Rutgers-Camden 2011 Forum

[e602]

Well, if you mean "across the bridge" in Philly, than you won't be eligible for in state tuition. Rutgers has told people that they'll grant you in-state status if you sign a lease in New Jersey by the time classes start, so keep that in mind.

There are some very nice towns on the light rail like Collingswood, with reasonable rents, but I think it's a dry town...

Are you serious? I live in AZ, flying up there this weekend for Dean's day. So if I sign a lease before classes start, I can knock $8,974.50 off my tuition? Any truth to this? If so, that may have made my school decision so much easier.

[roleary]

might depend on your age/dependency status.

[roleary]

otherwise, I know this is true for newark... not sure about camden.

[e602]

might depend on your age/dependency status.

Hmm, don't think I'll qualify then, 32 and married with the wifey staying in AZ for a year or so. Still cheaper than a lot of other schools I'm considering.

[roleary]

might depend on your age/dependency status.

Hmm, don't think I'll qualify then, 32 and married with the wifey staying in AZ for a year or so. Still cheaper than a lot of other schools I'm considering.

actually I meant you might not be able to get residence at all if you are under the age of 24 and parents are not residence... If camden Rutgers has the same policy as newark then I am guessing you do qualify for instate through the in state lease deal... I am guessing.

[e602]

might depend on your age/dependency status.

Hmm, don't think I'll qualify then, 32 and married with the wifey staying in AZ for a year or so. Still cheaper than a lot of other schools I'm considering.

actually I meant you might not be able to get residence at all if you are under the age of 24 and parents are not residence... If camden Rutgers has the same policy as newark then I am guessing you do qualify for instate through the in state lease deal... I am guessing.

Sweet, I'll definitely have to find that out Saturday when I'm there. If I can qualify for that, I'll put my deposit down right then and there. I just hate that the three other schools I'm considering still haven't said anything and probably won't until after the 4/15 deadline for Camden.

Thanks for the info roleary.

[drleather]

I'm calling to confirm, but the financial aid lady (not in charge of residency rules, however) said that as long as you have a lease and a driver's license by the time school starts, you'll be ok.

Getting a license should be easy, I imagine. Just filling out forms.

Anyway, I'll check back tomorrow with the residency person and let you guys know.

[e602]

I'm calling to confirm, but the financial aid lady (not in charge of residency rules, however) said that as long as you have a lease and a driver's license by the time school starts, you'll be ok.

Getting a license should be easy, I imagine. Just filling out forms.

Anyway, I'll check back tomorrow with the residency person and let you guys know.

Thanks a bunch for stepping up to do that drleather. Getting in-state tuition is almost as good as a scholarship, without the GPA pressure.

I'll check back tomorrow.

[drleather]

Alright.

I talked to a woman in the Registrar's Office.

The deal is that currently, it stands that if you have a 12 month lease prior to the 2008 school year, you will be eligible for in-state tuition for 2008/2009.

HOWEVER, this may change. Apparently Rutgers New Brunswick (the head Registrar of the University) is mulling a formalized in-state-status determination that would require one to live in New Jersey for one year before being granted in-state.

There's another caveat: the first-year-in-state status might only be available to those people who currently live in NYC and Philly, because they are so close to the schools. Apparently what happened was Rutgers Newark started telling prospective students that they would be eligible for in-state status if they currently lived in NYC. Students started asking R-Camden to match that offer, and they did. Now, the Head Rutgers Registrar is working on finalizing the details. It could go either way, but the woman said that our class should be ok. Still, there's no guarantee.

In other words: call and check every few weeks.

[e602]

Alright.

I talked to a woman in the Registrar's Office.

The deal is that currently, it stands that if you have a 12 month lease prior to the 2008 school year, you will be eligible for in-state tuition for 2008/2009.

HOWEVER, this may change. Apparently Rutgers New Brunswick (the head Registrar of the University) is mulling a formalized in-state-status determination that would require one to live in New Jersey for one year before being granted in-state.

There's another caveat: the first-year-in-state status might only be available to those people who currently live in NYC and Philly, because they are so close to the schools. Apparently what happened was Rutgers Newark started telling prospective students that they would be eligible for in-state status if they currently lived in NYC. Students started asking R-Camden to match that offer, and they did. Now, the Head Rutgers Registrar is working on finalizing the details. It could go either way, but the woman said that our class should be ok. Still, there's no guarantee.

In other words: call and check every few weeks.

Yep, just confirmed it to and they said the same exact thing. We should be okay, but of course that can change.

Here's what you do need:
12 month lease
File a partial NJ tax return next spring even if you don't earn anything
Sign a form that says that you moved to NJ to live and work there.
Obtain a NJ drivers license
Obtain a NJ voters card

The latter two can be done at their DMV

Looks like I just joined the Rutgers-Camden class of 2011. I don't think any of my remaining schools will match that offer.

[TheBigHurt]

I haven't been checking this forum much recently but I am also joining the Rutgers-Camden class of 2011. Right now I am still not sure if I will be at the ASD on Saturday because of a potential work conflict. (I know it's last minute, but it's the nature of my job) What was most interesting was the residency stuff you guys have mentioned.

I live in Delaware currently, but will definitely be moving to either South Jersey or Philly in July. I have always known that I could get in-state tuition for the 2nd and 3rd years if I lived in Jersey during school, but apparently, I can get it for the first year as well?!? What I am also curious about is this discussion of being considered an in-state resident if I live in Philadelphial. I would much rather live in Philly during school. (Closer to friends and better roommate options) Based upon what you guys have learned would I then qualify for in-state residency if I moved to Philadelphia in July as opposed to South Jersey? I will call the registrar about this asap, but wanted to see what you all thought too

Although my decision was made, this has the possibility to be the icing on the cake. Thanks in advance.

[drleather]

Well, call the school for ultimate clarification but...

1) I don't know if Delaware counts. Originally the offer was extended to NYC and Philly residents because they are so close to the two campuses that it was ridiculous to not offer them in-state tuition despite applying from 5 miles away.

2) Either way, if you want in state tuition for any part of your stay, you have to have a New Jersey lease. All in-state offers are contingent upon moving to New Jersey.

[roleary]

Well its official, I sent my deposit to Rutgers Camden yesterday. I am pleased both to have made a decision as well as with the decision I made. I am surely not alone in saying that since November my life has been ever stressful and constantly overshadowed by the admission cycle. Its done now and I am looking forward to the fall at Camden, I feel as though I just took fifty pounds off my shoulders!

[PhillyFanatiKC]

Dean's Day 2008: My Impressions

Getting there: All went well until we got stuck traveling North on 676 because of an accident. We had to take another exit and drive through Camden to get to the law school, rather than the regular way that takes you right there. Needless to say, I got the full Camden experience. However, once I to the campus everything was much nicer. In fact the campus itself is really nice.

Dean and Profs: This was one of the most impressive parts of the day. All of the faculty are extremely talented and knowledgeable in their respective fields. Apparently Rutgers-Camden is second in the nation in judicial clerkships to Yale. They introduced several clinics and pro-bono opportunities. There was a Mock 1L class taught by one of the criminal law professors, who was very enthusiastic and engaging. Nice, and slightly intimidating, introduction to the Socratic method!

Alumni Panel/Federal Courthouse: Rutgers alumni spoke about their opportunities and experiences in the legal field upon graduating. We got to visit the federal courthouse, which is right across the street from the law school. Congressman Rob Andrews and Judge Joseph Rodriguez talked about how valuable a Rutgers degree is both regionally and nationally. It seems as if the alumni are very interested in helping see Rutgers law students succeed, and the network is quite strong all across the Mid-Atlantic region (NJ/NY/PA/DC).

Lunch: Really nice dining hall, and the food was pretty good. Not too much else to say.

Tour of Law Building: Rutgers is expanding from about 90,000 to about 130,000 square feet (not 100% sure of the numbers, but it's something like that). The new building was not completely finished, but they indicated that it will be done by May. The old section of the building is fair, but with the additions it should be very open and comfortable. They are adding several classrooms, offices for clinics and law journals, a lounge/cafe/study area, and a moot courtroom. The total size of the expansion is pretty impressive. It is several times bigger than Drexel, but I don't really have much else to compare it to.

Law Fair: I got a chance to check out some of the student organizations and journals. They have three journals, Rutgers Law, Law and Religion, and Law and Public Policy. There are a few of the standard religious, political organizations, and service organizations. From the looks of it Rutgers seems to lean toward the left, but that is to be expected. Overall, the students were extremely outgoing, friendly, helpful. They said that the atmosphere is not as competitive as some other law schools.

Overall, I'm glad that I chose to come to Rutgers-Camden. If there's any other info that you need about Dean's Day, just let me know and maybe I'll be able to help.

[roleary]

thanks for the deans day overview phillyfanatic, nice to hear since I was MIA.

[drleather]

PhillyFanatic:

Did you catch the question to the Professor on the panel about how he would rank Rutgers-C among the top 100 law schools?

For those not there: We were in a performing arts building with a panel of 4 profs on stage. It was question/answer time, and (as to be expected, though no less irritating to me) all of the questions came from parents.

One of the profs had commented that while the top 10 schools (H,Y,S...) are obviously better equipped and more prestigious, Rutgers could hold its own with the rest of the crowd. He noted the amount of faculty publications and high clerkship rates as evidence. His basic point was "I know USNews is on everyone's mind, but really, if you aren't in the top 10, you have to look at the factors within the numbers, and not the numbers themselves, and Rutgers does very well."

So some parent pipes up and says: "Well, you say we shouldn't pay attention to USNews rankings. So how would you rank Rutgers?" The prof made a semi-sarcastic "I can't believe you're asking this question" type of answer with "Well...Rutgers is Number One!" And then kind of dodged around, saying again that rankings are meaningless and meant to sell magazines. THEN, the parent persisted and asked why he thought Rutgers was better than most schools.

It was just sort of obnoxious and a mindless pair of questions to ask. I just got annoyed with the high level of parental input (on the tours, in the panels, etc...). Your kids are adults, stop hovering. Jesus.

[PhillyFanatiKC]

PhillyFanatic:

Did you catch the question to the Professor on the panel about how he would rank Rutgers-C among the top 100 law schools?

For those not there: We were in a performing arts building with a panel of 4 profs on stage. It was question/answer time, and (as to be expected, though no less irritating to me) all of the questions came from parents.

One of the profs had commented that while the top 10 schools (H,Y,S...) are obviously better equipped and more prestigious, Rutgers could hold its own with the rest of the crowd. He noted the amount of faculty publications and high clerkship rates as evidence. His basic point was "I know USNews is on everyone's mind, but really, if you aren't in the top 10, you have to look at the factors within the numbers, and not the numbers themselves, and Rutgers does very well."

So some parent pipes up and says: "Well, you say we shouldn't pay attention to USNews rankings. So how would you rank Rutgers?" The prof made a semi-sarcastic "I can't believe you're asking this question" type of answer with "Well...Rutgers is Number One!" And then kind of dodged around, saying again that rankings are meaningless and meant to sell magazines. THEN, the parent persisted and asked why he thought Rutgers was better than most schools.

It was just sort of obnoxious and a mindless pair of questions to ask. I just got annoyed with the high level of parental input (on the tours, in the panels, etc...). Your kids are adults, stop hovering. Jesus.

I totally agree. Unfortunately, these parents are probably paying their children's way through law school, so I guess they feel like they are entitled to being obnoxious. Seems like its time to cut the cord, no?

[roleary]

ugh, that does sound annoying. I think that unfortunately the type of "kids" going to law school sometimes (maybe more often then not) come from snooty families with parents that perhaps feel entitled to something beyond what the rest of the world gets, I don't know. I come from a humble family where I am the first even to attend regular non-graduate college and I have been turned off by encounters with other groups of pre-law students and their families by their seeming snootyness...lol. I am guessing this same attitude of superiority exists with many pre-law student's parents who were at the ASD and is probably at least partially responsible for insulting questions, like that about the ranking.
I wonder what the professor you noted meant when he said that they (rutgers) were less "equipped" than the top ten schools? funding?

[drleather]

Well...come on, I mean you'd have to be delusional to think that Rutgers will give you the same opportunities as Yale, Columbia, UVA, etc...

If he had said otherwise, I would have walked out of the building.

[roleary]

Yes the opportunities are clearly different, I would probably walk out also If he said they were not! However saying that Rutgers is less "equipped" than a top ten leads me to think that he would be referring more to something like academically or financially, I personally do not think of a national reputation as something a school is "equipped" with per say... or at least I would probably not use that term when referring to reputation.

[e602]

Well, by equipped he could also be referring to the faculty, which I think gives a school it's prestige. The name doesn't mean anything, it's the faculty. Switch the professors at Yale with the ones at Appalachian St. and I'm sure a degree from Yale doesn't mean much anymore and it's USNEWS ranking drops faster than a stock the day I buy it. I'm sure all of the professors that were on the stage have prepared to answer that question about USNEWS. They are right, USNEWS only does it to sell magazines and online subscriptions. How many of you payed $15 for one month to view their rankings and info online? I did.

The IP professor, Michael Carrier seems to be brilliant in his field. You could tell that he really knows his stuff, at least that's the impression I got. The others were all very intelligent too and very enthusiastic about it. People that were there said they went to the Newark admitted students day and said that the professors there didn't really seem to care too much. They said the day was poorly planned and they didn't feel like the faculty cared if they went there.

I was at the Deans day at Camden as well and concur with all that was stated here. The campus did seem small though, but I think I was expecting more of a major university (the size that would be able to have a football team) with a law school. I think I like Camden more now because it seems as though the Law School might be their main focus.

I was admitted to the Summer Jump Start program and was actually not happy when I was first told, mainly because I live in AZ and have to sell my house and move cross-country in 6 weeks. After hearing that so many people wish they were in the program, I consider myself lucky. I will be mailing my seat deposit off tomorrow and will be joining the rest of the class of 2011.

Go Raptors!!!

[roleary]

I would be happy if I could do the summer program, anything to ease the first year workload! Unfortunately I am not even leaving here until the 28th. I would definitely be grateful if I were you.

[PhillyFanatiKC]

There's a facebook group for 2011 if anyone is interested:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=23128857496

[drleather]

What is the jump start thing? I got an email about it and deleted it because I'm getting married in June, so the summer is pretty well booked already.

[roleary]

I got the email also and just sort of vaguely glanced it over until I saw the start date, I am assuming it is like that which is offered at other schools, you take a few classes in the summer instead of the fall... I think it is also recommended for people who may have been out of school for a while or majored in something drastically removed from legal studies and may need a little prep before embarking on the full time program.