We've all heard it before:
“Rutgers is my safety school!”
“Anyone can get in.”
“Slutgers!”
“Nobody actually wants to go there.”
What’s a Rutgers student to do when we all have a huge amount of school pride, but nobody appreciates us? It's time to set the record straight, so I’ve gathered a few quotes from people all around the country (who don’t attend Rutgers) about what they think of New Jersey's state university.
Josh from The Ohio State.
“Rutgers is a New Jersey school with New Jersey high school grads. I think they have a good science program and are one of the older universities.”
You got it right! Rutgers was established as Old Queens College in 1766, ten years before the Declaration of Independence was signed. It is the eighth oldest university in the country; and, yes, most of the students who attend Rutgers are from New Jersey. However, all 50 states are represented in the student body, as well as 130 different countries. In fact, Rutgers-Newark is rated the number one most diverse campus in America.
Jake from University of Central Florida.
“That’s in New Jersey, right? They’re probably all like the "Jersey Shore" cast there. Their parties are probably full of people fist pumping.”
I’m not even sure how to respond to this one. I do want to throw out the classic defense that most of the "Jersey Shore" cast is not, in fact, from New Jersey. I can't deny that I do perform a mean fist pump, though.
Anonymous Nittany Lion from Penn State.
“What do a student at Rutgers and a student at Penn State have in common? They both got into Rutgers. And they don’t belong in the Big Ten.”
Well, I’m not sure why you chose to leave New Jersey to go to another state school, to get the same education that you could get at Rutgers for double the price, but that’s your choice. Also, let me remind you that while the Big Ten is known for its stellar football teams, it’s also about academics. Rutgers is a member of the Association of American Universities -- right beside Harvard, Yale, and Berkeley -- as one of the 61 leading research universities in North America. With acclaimed faculty and more than 175 research centers performing pioneering work in stem cells, climate change, DNA analysis, and more, we absolutely deserve to be in the Big Ten.
Joe from Notre Dame.
“I have a friend from New Jersey, here, and I still can’t believe that she chose Notre Dame over Rutgers. Isn’t it in the Ivy League?”
Marco, an Italian student who I met last summer while studying abroad.
“I don’t even live in the United States and I’ve heard of Rutgers before. It’s supposed to be a great research institution.”
Rutgers was invited to be in the Ivy League, but the university turned down the offer in order to keep its funding and title as the State University of New Jersey. Rutgers has an international reputation for being an outstanding university, complete with great academics and even greater school pride. During my first week at Rutgers as a freshman, a boy stood up on a table in the dining hall and started the R-U chant, and everybody joined in. I challenge you to find that at another school. And so, if you're about to start your freshman year on the banks of the old Raritan, then get ready to face four years of a fair share of haters and admirers, as well as a student body that will have your back through anything. R-U! Rah, Rah!
