One of the top-ranked liberal arts schools in the northeast - for a reason. Nothing beat's TCNJ's small class sizes, professor interaction, and community feel. I couldn't see myself anywhere else.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
If you're looking for a good-sized school with intelligent students and a real family feel, where you have small classes and can really get to know your professors, look no further. If you're looking for a big school, large classes, tons of parties and fun things to do off campus, then TCNJ may not be the best fit.
Do you find there’s enough academic rigor at your school?
I graduated 2nd in my high school class, and I am an honors student at TCNJ. I'd say classes are just right - challenging, but not overwhelmingly difficult. My classes have been fairly rigorous in terms of the amount of work required (readings, studying, essays, etc.) but the content isn't too difficult. As long as I work hard, I can keep up. Professors are usually pretty helpful, and are always available when necessary.
Describe the dorm life at your college.
During freshman year, TCNJ works hard to create a close-knit atmosphere. Your freshman hall floor becomes your second family and it's a ton of fun, especially during orientation (welcome week). Everyone's doors are always open. Most freshmen live in the towers - two, ten-story dorm buildings with about 50 people per floor. Honors students can live separately in a different dorm, which I did and found to be just as fun as the towers. TCNJ is a dry campus, so there are no dorm parties. Sophomore year isn't quite as fun - people tend to room with their friends, and doors are kept closed. Definitely not the family atmosphere you create during freshman year. Juniors and seniors tend to live in houses off campus, or in campus apartments or townhouses.
Describe the food and dining at your college.
TCNJ has one main dining hall that's open for all three meals. The food isn't terrible (sometime's it's great!) and there are a lot of options, but it does get boring rather quickly. Sometimes the dining hall has theme nights which are actually pretty fun. Between 11AM and 1:30PM students can visit 3 or 4 different locations and use their points to buy lunch. Points can be spent at any time, but during these special lunch hours each student gets a free $7.50, and points aren't subtracted from their account. Our library has a cafe that serves Starbucks coffee. Personally, I wish we had a few more dining options - sometimes lines in the dining hall can be very long!
What’s there to do for fun at your college?
The town of Ewing isn't much for a fun time. Students generally attend campus events or frat/sport/club parties on the weekends. There are a few bars in nearby Trenton that upperclassmen go to. Downtown Princeton, Quakerbridge Mall, and other shopping centers are less than 20 minutes from campus. Freshmen without cars can take the free loop bus to these places. Philadelphia is also only about 30 minutes away from campus, and the school provides trips to fun places on the weekends. In terms of sports, TCNJ is D3 and no one is very interested or involved in sports. We don't have big games where everyone attends. TCNJ is definitely not a big sports or party school, but there is plenty of fun if you look for it. As with any school, it pays to get involved ASAP. If you join a club, sports team, or Greek organization, you'll always have something to do.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
Wonderful academics for half the price (or less) of prestigious private schools. I don't see a reason why anyone, especially those who are state, wouldn't come to TCNJ! I feel that I'm really getting a great quality education at TCNJ. Class sizes are usually no more than 30 students. The school doesn't even physically have any lecture halls. This provides students with the opportunity to get to know their classmates and professors well, which in turn opens the door to many opportunities they wouldn't get at a larger school. For example, I started doing research with a professor during freshman year, and I am now manager of the research lab - unheard of at larger schools! We also have no TAs - all classes are taught by professors. I personally have not had a single professor that I've disliked.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
One TCNJ tradition is for students to jump into the fountain in the science complex before they graduate! There is also a hot spot - it is a piece of the sidewalk that is warm because of pipes that run underneath it and is a fun hangout spot late at night in the early fall and spring.
Which types of students will excel at your college?
Students at TCNJ are generally work hard, play hard. The majority of people I've met at TCNJ are incredibly smart and dedicated to their schoolwork, but also like to go out and have some sort of fun on the weekends.
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
TCNJ has quite a few clubs and activities to join - look for them all at the activities fair at the start of the school year. As I said before, it pays to be involved. As long as you're involved in something, you'll always have friends and fun activities to do.
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
A little less than half of TCNJ students are involved in Greek life. I am personally not involved, but I have friends that are. My Greek friends absolutely love it, and my non-Greek friends are equally okay with not being Greek. There are certainly benefits to going Greek, but at TCNJ I feel no pressure to join like there is at other schools. Greeks and non-Greeks are generally friends. As with any school, some frats and sororities come off as a bit superficial and cliquey. But for every one of those, there is a frat or sorority that really works hard to give back to the community and do positive things. Each has its own reputation. Greeks at TCNJ will tell you that it's a huge time commitment - don't join unless you can keep up with your school work while going out to party at least 3 nights per week, as well as attend meetings and philanthropy events. I sometimes feel like most of the nightlife happens through Greek life - you have to be Greek or at least know someone who is Greek in order to get into parties. However, I have no regrets not going Greek myself and can find plenty of fun.
How would you describe campus safety? Do you feel safe on campus?
Some people are turned off by the fact that TCNJ is close to Trenton. However, TCNJ is nowhere near the city and is located in the residential community of Ewing, surrounded by houses. The campus is public but very enclosed. It has a real campus feel. I feel comfortable walking through campus alone and have walked with friends alone at night feeling perfectly safe. We often go on walks through campus and the surrounding neighborhoods. Sometimes we walk to parties off campus, although frats are generally good about providing safe rides to and from their houses in order to avoid this. Students are signed up for text alerts from campus police in the vent of anything concerning.
One of the top-ranked liberal arts schools in the northeast - for a reason. Nothing beat's TCNJ's small class sizes, professor interaction, and community feel. I couldn't see myself anywhere else.
If you're looking for a good-sized school with intelligent students and a real family feel, where you have small classes and can really get to know your professors, look no further. If you're looking for a big school, large classes, tons of parties and fun things to do off campus, then TCNJ may not be the best fit.
I graduated 2nd in my high school class, and I am an honors student at TCNJ. I'd say classes are just right - challenging, but not overwhelmingly difficult. My classes have been fairly rigorous in terms of the amount of work required (readings, studying, essays, etc.) but the content isn't too difficult. As long as I work hard, I can keep up. Professors are usually pretty helpful, and are always available when necessary.
During freshman year, TCNJ works hard to create a close-knit atmosphere. Your freshman hall floor becomes your second family and it's a ton of fun, especially during orientation (welcome week). Everyone's doors are always open. Most freshmen live in the towers - two, ten-story dorm buildings with about 50 people per floor. Honors students can live separately in a different dorm, which I did and found to be just as fun as the towers. TCNJ is a dry campus, so there are no dorm parties. Sophomore year isn't quite as fun - people tend to room with their friends, and doors are kept closed. Definitely not the family atmosphere you create during freshman year. Juniors and seniors tend to live in houses off campus, or in campus apartments or townhouses.
TCNJ has one main dining hall that's open for all three meals. The food isn't terrible (sometime's it's great!) and there are a lot of options, but it does get boring rather quickly. Sometimes the dining hall has theme nights which are actually pretty fun. Between 11AM and 1:30PM students can visit 3 or 4 different locations and use their points to buy lunch. Points can be spent at any time, but during these special lunch hours each student gets a free $7.50, and points aren't subtracted from their account. Our library has a cafe that serves Starbucks coffee. Personally, I wish we had a few more dining options - sometimes lines in the dining hall can be very long!
The town of Ewing isn't much for a fun time. Students generally attend campus events or frat/sport/club parties on the weekends. There are a few bars in nearby Trenton that upperclassmen go to. Downtown Princeton, Quakerbridge Mall, and other shopping centers are less than 20 minutes from campus. Freshmen without cars can take the free loop bus to these places. Philadelphia is also only about 30 minutes away from campus, and the school provides trips to fun places on the weekends. In terms of sports, TCNJ is D3 and no one is very interested or involved in sports. We don't have big games where everyone attends. TCNJ is definitely not a big sports or party school, but there is plenty of fun if you look for it. As with any school, it pays to get involved ASAP. If you join a club, sports team, or Greek organization, you'll always have something to do.
Wonderful academics for half the price (or less) of prestigious private schools. I don't see a reason why anyone, especially those who are state, wouldn't come to TCNJ! I feel that I'm really getting a great quality education at TCNJ. Class sizes are usually no more than 30 students. The school doesn't even physically have any lecture halls. This provides students with the opportunity to get to know their classmates and professors well, which in turn opens the door to many opportunities they wouldn't get at a larger school. For example, I started doing research with a professor during freshman year, and I am now manager of the research lab - unheard of at larger schools! We also have no TAs - all classes are taught by professors. I personally have not had a single professor that I've disliked.
One TCNJ tradition is for students to jump into the fountain in the science complex before they graduate! There is also a hot spot - it is a piece of the sidewalk that is warm because of pipes that run underneath it and is a fun hangout spot late at night in the early fall and spring.
Students at TCNJ are generally work hard, play hard. The majority of people I've met at TCNJ are incredibly smart and dedicated to their schoolwork, but also like to go out and have some sort of fun on the weekends.
TCNJ has quite a few clubs and activities to join - look for them all at the activities fair at the start of the school year. As I said before, it pays to be involved. As long as you're involved in something, you'll always have friends and fun activities to do.
A little less than half of TCNJ students are involved in Greek life. I am personally not involved, but I have friends that are. My Greek friends absolutely love it, and my non-Greek friends are equally okay with not being Greek. There are certainly benefits to going Greek, but at TCNJ I feel no pressure to join like there is at other schools. Greeks and non-Greeks are generally friends. As with any school, some frats and sororities come off as a bit superficial and cliquey. But for every one of those, there is a frat or sorority that really works hard to give back to the community and do positive things. Each has its own reputation. Greeks at TCNJ will tell you that it's a huge time commitment - don't join unless you can keep up with your school work while going out to party at least 3 nights per week, as well as attend meetings and philanthropy events. I sometimes feel like most of the nightlife happens through Greek life - you have to be Greek or at least know someone who is Greek in order to get into parties. However, I have no regrets not going Greek myself and can find plenty of fun.
Some people are turned off by the fact that TCNJ is close to Trenton. However, TCNJ is nowhere near the city and is located in the residential community of Ewing, surrounded by houses. The campus is public but very enclosed. It has a real campus feel. I feel comfortable walking through campus alone and have walked with friends alone at night feeling perfectly safe. We often go on walks through campus and the surrounding neighborhoods. Sometimes we walk to parties off campus, although frats are generally good about providing safe rides to and from their houses in order to avoid this. Students are signed up for text alerts from campus police in the vent of anything concerning.