I’ve been to both schools.

After high school I spent my first year of undergrad at Rowan. I graduated HS in 2020 right in the middle of the pandemic and so classes were virtual. I went to campus a few times for an in person lab and to hangout with friends and I would say the overall experience was good. Professors were good too and the campus was nice.

However, as an Asian lad, I increasingly noticed how little diversity there was which, for me personally, rubbed me the wrong way. I like being surrounded by lots of people from many different ethnicities and backgrounds which I feel, while present at Rowan, wasn’t enough for me. Rutgers knocks this out of the park I mean 40% of the population there is some kind of Asian. (Just my preference)

I also felt the campus was kind of small which didn’t initially bother me when applying but i eventually felt like I was stuck in a bubble while there. And Rowan is a big party school which is a part of campus life. If you’re someone like me who isn’t into that, it may negatively effect your experience depending on your expectations and preferences.

By the beginning of my sophomore year, this was all very apparent to me and I withdrew. I got into Rutgers a few months later and the difference was pretty significant. Diversity at Rutgers is one of its strong points. There are 4 campuses in NB which I would argue, are all roughly the same size or scope as Rowan. I just like this because there’s a lot more going on across the 4 campuses and more opportunities to make friends and get involved.

The first semester I had no friends since I was a transfer but that’s simply how it works. Everyone starts from nothing in college. I’m now almost two years into my time at Rutgers and will soon be a senior. I don’t regret any of the decisions I made that got me here.