academic expansion on the main campus.
- Diverse, with a capital D. Can't think of a socio-economic, ethnic, religious, or any other group that isn't represented. Although predominantly New Jerseyans (North vs. South Jersey is an ongoing cultural war anyway), that's even changing a bit with the growth of the specialty colleges. If you can't find your crowd at Rowan, there's something wrong with you.
- There's a club/intramural for everyone. Participation is good. Or, if you want to do the legwork, it's possible to start your own. Rowan has frats, but it's clearly more of a club school than a frat school.
- Not isolated, not urban. Country (although the once-numerous farms are rapidly turning into housing developments) is 5-10 minutes away. Immediately surrounding the area are peach/apple orchards. Mall is 15 minutes away. Philadelphia is 30 minutes away. NYC is 90 minutes away. The beach is 45-60 minutes away. The mountains are 2 hours away. And there are regularly scheduled trips to all of them. Little in the town itself, although the Landmark Grill is a popular just off-campus spot, and there's a bowling alley. The PB Diner (just rebranded as a bar/grille) is good; snapper soup is a specialty. It's a good place to get out of your room and drag the parents. Only thing missing is a decent overnight hotel/motel for visitors, although one is planned for Rowan Blvd. If you have a favorite chain restaurant, you can find it within 10-15 minutes. 2016 Update: The Rowan Blvd. hotel, a Marriott Courtyard, is open! I also recommend the 7-Star Diner, about 6 miles/10 minutes north of campus at the intersection of SR-47/Delsea Drive and SR-41. Good food, generous portions, wide selection, good service. Also has a sports bar. It’s become very, very popular. So is the Samurai, a Japanese sushi/Benihana-type steakhouse on Delsea Drive. Many area restaurants accept “Boro Bucks”, part of the meal plan.
- Nothing beats home-cookin', but the college food service is above par, as far as quality and selection. During the spring/summer seasons, there are Jersey Fresh roadside produce stands just a minute up the road. Shop-Rite in town is very good. So, once you get out of the dorm, you can cook yourself. I also recommend finding your own favorite pizza or cheesesteak place. There's plenty of 'em, for all tastes.
- If you like the old-school historic stately brick buildings with a grassy quad, it's there on the south side of campus. If you like modern techy buildings, they are on the north side of the street.
- It's South Jersey. "Cheap gas, and we pump it for you," is the motto. Wawas are everywhere. If you don't know what a Wawa is, you need to know to exist in South Jersey. 2016 Update: State legislature has just raised the gasoline tax to replenish the depleted Transportation Trust Fund. Gas prices are now in line with other states, maybe still a bit cheaper, and it’s still pumped for you. Besides, it might create more work for Rowan civil engineering grads.
In closing, if you are a Do-er, you can Do at Rowan. If you are a Spectator (in other words, you NEED to go to a place with Big Football or Big Basketball games), you might choose somewhere else.
Good luck!
I will add, as a parent with two kids there (fresh/soph) and a host of their friends too, the classes are all taught by professors (some adjuncts) but not grad students. The class sizes are small (which may not be right for all students). This is definitely a place where you can get individual attention - research opportunities, using equipment that is reserved for grad students at bigger institutions, for example. The administration treats the students as powerful and important, not as minions to be admonished.
Like most situations, you get out of it what you put into it 
but my two are very happy there and I’d recommend it. The business building is set to open spring semester, the new HoPoCo is really nice inside (although pretty ugly from the outside). Happy to answer questions
NJRoadie - sounds very enticing! Now about admissions… I have an 11th grade S who started 11th grade with a 3.0 and we are praying he can boost it before senior year. No AP classes, no honors classes. Not a great student but has a very hard work ethic and will get stellar recommendations. His biggest problem is he is just not a great student and has to work 10x harder for his B / B- than most kids do for their A’s. He is taking the ACT in Dec (2016) and had been in a prep class since June. We are praying he can get at least a 20. Does Rowan sounds like a university for him ?
SpacemanEd - I guess I meant this for you too… sounds very enticing! Now about admissions… I have an 11th grade S who started 11th grade with a 3.0 and we are praying he can boost it before senior year. No AP classes, no honors classes. Not a great student but has a very hard work ethic and will get stellar recommendations. His biggest problem is he is just not a great student and has to work 10x harder for his B / B- than most kids do for their A’s. He is taking the ACT in Dec (2016) and had been in a prep class since June. We are praying he can get at least a 20. Does Rowan sounds like a university for him ?
@dspflyer
(hint: use the at @ symbol before typing in my user name, and it will send a notification to my inbox, the way you did it, I missed the note until now
Work ethic is important, and not everyone has a 4.0 with AP classes. Rowan has a range of students with varying abilities. I would imagine your child would continue to have to work very hard, but there are resources (i.e. tutoring) and office hours for the professors. Personally, I think a lot of what you get out of something is a large part what you put into it. My one student has been a regular at office hours when struggling with a class, that counts. Showing up the day before the final - not so much, you follow?
Rowan used to only look at the SAT, I don’t know if that is still the case. I would go and see the school. I’d also take a look at Stockton (about an hour east of Rowan, towards the shore). A bit smaller a less selective, but have heard good second hand things about it.
Best to you!
In addition - I saw that you have a LD. I know Rowan does work with students with special circumstances. For example, someone’s grandson has some kind of intestinal problem (it sounds humorous, but I guess it is really not) so he has a single room. I know there was some sort of pre-semester start meeting for kids with “accommodations” of all different types. That’s about all I can help you with there.
https://www.rcgc.edu/3plus1/Pages/default.aspx
The “3 +1” option is available to incoming RCGC freshman students beginning September 2016. Earn a four-year degree at a reduced price: less than $30,000 for a bachelor’s degree
here is a great reason why
Piggy backing off of @fleishmo6 - Rowan has a “Degree in 3 years” program. New this year. Only applies to certain majors. My DD is participating and it is a great savings, works especially well for the bright kids who are bringing in a ton of AP/college credits.
https://www.rowan.edu/home/advising/current-students/rowan-degree-3
Available to students in these majors:
B.A. English
B.A. History
B.A. Law & Justice
B.A. Writing Arts
B.A. Radio, Television, and Film
B.A. Psychology
B.S. Marketing
@NJRoadie I saw that. Nice post. What’s great about it is that it eases the debt for students (1) entering the workforce with low entry-level wages and (2) those likely to attend grad school.