When fall rolls around for students at CHS, it’s typically an enjoyable time. Football games, fall sports, and many more activities are occurring at the school. But for seniors, it’s one of the most stressful times of their entire lives: College application season.
At Cresskill High, Rutgers is a very popular option for many seniors during their college application process. While interviewing Mrs. Cohen, a guidance counselor at CHS, stated that she had four of her students attending Rutgers from the 2024 graduating class, with many others putting down Rutgers as one of their safeties, or as an option somewhere on their application list. Considering Mrs. Cohen does not manage every student, it is assumed that there were many more seniors from the class of 2024 who applied or even went to Rutgers.
To highlight why Rutgers may be a popular option for Seniors, taking a look at the financial benefits speaks for itself in the appeal it has for many Seniors at CHS.
Taking a look at the graphs, it is seen that n-state students pay much less tuition in comparison to the out-of-state students. This is a main factor in why many seniors look into Rutgers. Comparing this tuition fee to other popular universities in the area, like Ramapo College of New Jersey or Montclair State University, it is only slightly more expensive with Ramapo being $33,463 per year for In-State On-Campus tuition, and Montclair being $37,524 per year for In-State On-Campus tuition. Even though it is more expensive, Rutgers has the reputation of a secure, familiar school that many may prefer over schools such as Montclair and Ramapo, as seen by the fact that only 1 senior from the Class of 2024 attended Montclair State, while 0 attended Ramapo. Overall, the very affordable (compared to other universities) tuition for what many view as a very reliable school, attracts many seniors during their college application season. Additionally, the Rutgers campus’ being in either Newark, Camden, or New Brunswick, NJ makes it very close to home, adding to the benefits of Rutgers.
Alongside the affordability of Rutgers, their sports programs are among one of the best in the state, and especially in the area. The school offers an array of sports such as men’s Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Lacrosse, Soccer, Track & Field and Wrestling. For the women’s sports, they offer Basketball, Cross Country, Field Hockey, Golf, Gymnastics, Lacrosse, Rowing, Soccer, Softball, Swimming & Diving, Track & Field and Volleyball. Additionally, all of their teams, men and women, are Division 1 (D1) teams. This only furthers the appeal of Rutgers University for those interested in playing any sports in college.
Overall, Rutgers University is an overall great option for seniors, and it’s no surprise that many of them apply in the fall. It has great overall tuition value, it’s in state, and has great sports teams. With all this information, it’s clear to see why so many seniors end up going to Rutgers.
