5 Reasons I Chose To Go To Rutgers University

As college decision day approaches, I’d like to highlight some of the things that influenced my decision to attend Rutgers University.

1. Amount of opportunities to travel abroad

As someone with wanderlust, I often wonder about what places I will travel to in the future. The website of the Rutgers global office showed me the hundreds of places I can travel to during each semester, break and year. The options range everywhere from: A summer program exploring Parisian art, a yearlong exchange program with one of South Korea’s most prominent universities, to a language learning program in Morocco:

2. Atmosphere during sports seasons(aka all year)

I grew up watching all kinds of sports, and as part of the Big 10, Rutgers University is a school that is heavily affiliated with sports. Football games, basketball games, and many other sports are fun to watch with friends, even if one is not interested in sports. There are even swim meets on campus that happen in the Olympic sized pool at the Werblin Recreational center. The many chants that Rutgers University has, appear in many sports events, and they bring thousands of students together.

3. Places to use meal swipes besides dining halls

Horror stories of college dining hall food are known to every university, and while Rutgers University has its fair share(aka Brower), it makes up for it with the several places on campus that students can swipe besides dining halls. There’s the Starbucks Truck which is epic. if you ever wanted an iced caramel macchiato and a chocolate croissant between classes? Go to the Starbucks truck and use a swipe that’s part of your meal plan, (which means you don’t pay extra to get Starbucks)! Another popular place to swipe is Woody’s. Here you can grab chicken fingers, made-to-order sandwiches, and get this, BEN AND JERRYS ICE CREAM, courtesy of your Rutgers meal plan. So, don’t fret If you don’t like the dining hall food, you can always choose one of the many other options to grab a meal, or a sweet treat.

4. Location of Rutgers University

Rutgers University is appealing because of its proximity to NYC, Philly, Newark Airport and many other large cities. The train station on campus is less than an hour from Penn Station, which is in NYC. Whether you are looking for a fun weekend trip with friends, an internship in the city, or a quick way to get home (for out of staters like me!), Rutgers has got you covered! Did I mention a round trip bus fare to Port Authority costs only 17$?

5. Cost, scholarships, etc.

As an out of state student, going to Rutgers would depend heavily on the cost. Luckily, Rutgers has plenty of scholarships that you automatically qualify for, with both merit-based and need-based scholarships. There’s also opportunities to apply for grants and earn extra money on campus with federal work grants, jobs, etc.