Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Executive Secretaries And Administrative Assistants
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Atlantic Cape, Ocean County College, Passaic County Community College, and Bergen Community College.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider Eastwick.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Eastwick.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Camden County College, Passaic County Community College, Mercer County Community College, and Union County College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Eastwick and Salem Community College.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Rutgers University • New Brunswick, NJ
Studying Communications (completion in 2001)
• 8/13/2011
"I am very happy I attended Rutgers. It is a well known school and overall a good educational experience."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Based on my experiences, I would definitely recommend Rutgers. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | Rutgers is more well know for other majors - not to say that Rutgers does not have a good reputation for this program. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I think Rutgers offers a great communications program. I think they could broaden the course selection. |
| Instruction | 8 | The quality of Rutgers is high, for communications and for general courses. I think they could have spent more time helping the students plan their career paths. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The program was challenging, but it was not extremely difficult. I think it was the right balance. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Depending on the class and the subject, it varied. I would rate this in the middle, on average. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | Rutgers' course offerings were very flexible. They had many time options, days of week, and summer and winter options. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | There were many library options and computer labs. I think the professors could be more accessible, but it was still satisfactory. |
| Social Life | 8 | There were ample parties and athletic events. Unfortunately, at the time, the football team was not performing well. They have improved since then. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I was not informed of the job placement services. This would have been quite helpful, so I rated this category as average. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | I do not participate in the network, but I do receive emails and mailings. |
The College Of New Jersey • Trenton, NJ
Studying Philosophy (completion in )
• 8/15/2011
"I love TCNJ and their students and faculty. Just wished they'd integrate the classes more."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | It depends on the outlook of the person and their commitment. It needs to be thought through first. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | TCNJ is the finest liberal arts school in the Northeast. It has a decently prestigious school of Philosophy. |
| Program Quality | 3 | There was a deficiency in the amount of professors who were open to contact the students. Also they required more textbook and semantic learning versus discussion. |
| Instruction | 2 | Administrative Assistants do not require philosophy. However, I did learn skills such as communication and organization in college. |
| How Difficult | 7 | There were textbooks and quizzes and things like that. However, there was not enough to prepare a student sufficiently for corporate America. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Professors stuck to the book constantly. It was not worth my time for what should have been a discussion based major. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | I took night classes as well as day classes. I worked part-time while studying as well. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The facilities were astounding. Computer labs were available 24/7 and there was also a dedicated student base. However, there was not enough for my tastes. |
| Social Life | 10 | It was a good experience in my opinion. I just wish it would have been more comprehensive. |
| Placement Services | 7 | They provided me with an administrative assistant job at a local consulting firm. It was useful in networking. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | I didn't use the alumni network very much. It was there, but didn't do as much as I would have liked. |
Rutgers University • New Brunswick, NJ
Studying Economics (completion in 2010)
• 8/15/2011
"I love the friends that I have met at my school. The education, however, was not worth the cost, in my opinion."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | Rutgers University does not have a very strong economics program. Unless you are confident in your ability to achieve a 4.0 GPA with honors, your resume will not impress any future employer, unless they happen to be an alum. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | Although some of the professors have great reputations, overall, the university is known for partying with reckless abandon. This mindset applies to the economics program, which provides no challenge to the student and gives them ample opportunity to slack. |
| Program Quality | 6 | Rutgers University has many fine professors, but not in the field of economics. The courses are very droll, they do not challenge you, and they teach the same basic concepts in every class. |
| Instruction | 1 | The professors were good to the extent that they could teach what was written in our books. They taught very simple concepts that anyone with half a brain could understand, but they did a very poor job of associating this knowledge to any type of future. |
| How Difficult | 1 | The tests asked the test taker to merely spew back the information that was to be memorized. Once the exams were over, you could forget the information and move on, granted the exams were not cumulative. In that case, one could study for a semester for a class and not remember anything after the final exam. If you were good at memorizing information, you were guaranteed to get an A. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Almost all of my courses were straight memorization from the book. Very few courses, if any, stimulated any type of creative thought and required you to memorize in order to pass the course. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | Rutgers University offers very few weekend classes, although there are plenty of evening, as well as summer and winter, classes available. However, the online system to register for classes is very unreliable and can often mess up someone's schedule just as easily as it can help them. |
| Academic Facilities | 2 | There are almost no resources available for an economics major at Rutgers University. The only resource that I can readily think of are the professors, if that, and I say so because they are just as likely to ignore your requests for help as they are to acknowledge them. An economics major is mostly on their own in their journey through college. |
| Social Life | 8 | If there is one thing Rutgers University can provide, it is a good social atmosphere. The school spirit is alive and well, as are the parties and numerous social events. |
| Placement Services | 8 | Rutgers University provides many useful career fairs throughout the course of the year. The career services website is also very useful, listing many potential jobs offered by many employers. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | The network and support for alumni is nearly nonexistent. The only contact that I ever receive is Rutgers asking for donations. |
Montclair State University • Montclair, NJ
Studying Communications (completion in 2011)
• 9/9/2011
"I will always remember it fondly. I have no regrets, but I do feel that sometimes the work was a grind, and just "something to get through.""
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | For a communications major, I would probably recommend something in NYC, where your odds of networking with others in your preferred industry are greatly increased. I had a great time at MSU, but I think there is a lack of focus. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | I don't think MSU is a highly renowned school for anything, but the tuition is low and it's a state school so most of the people there are just trying to get by. |
| Program Quality | 9 | Probably the best experience of my life, not just the atmosphere/party scene, but the classes were often engaging and some of my professors are people I hold in the highest respect. |
| Instruction | 9 | I found the media classes to be extremely interesting. But I often found that I was taking many classes that I would never look back on. |
| How Difficult | 7 | I mostly felt it was easy to get by with an hour or two of homework every two days and a quick review before tests. But I did become overwhelmed my senior year when I felt that I had too many tasks I wasn't interested in to fully focus on my major. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I would say very book-oriented, but in some of my media classes it was very hands on. Anything design-related was a lot of fun and public speaking was very important in most of my courses. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 3 | The school is pretty overpopulated. I had to sign in online and schedule my classes as soon as it went live, and if I missed it by even a half hour, odds were good that at least two of my preferred classes were already filled. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | The library was fairly big, and there was always room in the computer labs. Most of my classes were in regular classrooms and lecture halls, nothing fancy. I had a few friends who were science majors who had access to some pretty interesting equipment and facilities. |
| Social Life | 10 | Everyone was friendly, parties were everywhere and there weren't too many 'cliques.' A very sociable place to be, though nobody really cared about the sports. |
| Placement Services | 5 | It was easy to find work on campus. Finding work now is much harder, but I do get contacted by a former professor with a lead here and there. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | Facebook is about all I use to keep in touch. I was never part of a frat though, and I know they keep tabs on alumni. |
Monmouth University • West Long Branch, NJ
Studying Communications (completion in 2000)
• 9/10/2011
"Monmouth gave me an awesome education. I loved dorm life. I was always safe and had plenty of social outlets. I took part in a number of campus activities. I had a very fulfilling college experience."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend Monmouth to anyone pursuing any type of career. Their computer labs, educational programs, availability of faculty all contribute to my recommendation. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Monmouth has some of the best professors in the state teaching in their communications program. They've recently completed a new communications building with state-of-the-art equipment. |
| Program Quality | 10 | I was always challenged in my field of study. My professors always gave me the tools I needed to succeed. The communications program was known state-wide for its success. |
| Instruction | 10 | I had the best advisors within the actual communications department. They always took a vested interest in my career and were always available. |
| How Difficult | 10 | My program involved a lot of presentations and papers. Participation was a major requirement to succeed in the program. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The communications program was designed to be very hands-on. We had labs that we could work in and most of the classes required very interactive student participation. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | I had a difficult time with scheduling sometimes due to the availability or popularity of a particular class. I often wound up having to move my schedule around to accommodate a new class. There wasn't a lot of variety in the timing of the classes due to the amount of resources some of them required. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Guggenheim Library was the best and our campus radio was awesome. Our School newspaper had state-of-the-art equipment. Our communications department offered the use of labs to all of the students within the communications dept. |
| Social Life | 10 | Monmouth had a lot of events for socializing. There were a number of different organizations available that received the school's support. I was able to get involved in anything from community activities and fundraisers to social outings and parties. |
| Placement Services | 10 | While in school the program was fantastic. I had access to a number of networking opportunities. Through my advisors and some of the events the department hosted I generated a lot of employment opportunities. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I say average because even though the alumni association has always reached out to me, I never really acted on my alumni status. Too much about donations and not enough about career enhancement. |
Monmouth University • West Long Branch, NJ
Studying Psychology (completion in 2000)
• 9/17/2011
"The education I received was excellent. However, I would have liked more help in the placement services department."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | As I said, the education is excellent. For me, that is the most important factor when choosing a school. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | Monmouth University is not a well-known school, but anyone who knows the school knows it is a good one. All of their programs are well-regarded in the workplace. |
| Program Quality | 9 | Monmouth University has a very comprehensive psychology program. I was pleased with the course offerings and schedules available. |
| Instruction | 7 | I thought the program itself was excellent. However, they did not do much in the career preparation avenues. Once the program instruction was over, you were left on your own to figure out what to do next. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The work load was high, psychology is an intensive program. However, if you are interested in it then the challenge is acceptable. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Psychology is not a field where you can practice before you are licensed. Therefore, all learning was done with a textbook. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | I was able to take all classes to fit my own personal needs. I worked through college and was still able to take all classes necessary without rearranging my work schedule. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The services provided were all excellent. My only complaint was that you had to drive to get to the library, and not all students had a car on campus. The library was well-staffed and always had the necessary materials. Computers were abundant and there were plenty of academic advisors with time available. |
| Social Life | 5 | I do not know much about the social aspect of the school. I was working at least one job through all of my college years. |
| Placement Services | 1 | There are hardly any job-placement services. The ones that are in place are student-run. It is a poor program, to be sure. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | The alumni support is almost nil. The only time the school or alumni association contact you after is for money. |
The Anthem Institute • Cherry Hill, NJ
Studying A+ Certification (completion in 2001)
• 9/28/2011
"I believe that I had to pay too much money for such a horrible learning experience. After you singed the papers, there was no way out."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | Too much money for little education. They do not help after graduation to get a job. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | After I went to Anthem I have not heard anything else about it. I do not know anyone else who has gone there after me. |
| Program Quality | 3 | The school's teachings were more of a “teach yourself” kind of program. All the tests that I had to take were open book, and to me those were very easy. |
| Instruction | 5 | I believe that they did have OK career preparation - good amount of what we should have learned and everything was relevant to what we would be doing with a job in that career. Yet we had to teach ourselves everything. |
| How Difficult | 4 | Considering there was no homework and test were open book, all you had to do was have a good eye and you could pass a test without really knowing the correct answer. This is not what I paid $20,000 for. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Everything was teach yourself. The teacher would say you have 2 hours to read 6 chapters, go. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 3 | The only option they had for my class was Monday-Friday, 9am-3pm, for 6 months. They had no other options other then that. |
| Academic Facilities | 3 | There was a couple class rooms, break room, and bathrooms. There was nothing else provided to the students. |
| Social Life | 2 | This school did not have school spirit activities, athletics, etc. It was strictly go there, learn/teach yourself, graduate, and get out. |
| Placement Services | 3 | For myself, I had two meetings with their advisors and nothing after. They never followed up with me or let me know of any job openings. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | The school itself did reach out to other colleges and high schools to get their name out there. Since they also helped with starting a career after school, they were able to reach other companies as well. |
Fairleigh Dickinson University • Madison, NJ
Studying Finance & Marketing (completion in 2010)
• 10/10/2011
"I could have been more satisfied if the business curriculum involved a co-op portion, more elective courses to choose from and a more useful career development center. These three factors leave me at, "satisfied.""
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | As a whole, the program was good. The experience, faculty and location of the school made it memorable. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | The university is known for the business programs on a graduate and undergraduate level. If they did more to update their program and essentially promote it more, I feel as though they would be more reputable and reach a larger audience. |
| Program Quality | 7 | Completing the coursework for a dual degree in marketing and finance, I was able to see more of what the business department at my university was based upon. I ranked my satisfaction at a 7 because I have not yet been able to apply my knowledge from these degrees in my current position. |
| Instruction | 7 | I believe that the university could have provided a wider variety of elective courses in the marketing and finance programs, which would enable me to have a more defined vision for my ultimate career path. My ranking is a 7 because the career preparation is faulty, but overall, the things learned and the quality of curriculum was above average/good. |
| How Difficult | 7 | My rating is a 7 because it is the average between my two programs. I would rank the marketing coursework to be about a 5/6, and my finance coursework to be a 9/10. I enjoyed the finance coursework more, because it demanded more time and forced me to immerse myself in the subject matter. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | This area could use improvement. The business program, in my opinion, is in dire need of a required co-op element, which would boost the hands-on learning aspect. But I would say there is a good mix of hands-on and book learning, in addition to what the professors add to the courses based on their own careers and histories. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | Overall, course selection is decent and flexible, especially at an undergraduate course level. As far as master's programs, classes are limited to nights and weekends, and typically it feels as though we are making our work schedules comply with the class schedules. There definitely could be more offerings and options that would make scheduling for students much easier and less restricting. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Overall, the facilities are good. The university is continually updating multiple areas of the campus, which is nice to see and even better to utilize, once the projects are complete. |
| Social Life | 7 | Generally speaking, there are plenty of things to do on campus, but overall, school spirit needs work. Athletics seems to lack continual focus and dedication from the student side, which makes attending games unappealing. However, trips organized to NYC and to other remote locations are fun and draw decent crowds. |
| Placement Services | 5 | The department works with students to develop and revise resumes, in addition to coaching students how to deal with the interview process. However, it seems as though they rely on the students to find the jobs, instead of working with companies in the area to partner with for part-time, full-time and internship-type opportunities. This aspect clearly needs more direction and improvement. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | This area of the university is severely lacking. It seems as though there is no plan to retain the support of alumni, which dwindles immediately following graduation. |
Hudson County Community College • North Bergen, NJ
Studying Administrative (completion in 1991)
• 10/6/2011
"I was satisfied because I received the knowledge to go out in the workforce. I learned things such as Word, Excel, writing memos and more."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Yes, I would tell anyone looking to be an admin assistant to look into the school if the program is still available. |
| Program Quality | 9 | My training was very thorough and I learned everything I needed to succeed. |
| Instruction | 8 | The quality of the instruction was excellent. The teachers were knowledgeable and cared. |
| How Difficult | 3 | The program was not difficult and it was very interesting to me. The teachers also made the work a lot more fun. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The program was very hands-on, which made the learning experience so much better. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | I was able to take classes at night and work full-time. I was happy that they offered evening classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Everything I needed to do well in these classes was offered. Great study areas with plenty of facilities. |
| Social Life | 5 | I was not very involved in socializing at the school. |
| Placement Services | 2 | Any job that I found was on my own and not by the help of the school in any way. |
Rutgers University • New Brunswick, NJ
Studying Political Science (completion in 2011)
• 10/19/2011
"My social experience was very rewarding. Some of my courses could have been better organized."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | The school itself is very rewarding, but you have to know how to work the system to succeed. Someone must be able to talk to their professors and talk in a large lecture because that is what most classes are like. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | They are a great research university, and since Political Science is a social science we do well for our area. There are a lot of great professors doing compelling research. |
| Program Quality | 7 | My major was very interesting and enlightening. It depends on which courses you take within the major to determine your track. |
| Instruction | 7 | The instructors know what they are talking about. Sometimes, however, they are limited by the material they are forced to teach. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The program is difficult for some students. It is definitely a harder program than at other schools. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | A large portion of courses are done through book learning and lectures. I received credit for internships and that is the only real hands on learning I received. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Most courses are offered at multiple times for students with busy schedules. A lot of professors are willing to make personal accommodations as well. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | There are plenty of libraries and book stores on campus. The computer centers are very accommodating as well. |
| Social Life | 10 | The social aspect of Rutgers is incredible. There is something for everyone no matter what your interests. |
| Placement Services | 7 | The school holds mock interviews and resume critiques. They also hold on campus recruiting. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | The alumni network could be better. There are networking events, but few people go to them. |
Atlantic Community College • Mays Landing, NJ
Studying Business Admin (completion in 2014)
• 11/16/2011
"It was great, provided the teachers got feedback from the students. The classes were great. It is hard to teach when you do not get any feedback."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It is a small, but adequate school. If you don't need much flexibility in your schedule and have easy access, I would recommend it, without a doubt. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Atlantic Community College continues to expand. To date, I periodically receive advertisements of upgraded building, class structure and curriculum programs they are offering. |
| Program Quality | 4 | At the time, required classes were structured during my working hours, which I had to eventually stop attending. |
| Instruction | 6 | The instructors were very complete and concise in their training of the courses they were giving. |
| How Difficult | 8 | I did reach course level of math, which was extremely hard, but well taught. I would say the math class hours need to be extended for a longer period. |
| Schedule Flexibility | 2 | More weekend hours should have been available; perhaps if it were structured differently, I would have the opportunity to complete my course. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | At the time, adequate for my studies. But since then, it has improved, from the advertisements I have been receiving. |
| Social Life | I was not much of a participant in the school activities, but I often saw the pride and spirit when attending. | |
| Placement Services | 10 | They were very, very helpful, when I was attending, and when I needed to make a change, they were there to assist me. |
| Alumni Network | I never hear much about alumni. I have not reached that level. |
Bergen Community College • Paramus, NJ
Studying Paralegal (completion in 2000)
• 11/22/2011
"I was very satisfied with the program. It was the best for me. I love law, but I could not complete a law degree program."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would definitely recommend this school. It offers hands-on programs, and instructors are mostly available. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | Bergen Community College has been and continues to be a good college. If you are looking for a Fast Track Program to start your career, I would recommend it. |
| Program Quality | 8 | This is a very good school. The education they provided me with is helping me with my career. |
| Instruction | 8 | I was very satisfied with the instruction, and teachers were available anytime for questions. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I found the program not difficult at all. A lot of writing, but it was ok. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | This is a book-oriented and hands-on program; therefore, it was very mixed. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | I had a pretty flexible class schedule. Unfortunately, some classes were only available at night. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | Bergen College has a good library. They provide you with the best to complete your program. |
| Social Life | I am not a very social person. There were a couple of people that I completed assignments with. | |
| Placement Services | 5 | I did not get any jobs through my school. In my opinion, employment agencies are better at it. |
| Alumni Network | I am not involved, but I have heard they have a good alumni and support system. |
Ramapo College • Mahwah, NJ
Studying Psychology (completion in 1999)
• 11/20/2011
"I enjoyed attending Ramapo College. I would recommend this college to others."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would definitely recommend Ramapo College. I obtained a bachelor's degree in psychology. Even though I am presently not working in the psychology field, I can use what I learned in my everyday life. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | Ramapo College has a good reputation as a state college. Many students that attend the college are from New Jersey. |
| Program Quality | 8 | The professors at Ramapo College were very informative. The psychology department was easy to deal with. |
| Instruction | 8 | The psychology curriculum was easy to follow and helped with learning about the field. If I had gone into the psychology workforce, I think I would have been prepared to handle the workload. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Most of my psychology classes were not too difficult for me. The instructors gave a good outline of what was expected, and if you followed the syllabus, you really had no problems. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | When I was at Ramapo College, there really was no hands-on learning. It was mainly book learning. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | I was working full time while I attended college. They offered many evening and summer classes that fit into my schedule. |
| Academic Facilities | I did not use any of these services. | |
| Social Life | I was married and working full time when I went to college. As a result, I did not participate in the social experience at my college. | |
| Placement Services | I did not use the school's job placement program. | |
| Alumni Network | I have had no contact with my school's alumni network. |
Stevens Institute Of Technology • Hoboken, NJ
Studying Business Administration (completion in 2011)
• 11/21/2011
"It has given me great opportunities with different companies. The job market is tough today, so sometimes we take what we can get. Hopefully, I can get a better job where I can apply my skills more efficiently."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Definitely. I just recommend focusing on one major and not double majoring, as it can affect your GPA. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | Not widely recognized, but on the verge of coastal recognition, along with NYU and Carnegie Mellon. |
| Program Quality | 5 | The business school is about 10 years old. Still needs better recognition from more companies, but is well known for their engineering. |
| Instruction | 7 | The school provides a great curriculum and applied courses. We did understand how to start and manage a business. So far, the skills I have attained have been helpful in attaining me recommendations. |
| How Difficult | 7 | A lot of calculus and engineering core courses. Stevens wants to make sure they put out analytical businessmen and businesswomen. If you do not like math and science, this program or school is not for you. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There is definitely a balance. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | Wednesdays and Fridays are usually open for any courses you want to take, aside from your requirements. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Brand-new building. Extremely clean and maintained. |
| Social Life | 2 | Male to female ratio is 7:1. Not that many parties, and no one really wants to party with engineering nerds. |
| Placement Services | 5 | The career development office has been increasingly helpful, but does not follow up with students, making it hard to know whether or not you have a chance at getting the dream job you want. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | Alumni are very helpful and fund about 20% of our school's budget. |
The College Of New Jersey • Ewing, NJ
Studying Psychology (completion in 2011)
• 11/22/2011
"I think the education I got was great. However, I didn't love the location of the school. It wasn't very accessible for doing things off campus."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The program is great. The professors are fantastic and the program helped me think in a whole new way. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I think that people assume psychology is a major for individuals who can't pick anything else and that it's very easy. However, if you take certain courses and participate in other activities, like the research labs, it can be very demanding and rewarding. |
| Program Quality | 10 | My undergraduate professors were so knowledgeable and helpful. I'm in a graduate program now, and I think that I'm so ahead of some other students because I had such a great undergraduate education. The amount of research and statistical experience we had available to us was outstanding. |
| Instruction | 9 | I find myself using much of what I learned as an undergraduate student in my job today. I think that it really prepared me for the workplace and for the graduate program I am now completing. |
| How Difficult | 8 | It was challenging, but manageable. I think that my passion for the subject area made it worth studying. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I had both kinds of learning. There was a lot of emphasis on published, scholarly journal articles, but there was also emphasis on hands-on lab work. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | I always felt like I got a schedule that I was happy with. However, there weren't any online options or weekend options. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | Everything was great, with the exception of academic advisors. I frequently felt like I could have done a better job advising than they did. |
| Social Life | 5 | I don't think it was any more than average. I preferred doing things with my own group of friends anyway. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I found a job on my own, because it was easier than working with career services. They focus mostly on placing people in business-oriented jobs. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I can't think of how it was above average in any way. |
Middlesex County College • Edison, NJ
Studying Customer Service & Admin (completion in 2009)
• 12/6/2011
"They just need longer classes and more hands-on instruction."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend it. The school has great courses and teachers. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | They have great teachers. They also have great courses, even though some are short. |
| Program Quality | 5 | There needs to be a little more of a challenge. Classes need to be longer. |
| Instruction | 10 | The teachers were excellent and knowledgeable. |
| How Difficult | 5 | The work was way too easy for me; it needs to be a little more difficult. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | You can read over and over to recap. It's much better to have more books, but more hands-on learning would have been good. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Most classes are in the morning. They need more evening classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | Nice, up-to-date library and computers. |
| Social Life | I was not involved in sports or other social activities. | |
| Placement Services | 5 | I had to find my own job. They suggested jobs on a list, but you had to go on your own. |
| Alumni Network | I was never involved with the alumni. |
Cumberland County College • Vineland, NJ
Studying Business Administration (completion in 2002)
• 1/3/2012
"It got the job done. I got the slip of paper required to advance my career. That was about it."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It gets you where you need to be. And the cost is reasonable. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | It's about average. They aren't really known for any specific type of program. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I thought the school provided very excellent programs but I had to waste time going through general classes that had no relevance towards my major. |
| Instruction | 9 | It was good, though there were un-necessary classes I had to take just to graduate. |
| How Difficult | 5 | Because it was a community program, I feel as though the level of work was about average. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | They are very book oriented, which I find sad. You learn more with hands on experience. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | They offered a number of classes outside working hours. This came in handy for people who work full time. |
| Academic Facilities | 4 | Some of the professors where there to just earn a paycheck. |
| Social Life | 1 | No such thing existed there. They have some plays in the theatre but that was it. |
| Placement Services | 1 | They do not offer any services and the administrative staff and guidance people were not very friendly or helpful. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | It doesn't really exist. I do receive a letter every year or so. |
Raritan Valley Community College • Branchburg, NJ
Studying Business Administration (completion in 2011)
• 1/31/2012
"I was extremely pleased with the school. It was a great value for the money and helped me find a local job within a week of graduation."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I was able to graduate with no student loans, because they provided payment plans and inexpensive classes. Every class needed for graduation was available every semester, and the teachers were really involved. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | This is one of the college's biggest programs. They are considered one of the best community colleges in the nation. |
| Program Quality | 9 | I really enjoyed my education at RVCC. It was really worth the cheap prices, so I could get my degree without taking out any student loans. |
| Instruction | 10 | The teachers were high quality. The programs were really intense and prepared me for lots of duties for my job. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The classes offered a lot of different online programs, like math tutorials, where they worked with you on your homework. We also had textbooks. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I would rate it as extremely flexible. I took the majority of my classes online. I also took summer classes. They provided a ton of different classes over the summer, so I could finish my degree faster. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The library was a nice facility. However, it wasn't that large, and most of the book selections were offered through the county library anyway. |
| Social Life | 5 | It was a minimal social experience. As a commuter taking mostly online classes, I wasn't involved with a lot of activity on campus. |
| Placement Services | 9 | It is a good system. They have a lot of staff in the career services. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | Since it is a community college, the alumni program isn't huge. Its main focus is a transfer program. |
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