With the May 1st deadline approaching quickly for many students to decide where they will be attending college next year, there is an immense amount of pressure to choose the best fit for oneself. However, some universities seem to be more popular among Mendham students than most, including, Penn State, Rutgers, and Northeastern. Although these universities aren’t on the list of highest average financial aid granted to Mendham students (Class of 2023 Admission Statistics), there are main factors that seem to contribute to their popularity including academics, student life, and proximity. These elements should be analyzed closely on an individual basis to determine which, if any of these places are best suited for seniors to attend next year.
While there are many schools with strong academic curriculums, Penn State, Rutgers, and Northeastern each have specific factors that many students gravitate toward. For example, for those looking to gain field experience in their major while learning, Penn State University is ranked fifth as the best public school for internships, according to the 2024 Princeton Review. Also, Penn State’s research funding is at an all-time high for the school with a fourteen percent jump to $1.239 billion during the 2022-2023 school year, and Penn State News reported, ‘“This achievement is a testament to the dedication and enterprise of our outstanding faculty, students and staff,” said Andrew Read, interim senior vice president for research. “It reflects the ongoing confidence of our sponsors in our ability to successfully address some of the world’s most pressing problems. We are enormously proud of our researchers and our research administration team.”
As for student life, perhaps the most exciting aspect of Penn is its annual THON event which raises money for Four Diamonds at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital pediatric cancer research. This year (2024), students were able to raise about $17 million, an almost $2 million jump from 2023. As the world’s largest student-run philanthropy, this event excites over 700 attendees who stand for 46 hours at the Bryce Jordan Center.
Penn State is not very far from Mendham compared to other universities. According to Google Maps, the school is only about 3 hours and 15 minutes away, allowing students the option to visit home more frequently than if they went to a more distant college.
Meanwhile, Rutgers also boasts some impressive statistics, including being rated as part of the World’s Top 100 Most Innovative Universities by Reuters. Rutgers-New Brunswick specifically is a Top 15 U.S. Public University, according to the U.S. News & World Report. Rutgers-New Brunswick has a wide range of academic programs, with twelve schools of different major offerings, including graduate options. Chancellor of Rutgers- New Brunswick, Francine Conway, is an award-winning clinical psychologist who emphasizes the importance of making the University a, “National leader in student support, faculty enrichment, and community engagement,” according to the Rutgers-New Brunswick website. The University also has Camden and Newark campuses which are also attributed high ratings and success.
Athletics are a major component of student life at Rutgers, since it’s known for being a Big Ten School. Mendham guidance counselor, Mrs. Milner, believes that the “community created around sports and school spirit” contributes to the appeal of “larger state schools” such as Rutgers and Penn State. Additionally, Rutgers is home to over 750 student organizations in addition to 80 fraternities and sororities. This wide array of groups allows a diverse class of students to each find their own niche.
When considering proximity, Rutgers-New Brunswick wins by a landslide, being only 35 minutes in driving distance from Mendham, New Jersey. This campus is so close to home that it even allows students to commute to school, as long as they are willing to search for parking. Rutgers’ closeness to both New York City and Philadelphia also means that students have an advantage in obtaining job opportunities, as these two major cities have a wide range of resources.
Northeastern University, the most selective of these three universities, has a single-digit acceptance rate of seven percent. While this school also has campuses in London, England, and Oakland, California, this analysis will focus on its most prominent Boston campus. One unique aspect of Northeastern that the school advertises is the school’s experiential learning through a “co-op” education program. The website states that students can, “apply [their] knowledge through six-month periods of full-time employment here or abroad, alternating semesters with academic study.” Northeastern provides an example of a student, Harold, who benefited from this program, saying, “I did my co-op with the Boston Red Sox in their Video Production Development, I was a video editor “The Red Sox Report.” When they discovered my love of music, composing was incorporated into my job. One of the spots I composed was nominated for a New England Emmy!”
Student life is prioritized at Northeastern with its 523 student clubs and organizations in addition to 19 varsity sports. Also, almost 3,000 undergraduate students are involved in Northeastern University Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL). These students tend to have higher GPAs than their peers not involved in FSL and participate in philanthropy initiatives for organizations including “Make-A-Wish, Rosie’s Place, and the Girl Scouts!” Northeastern also boasts its resources for cultural and spiritual exploration, with its website saying, “Cultural and Spiritual Life builds community, creates a sense of belonging, educates across differences, and promotes inclusion across the global network.”
While Northeastern is 4 hours away from Mendham, New Jersey, the campus is situated right in the heart of Boston, Massachusetts, allowing students to have direct access to the experiences and opportunities that the city has to offer. Mrs. Milner believes that students gravitate towards Boston because of its “more manageable size” compared to New York City, while still having the same liveliness.
Overall Penn State, Rutgers, and Northeastern are all fantastic options for Mendham’s class of 2024 to choose from. However, although these are strong candidates, there are many other universities and job opportunities for students to choose from and we cannot wait to see where they choose to attend or work next year.
