About J&J, I wonder how much of the issue is also with the City of NB and maintaining the economic engine. RU/J&J/NB shouldve hammered this out 100 years ago and RU should be top 25 in everything sports and academics.
How much does the high cost of living hurt Rutgers donations?
- Thread starter ruready4somefootball
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About J&J, I wonder how much of the issue is also with the City of NB and maintaining the economic engine. RU/J&J/NB shouldve hammered this out 100 years ago and RU should be top 25 in everything sports and academics.
Why is it that you, and a few others like you, need to turn so many conversations into "look at how well-off I am!" Unless you represent the entire student body Cured was referencing, your single-person anecdote really means nothing to the greater conversation. So it's you that needs to try again ... and perhaps get enough self esteem that you don't blurt out another highly tangential "look at me" attempt at e validation.
I've seen this statistic bantered about on these boards over time. Is there any data to back this up. As far as I can tell, this isn't something that seems to be reported by Rutgers (or other state universities). Where did this statistic come from? Or is is just something someone made up without basis in fact?
This statistic is based on data from RU that RU was (as of a few years ago) the only flagship state U in the US where the per capita income of students' families was lower than that of the state in general. It's also obvious from looking at the cars driven around campus and other indicia of economic status around the campus. Compare and contrast to what you see at when walking around other major state Us - UF, FSU, Georgia, Wisconsin, even UCF, let alone Michigan, UVA etc. Again how many luxury cars do see in NJ that sport RU logos, etc. - a very small %.
The small size of NJ allows for many kids who can't afford to go away to college to attend RU and commute or work on weekends etc. It is a different demographic than other major state Us and I've been to a lot of them. It's rarely a school of choice for NJ kids with money - just not enough creature comforts or other things that jump out at families with money that makes them say "I really want to go there". This is self-perpetuating since, among other things, in addition to a campus that can be difficult to navigate, upper middle class folks looking at RU find few folks similarly situated economically to them. A major turn off.
Anecdotally, I know upper middle class folks here in Florida (from public and private schools) who have sent their kids to (in addition to the elite state U's) Indiana (multiple), PSU, Ohio State, Michigan State, Purdue (a bit different due to its engineering reputation, but not an elite school by any means) and other out of state, non-elite state Us, but not a single one who has sent their kids to RU. If anyone on this board can provide their own experience on upper-middle class kids from NJ or outside of NJ who choose RU in recent years I'd be very happy to be proven wrong here.
Again how many luxury cars do see in NJ that sport RU logos, etc. - a very small %."
Based on all the car discussions here, there must be entire highways full of them.
Also that number is so irrelevant I'm not sure why you even mentioned it. Isn't a bumper sticker of any kind on a luxury car kind of like a poorly done tattoo on a beautiful woman? We know how our grads feel about those.
Based on all the car discussions here, there must be entire highways full of them.
Also that number is so irrelevant I'm not sure why you even mentioned it. Isn't a bumper sticker of any kind on a luxury car kind of like a poorly done tattoo on a beautiful woman? We know how our grads feel about those.
Comparing the average income of student families vs the state average income doesn't signify that Rutgers has a disproportionate share of first generational students. Aside from that, I don't believe the statistic that Rutgers is the only flagship university where the family income of students is lower than the state per capita income. While NJ has the 3rd highest mean household income in the US (behind Alaska and Maryland), that average includes a lot of low income households with the demographic or socioeconomic makeup that they are unlikely to send kids to a 4-year research university. But even if there are enough rich families who can send their kids to private or OOS schools, that isn't unique to NJ. I'd expect to see the same from other small northeastern states with high family incomes: Maryland, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, or Delaware.
Do you have a link to support your claim?
I think this is another crazy thread showing how crazy Rutgers fans are on this board. Here are just a few colleges that has a much smaller endowment. I don't think any of the fans are worried about donations. Is this question only because of the sports donation?
Endowment
Alabama. 631 millions
Florida State 624 millions
LSU. 692 millions
Arizona. 665 millions
Oregon. 627 millions
Georgia. 939 millions
These schools probably requires larger donations for season tickets for many more tickets. Maybe Rutgers graduate are just the same as other schools. It's hard to compare Rutgers to other Big Ten schools for their larger stadiums and also against the upper crust schools like BC, Villanova, and Lehigh. If you go to one of those schools that cost 60k a year then you really value the school more than Rutgers alumni.
Endowment
Alabama. 631 millions
Florida State 624 millions
LSU. 692 millions
Arizona. 665 millions
Oregon. 627 millions
Georgia. 939 millions
These schools probably requires larger donations for season tickets for many more tickets. Maybe Rutgers graduate are just the same as other schools. It's hard to compare Rutgers to other Big Ten schools for their larger stadiums and also against the upper crust schools like BC, Villanova, and Lehigh. If you go to one of those schools that cost 60k a year then you really value the school more than Rutgers alumni.
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No, I am pointing out that that Cured's constant stereotypes about our alumni and in general first generation college graduates are nonsense and insulting.
Ding!
PS. I think its a riot that some of those with nice/expensive rides (actually any new ride) still have the cheap dealer's plastic license frame on their car...talk about junk/garbage on a nice somewhat expensive item...thats almost worse than any small magnet (don't think most cars have stickers on them anymore...as most items seem to be magnets today)
Why is it bull. Simple math would say that its a factor. Rutger itself is expensive, and the area where most Rutgers grads settle (NJ, the rest of the Northeast, and Cali) are expensive as well. Some of that is made up for in higher salaries, but for most, it just reduces the amount they have to give.
Think of it this way. The OSU grads who end up in high cost areas usually do so because they get high paying jobs. Few people from Ohio are moving to Cali to be teachers or moving to NYC to be librarians. They stay in Ohio and the general Midwest if they want that. But thats not the case at Rutgers. Like every state school, most Rutgers grads stay where they are - that includes the NYC financiers and lawyers, but also the teachers, librbarians, and engineers. And thye all pay the same costs that the highly paid OSU grads do who move to the area.
Also - the whole - well if all of the alumni gave xyz amount is just meaningless. The good states school gets like 25% donations. RU could do much better, but state schools just dont get huge percentages giving. If RU could double up the number to 16% it would be a great showing.
Guess what - I was one of those first generation, commuting to school for part of the time, working while in school people so I am very comfortable saying what I do and have absolutely no apologies. My Dad died when I was 15 and I worked and paid my own way through two RU degrees and an additional one from another school. And I have given back to RU.
I am sure that there are many, many more on this board who are far more well-heeled than I am, but in any event, when the question is raised as to why we are far behind in donations (and I have never started a single thread on that), I contribute my two cents. And if it is offensive to some, I'm very sorry, but my comments are based on facts.
Due to the nature of my jobs, I have had the opportunity to interview on many university campuses and otherwise many hundreds of smart, highly educated young people from all over the country and to work with many of them, including some RU grads. I also worked for the Rutgers Bureau of Government Research while at RU so I know NJ demographics as well as anyone on this board who doesn't do it for a living. I am extremely comfortable that my points regarding RU demographics and its relation to RU fundraising and related issues have a basis in fact and they certainly do not emanate from any position in life that I have other than what I have earned purely with my own efforts.
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That does not jive with the numbers that RU puts out. The demographics of RU have changed substantially. It is not a "poor' school, and it is way more competitive and has more on campus students than the numbers you allude to which are at best quite outdated.
