Hi guys. So I am a NJ resident, and I have been admitted to University of Wisconsin Madison and Rutgers University at NB, Camden and Newark. I was invited to the Rutgers Honors College in Camden, and I also got into the honors program for School of Arts and Sciences in New Brunswick. I am currently having difficulty choosing between Rutgers New Brunswick SAS Honors Program and Rutgers Honors college at Camden. I have heard that Honor College is a lot better than honors program, but Camden has a high crime rate, and most who go to Rutgers Camden only stay inside the campus.
Also, I plan to enter Medical School after college, and if I go to Rutgers, I will have to pay approximately 10K for freshman year. If I go to Wisconsin Madison, I will have to pay 40k for freshman year.
My family isn’t rich, and prefers me to go to Rutgers, but I find Rutgers’ campus to be quite mediocre. Plus the fact that Rutgers is near my home, which is a place that contains some bad memories. A lot of people at my high school are going to Rutgers, and I don’t really want to see them because they have left some pretty scary images in my head. Most of my friends are not going to Rutgers, and I want to move away from my mom.
What are your suggestions guys?
Your eagerness to get out of NJ reminds me of myself from a few years back.
Don’t even touch Camden at all. Not worth it tbh.
Can your family comfortably afford UW-Madison?
I don’t think my family can afford UW Madison comfortably. My mom says that it will be hard for us to even get loans.
Then either A) go with the more affordable but much less desirable option of Rutgers, B) look for colleges at the deadline that have yet to fill their spots for the fall, or C) take a gap year and reapply elsewhere. I definitely feel you on knowing way too many people at Rutgers and wanting to start fresh, and I especially understand not wanting anything to do with remaining in NJ due to traumatic memories and occurrences growing up. Hopefully it will work out for your family.
Thank you for your advice. I just realized that University of Pittsburgh has a rolling deadline. Is it too late to apply there now?
Nope. https://oafa.pitt.edu/apply/admissions-process/freshmen/
Fill out FAFSA if you haven’t already. If aid still doesn’t work out then you can attend Rutgers with the intention to transfer out after a year or so. Or explore any of the other options I’ve suggested.
In my opinion, I wouldn’t take that much debt if you plan on going to med school. My brother has plans to go onto med school and was accepted a Ivy caliber school but decided to stay at Rowan for bio-med engineering and loves. For myself, I’m going out of state next year but the school I’m going to is covering more then half tuition, and I’m not set on grad school. However, a this point, you probably have made a decision. Whatever the decision is, work hard and good luck!
My brother goes to rowan which is much smaller then rutgers and never see his old schoolmates and he doesn’t come home much at all anymore. Based on your honors admit, you’re a strong student and can probably achieve at most universities!
Even if Pitt still accepts applications it will be $40k OOS without merit.
So that really won’t help.
With high med school debt in the future, $40k a year is too much.
Go to Rutgers or other instate schools.