Why do students attend Rutgers University- Camden?

1. Why do students attend Rutgers University- Camden? Cortney Lawrence Sociology of Communications

2. Decision-Making Influences • Location of the University • Reputation of Rutgers University • Transferability of Credits Sociology of Communications

3. Campus Location • Rutgers-Camden is convenient for individuals residing in South Jersey. In a sample focus group, 12 of 13 respondents listed location as one of three reasons they chose to attend the University. • Of the 12 respondents, six listed location as their top reason for attending Rutgers-Camden, which illustrates the importance of location in decision- making. • “The fact that this campus is in Camden made my decision easier to transfer here because it is a very short commute.” Sociology of Communications

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5. Campus Location • Numerous students are “non-traditional”, in that they have families and work; being able to take classes near their homes and jobs plays an vital role in balancing their many responsibilities. • Many students come directly from work to attend class and return to work when classes commence. • “I chose to come here because it is only 15 away from my house and 10 minutes away from work.” Sociology of Communications

6. Campus Location • Rutgers-Camden is accessible from many major roadways, which adds convenience for commuters, who comprise a large majority of the student body. • Many students use the Riverline as their mode of transportation to classes; having this option has made commuting easier and increases • “I chose Rutgers-Camden because the Riverline makes it an easy commute.” Sociology of Communications

7. University Reputation • When a sample focus group of 13 students were asked why they chose to attend Rutgers, 9 students remarked that the school’s reputation was highly influential in their choice. • Rutgers University is nationally recognized as the premier state college in New Jersey. • “I wanted to attend because they (Rutgers) are considered a ‘good school’.” Sociology of Communications

8. University Reputation • One student chose Rutgers-Camden because of the strength of the academic program he/she was interested in studying. • He/she remarked that RU is a “…good school for criminal justice majors.” Sociology of Communications

9. University Reputation • Rutgers-Camden is a great school, and even more so for the price of tuition. Compared to other schools in New Jersey, RU is the best education for the money. • One student with a similar feeling remarked that Rutgers offers “… a great education without a huge tuition.” Sociology of Communications

10. Transferability of Credits • Of the sample focus group, 5 respondents listed that Rutgers-Camden accepted either all of their course credits, or more than any other school they researched. • One student, who attended multiple schools prior to coming to Rutgers commented: “I chose RU mainly because they transferred 90 credits, combined from St. Paul University and Camden County College.” • “It (Rutgers-Camden) took more credits than any other college I looked into.” Sociology of Communications

11. Transferability of Credits • Rutgers-Camden’s partnerships with local community colleges helps students in deciding to attend. These partnerships ensure that all applicable course credits will be accepted. • One student explained, “I chose Rutgers because the school had a partnership with Burlington County College and they accepted all my transfer credits.” Sociology of Communications

12. Transferability of Credits • In addition to students transferring to Rutgers from a community college, many transfer from another 4- year institution. • With the high cost of education, especially at 4-year colleges, no student wants to learn that the courses they paid for, with loans in many circumstances, will need to be repeated. Sociology of Communications

13. What This Means • Location of the university, the strength of its reputation and the transferability of college credits are extremely important factors to potential students as they decide on a 4-year institution. • While other reasons were provided, the aforementioned were repeated by multiplte respondents. Sociology of Communications

14. What’s Next? • Now that it has been discussed why students choose to attend the university, these points can be stressed to potential students, via marketing efforts, to increase interest and possibly application to Rutgers- Camden. • Conduct a larger, more diverse focus group to see if their reasons for attending Rutgers-Camden are similar. Also ask the focus group how they would advertise the university to illicit more interest. • Take these suggestions and present them to RU Deans and decision-makers. Sociology of Communications