Anonymous
Post 10/28/2025 19:19     Subject: Rutgers- why is this almost never mentioned
I had thought Rutgers and UMD are peers. But when my first child applied, Rutgers gave him honor college and merit scholarship while UMD nothing. Does Rutgers have lower standards?
Anonymous
Post 10/28/2025 16:41     Subject: Re:Rutgers- why is this almost never mentioned
I graduated from Rutgers and had a great experience. I was able to take graduate-level courses my senior year and worked in a research lab for federal work-study. It was a huge adjustment the first year, but ultimately an incredible value for in-state students, and I'm happy my DC is applying.

How often you have to trek away from the College Ave campus depends on your major. I took a lot of busses to Busch and Douglass.
Anonymous
Post 10/28/2025 09:02     Subject: Re:Rutgers- why is this almost never mentioned
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Rutgers has an honors college. Is that new? Is that a draw for students?


There was one in the 80s. Not sure if it's the same.

Rutgers is never mentioned because it's the state school of NJ. The equivalent here would be UVA, VA Tech, UMD, etc. which are mentioned frequently.


Rutgers is much better known than UMD.

Except in Maryland.

Um.. UMD is Top 20 for CS.


If CS is outside top 10, they are all the same for BS. Go to the school that’s cheaper.
Anonymous
Post 10/27/2025 20:12     Subject: Re:Rutgers- why is this almost never mentioned
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This is another reason why the US News rankings for publics are bunk: Rutgers with its 66% acceptance rate is not BC, Tufts, or BU, though it is ranked essentially the same. Not. Even. Close.


I’ll never understand DCUM. In one breath it “T10/25/50” blah blah blah and in the next breath it’s “oh those rankings suck and mean nothing and are totally wrong.”


It’s very easy to understand.

DCuM points to socially acceptable schools for UMC snobs and says “it’s not because of race/class, they are objectively ranked higher academically”

If a school that isn’t socially acceptable gets in the top ranks for actual academics, well, rankings can be gamed and aren’t everything.

Rutgers is in the wrong part of New Jersey (uncool), puts academics over sports (don’t roll that tide) and has a lot of first generation / brown students who are treated equally and not as charity cases.

Severe “not our kind dear” problems.

University of Alabama on the other hand is super white and socially exclusive, so it’s easy to overlook rankings (100 places below Rutgers) well it’s a wonderful bargain!!!




All reasons my CA OOS DS applied to Rutgers.
Anonymous
Post 10/27/2025 20:05     Subject: Re:Rutgers- why is this almost never mentioned
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This is another reason why the US News rankings for publics are bunk: Rutgers with its 66% acceptance rate is not BC, Tufts, or BU, though it is ranked essentially the same. Not. Even. Close.


Actually, it's closer than you think. It's a good solid option with easy access to New York, a nice campus in New Brunswick, and a lot going for it. BU and BC have risen way in estimation over the past ten to twenty years, and that is great for them, but Rutgers is what it has always been: a strong Research University that is underrated by most people. If you are comparing them just on admission rates, you are comparing in large part their marketing prowess. In that regard, Rutgers performs pretty poorly.


Rutgers is also very diverse, which may partially explain the recent increase in OOS applicants.
Anonymous
Post 10/27/2025 20:04     Subject: Rutgers- why is this almost never mentioned
Anonymous wrote:Usnews has Rutgers noted as #12, but it is almost never brought up on DCUM as a suggestion when people are looking for larger or state schools.

Why?

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/top-public


I've thought the same. My DS toured Rutgers junior year, liked it, applied and got admitted OOS. He decided to go elsewhere but would have been happy to attend. New Brunswick is a little gritty, but he enjoys that. But it is a large public university with an enormous footprint on both sides of the Raritan River, some kids may have problems with it.

Anonymous
Post 10/27/2025 18:00     Subject: Rutgers- why is this almost never mentioned
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DD applied to Rutgers because it has an excellent reputation in her field of interest. But I expect she’d choose a much lower ranked school to avoid the awkward campus set-up. If the campus setup was better it would be a great choice.

Agree with others that lots of NJ kids historically have come to UMD because they don’t want to go to Rutgers.


They seem to be about the same in terms of academic reputation. What makes College Park more appealing than New Brunswick?


I really cannot stress this enough, if you haven’t visited Rutgers and seen how it is four/five separate campuses you can’t quite understand how underwhelming that aspect is. Some of the campuses look quite dated (at best) and it isn’t like the campuses are walkable to each other. The main campus in downtown New Brunswick is quite charming. The rest really is not.
Anonymous
Post 10/27/2025 17:56     Subject: Rutgers- why is this almost never mentioned
Anonymous wrote:DD applied to Rutgers because it has an excellent reputation in her field of interest. But I expect she’d choose a much lower ranked school to avoid the awkward campus set-up. If the campus setup was better it would be a great choice.

Agree with others that lots of NJ kids historically have come to UMD because they don’t want to go to Rutgers.


They seem to be about the same in terms of academic reputation. What makes College Park more appealing than New Brunswick?
Anonymous
Post 10/27/2025 16:44     Subject: Rutgers- why is this almost never mentioned
I maybe biased because im a lawyer but all the Rutgers grads I meet professionally are just utter jerks and/or marginally corrupt. The alumni I’ve met just leave me such a a bad impression that I can’t give it too much consideration.

I do know one person socially that went to Rutgers who is very nice so I guess that’s something.
Anonymous
Post 10/27/2025 14:54     Subject: Rutgers- why is this almost never mentioned
My dc’s father lives in NJ and if I could get instate tuition for dc, I’d send dc there in a second. But dc is an athlete and not good enough for their team.

People who don’t like Rutgers aren’t in the know about the school or about Nj
Anonymous
Post 10/27/2025 14:54     Subject: Re:Rutgers- why is this almost never mentioned
Anonymous wrote:In addition to buses to get to classes, NJ is small and Rutgers is right in middle of the state so lots of weekend commuters who go home for the weekend and campus empties out. Other state flagships with mostly in-staters are farther away from population centers and in-state students don’t go home on weekends— UConn, UMass, Indiana, Colorado, etc.


Wrong. UConn grad here. Storrs is desolate on the weekends. This might shock you, but you can drive to the farthest corner of Connecticut in 2 hrs, and to places like Hartford and New Haven in much less than that.
Anonymous
Post 10/27/2025 14:50     Subject: Rutgers- why is this almost never mentioned
The fact that it’s IN New Jersey can be overlooked. The fact that most of the people who attend are from New Jersey cannot.
Anonymous
Post 10/27/2025 14:48     Subject: Rutgers- why is this almost never mentioned
Anonymous wrote:If I were a NJ resident, Rutgers would be a no brainer.


Unfortunate (but appropriate) choice of words.
Anonymous
Post 10/27/2025 14:41     Subject: Rutgers- why is this almost never mentioned
DD applied to Rutgers because it has an excellent reputation in her field of interest. But I expect she’d choose a much lower ranked school to avoid the awkward campus set-up. If the campus setup was better it would be a great choice.

Agree with others that lots of NJ kids historically have come to UMD because they don’t want to go to Rutgers.
Anonymous
Post 10/27/2025 14:36     Subject: Re:Rutgers- why is this almost never mentioned
In addition to buses to get to classes, NJ is small and Rutgers is right in middle of the state so lots of weekend commuters who go home for the weekend and campus empties out. Other state flagships with mostly in-staters are farther away from population centers and in-state students don’t go home on weekends— UConn, UMass, Indiana, Colorado, etc.