Articles Written By: Robert Kohen

Rutgers – New Brunswick

I recently visited Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, where I toured the campus and spoke with the admissions office about the latest trends in admissions. Here are some takeaways from my visit:

· New Jersey’s flagship public university, Rutgers – New Brunswick is large, with 34,141 undergraduates spread out over seven schools and five separate college campuses in New Brunswick. Students ride Rutgers buses from one campus to the next as they commute between various classes and dorms.

· Rutgers – New Brunswick is located relatively centrally in New Jersey. A train station is directly adjacent to the College Ave campus, with trains reaching Philadelphia in 90 minutes and NYC in 40 minutes.

· The heart of campus is the College Ave campus, a historic, urban campus that dates back to the university’s founding in 1776. Johnson & Johnson, the single largest employer of Rutgers grads, is headquartered directly adjacent to this campus. The four other campuses have a more suburban feel.

· Douglass College, one of the five campuses, offers all-female student housing for students who identify as female, as well as a few courses centered around women’s empowerment.

· The Livingston campus features a 100+ acre ecological preserve where students can hike and commune with nature, while the Cook campus houses gardens and farms used by agricultural and animal science students.

· While most students eventually move off campus, on-campus housing is typically available all four years for those who seek it.

· The top 500 students in every incoming class become part of the Honors College, which features honors housing, a small handful of small seminar-style courses and some honors sections in your major spread out over four years, all topped off with a senior capstone project.

· Students can begin participating in research as early as freshman year. For premeds, Rutger’s Robert Wood Johnson Medical School is located in New Brunswick, as is the university hospital, which is a Level I Trauma Center.

· The Road to Wall Street program in the business school matches sophomores hoping to work on Wall Street with alumni who currently work there and helps prepare them to apply for Wall Street internships.

· The campus, like the Garden State, is diverse, with white students making up just 31.5% of the student body.

· Neither Greek life nor sports dominate campus life, although both are available to students seeking them. 13% of students participate in Greek organizations, many of which are centered around professional, cultural and service-based activities.

· At a school this large, students will need to be prepared to advocate for themselves and take initiative to ensure they’re successful.

Rutgers’ historic College Ave campus dates back to 1776.

Purchase College

I recently visited SUNY’s Purchase College in Purchase, New York, where I toured the campus and spoke with the admissions office about the latest trends in admissions. Here are some takeaways from my visit:

· With 3,226 undergraduates and only 77 grad students, Purchase is relatively unique in that it is both a public university and effectively a small liberal arts college. That means that students will find smaller classes (the average class size is 14 students) at public tuition prices.

· The vibe at Purchase is artsy and bohemian, and the campus has a sleek, modernist feel. Many students major in the arts or humanities. Premed applicants have the option of applying to the combined undergrad/MD program offered in conjunction with SUNY Upstate Medical University.

· Like at many liberal arts colleges, all students complete a senior project, be that original research or a creative work.

· Purchase offers programs in the traditional arts and sciences and the visual and performing arts. Roughly half of students will be enrolled in the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) and half in the School of the Arts. While doubling majoring in both schools is difficult, LAS students will often double major within LAS or add a minor in a visual or performing art field. The degree of access to arts coursework, theatrical productions, musical ensembles and the like for LAS students, however, can vary.

· Some distinctive majors include Legal Studies, Arts Management, and Latin American, Caribbean and Latinx studies. With 47 majors and 32 minors across both LAS and arts programs, however, the overall selection of majors is somewhat more limited than at many other colleges.

· Due to its proximity to NYC, Purchase attracts a number of arts faculty active in their fields and with industry connections that can benefit students.

· Purchase College is located in an upscale, suburban area of Westchester. Major corporations (PepsiCo, Mastercard) and large, wealthy estates dot the surrounding terrain. As a result, two-thirds of students live on campus all four years (with the remaining third largely commuting from home). For entertainment, the campus is abuzz with activity, including over 50 shows offered each semester at the campus performing arts center. When they head off campus, students often take the free university shuttle to neighboring White Plains, Port Chester or Mamaroneck. There is no town center within walkable distance of campus, which does make the campus feel somewhat isolated.

University of Pennsylvania

I recently visited The University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where I toured the campus and spoke with the admissions office about the latest trends in admissions. Here are some takeaways from my visit:

· The University of Pennsylvania is an urban, mid-sized Ivy League research university that combines rigorous academics, preprofessional education and robust school spirit. Around 10,000 undergraduates attend one of four divisions: the College of Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Nursing or Wharton (business).

· A trademark feature of Penn is its interdisciplinary emphasis: all undergraduates must take some classes in Arts & Sciences and students are encouraged to sample classes (as well as minors) from divisions outside their own. Five highly selective Coordinated Dual Degree programs allow a handful of students to combine degrees from two separate divisions.

· Penn’s campus is located in West Philadelphia, not far from Center City. The campus is largely self-contained and can be traversed in around 10-15 minutes.

· Greek life is popular at Penn, with around 30% of students officially participating and Greek houses dotting the university’s central Locust Walk pathway. In addition to the more traditional fraternities and sororities, there are also some co-ed preprofessional Greek organizations.

· Despite Penn’s size, 81% of its classes have fewer than 33 students. Undergraduate research is supported through the CURF Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships, with some students participating in research as early as freshman year.

· At Wharton, incoming students are placed in cohorts of 20-30 students and will remain in their cohort throughout all four years. Historically known for its strengths in finance, Wharton emphasizes leadership and collaboration, and students complete an introductory course–Wharton 101–that provides an overview of different business fields available to students. All Wharton students graduate with a BA. in economics, but they select up to two business concentrations and have the ability to add a minor from another division.

· Clinical opportunities abound for premed, nursing and other allied health students, with Penn’s medical school and teaching hospitals located on-site.

· Engineers can explore various engineering specialties through Engineering 101, a semester-long course in which they rotate through each speciality within 1-2 weeks. All engineers will complete a senior engineering project.

· Penn emphasizes community service, both in the admissions office and on campus.

Stevens Institute of Technology

I recently visited Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey, where I toured the campus and spoke with the admissions office about the latest trends in admissions. Here are some takeaways from my visit:

· Stevens is a STEM-focused university located on the Hudson River directly across from Manhattan, where students frequently intern or co-op. Students can walk to the 24-hour PATH subway in only 15 minutes to be in lower Manhattan in just 30 minutes.

· Stevens’ campus–despite being located in urban Hoboken–is self-contained and can be traversed in about 10 minutes. Buildings are a mix of older and more modern, with many overlooking the Hudson River and neighboring New York City.

· Stevens enrolls just over 4,000 undergrads in four schools: engineering, business, humanities/arts/social sciences and systems enterprises. While all programs have a substantial tech focus, they often bridge the divide between STEM and arts and humanities, such as those in music and technology, visual arts and technology, science communication and science/tech/society. Other notable programs include concentrations in naval engineering and optical engineering, as well as a popular major in quantitative finance that combines computer science with mathematics and finance (graduates often go on to work as “quants” on Wall Street). Stevens’ business and technology major allows students to combine sub-specialties in both fields, choosing from 35 different possible combinations. Mechanical engineering is also popular, as Stevens was the first institution in the United States to offer this degree.

· The average class size is 25, with some introductory courses running closer to 50-60 students.

· Learning is hands-on, with a focus on teamwork, innovation and entrepreneurship.

· All engineering students complete a series of core engineering courses, regardless of their specialization. As part of this process, students learn about other engineering specialities and work as a team to complete hands-on projects.

· Co-ops are available for engineering and computer science students. Students pursuing co-ops will graduate in five years but spend two semesters working full time for pay in their intended career field.

· Greek life is big at Stevens, with 37% of students participating. Fraternity Row lines the front of the campus.

· Only 37% of students are female, but this number has risen in recent years. There are two on-campus living learning communities for women in STEM.

· There are over 150 student organizations. On weekends, students relax through on-campus parties, club events and performances and trips into New York City.

The School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at Stevens.

Barnard College

I recently visited Barnard College in Manhattan, where I toured the campus and spoke with the admissions office about the latest trends in admissions. Here are some takeaways from my visit:

· Barnard is a small women’s college enrolling around 2,600 students. The feel is different from a typical women’s college, however: Barnard is part of Columbia University, where Barnard students have full access to facilities, courses and extracurriculars. Barnard’s urban location also makes it stand out among traditional liberal arts colleges.

· Unlike neighboring Columbia, Barnard does not have a core curriculum, but a more flexible set of general education-style requirements. 80% of classes have fewer than 20 students. There are no special admission requirements for majors like architecture and dance: these are open to all students.

· Barnard’s campus is compact, and around 75% of students choose to live on campus. Freshman typically live in doubles in the Quad, which also houses the main dining hall and various student support offices.

· All students complete a senior thesis or project, and research opportunities abound, including those at the Vagelos Computational Science Center, the Barnard Center for Research on Women, and the Athena Center for Leadership Studies. 

· 66% of faculty are women: twice the national average. Leadership positions for female students are plentiful.

· Barnard is the only women’s college where students compete on D-I athletic teams (Columbia’s).

· Barnard has around 200 clubs that students can access (in addition to the 300 existing clubs at Columbia). Dance and theater are popular activities on campus.

· A 4-1 combined BA / MS with Columbia is available for students interested in engineering.

Milbank Hall, crowned by the Arthur Ross Greenhouse, where Barnard students with an interest in developmental psychology can complete fieldwork at the Center for Toddler Development.