Which is a better college?

Question

I am applying to colleges and have choosen two great colleges. Rutgers in camden New Jersey or the University of Pennsylvania. I kind of like what Upenn has to offer. I am getting a degree in Political Science and wanted to know which would be better? If anyone had an opinion on it. Like customer serice wise.

Answer 1

UPenn is a MUCH better school (and I went to Rutgers). If you can afford it, then do it. The only concern is that if you will beable to justify the cost when you come out. Poly Sci majors do not make much, and spending $100K more on the degree might not make sense.

Answer 2

Like many people have said, UPenn is an extremely challenging, selective, and prestigious school. There are a lot of people there doing really interesting work. There's also a bigger focus on the graduate students there, since it's more of a "research university" than Camden Rutgers is.

I used to teach in Camden, just down the street from Rutgers. It's a lot smaller than UPenn, more chill, and as far as I can tell, a very decent education. It's not the kind of place that will immediately make people go OOOOOOH when they see it on your resume, but it has the resources to give you a VERY solid education and if you take full advantage of them and do good work there, you should be able to get into Masters programs after college if that's the route you pick.

One thing that makes Camden very unique is the socioeconomic situation of the city. It's a very rough town, a very poor one. Around campus it's very safe during the day, but you have to be careful at night. There are dorms on campus, or you could live in a nearby town and drive in. If you stay in the dorms, the PATCO speedline is RIGHT there so going to Philly for fun would be easy. Academically, if you're interested in matters of social justice or policy making, or urban planning, or urban history, Camden is very special. It's a VERY interesting situation just because the city government has been so screwed up and because historically, Camden was a HOPPING town, and now no one wants to go there. Lots of great opportunities to volunteer and make a difference (and build your resume).

I should mention that there's some new development near Rutgers Camden. It's sort of the one 'alive" thing in the town. I would say definitely visit and see what you think.

To see pictures of how rough camden can be, visit one of Rutgers' interesting photo projects:
www.invinciblecities.com you have to click on "enter camden, NJ database"

It's a city with a lot of pain but a lot of heart. Don't let the pics scare you, since seriously seriously it's pretty safe by Rutgers.

Answer 3

It is sad that UPenn gets the most positive rating by those posting on here. I say that simply because, being an Ivy league school does not make one better. Rutgers, commonly known as the State University of New Jersey, is one of the oldest universities in America. It is also, academically, an outstanding research university that has equal resources to UPenn. My advice joins with others, visit both campuses. Philly and Trenton are not too far apart and you could visit both over the course of two days. Good luck! Hope this helps...

Answer 4

UPenn is the better school acadmic wise because it's an ivy league. However just because it's an ivy school does not make it the best fit for you financially and otherwise. You should visit the schools to get a sense of the campus culture.

Answer 5

UPenn is a better school, academically...but that doesn't mean it's a better "fit" for you. The schools are reported to have the same "Social" rating and "Qualify of Life" rating. Have you visited both schools? Which one feels right/better to you? Since you're just applying now, you really can't be sure you'll get in to either/both, so perhaps you shouldn't worry too much about this right now.

Best of luck!

Answer 6

I haven't visited Rutgers, but I've spent a fair amount of time on the UPenn campus and I just love it there. You are in the middle of Philly, so there is plenty to do, but you don't feel like you are in the middle of a big city while you are on the campus. The buildings are beautiful.

Answer 7

Im a Poly Sci major, im pretty sure they both have great Political Science programs, but Penn is an Ivy League school. Probably carries more weight, just go to which one is more comfortable for you though.

Answer 8

UPenn's specialization is journalism, but it has a better academic standard.