<p>I am a Canadian citizen who grew up in America. I applied to four Canadian schools, McMaster, Queens University, McGill, and University of Ottawa. I got into Queens and am waitlisted at McGill, which was my top choice. (Haven’t heard back from McMaster or UofO yet)</p>
<p>The American schools I got into are University of Vermont, Drexel, Rutgers, and Northeastern.</p>
<p>Tuition-wise, Rutgers and Queens are about the same (I live in New Jersey). Queens was supposed to be my backup but it is also far away and from my readings, it is not really, if at all, internationally recognized like McGill is.</p>
<p>There is stigma in New Jersey against Rutgers simply because it is easy to get into (90% NJ students?), therefore not considered a good school.
So my questions are:
How recognized is Rutgers outside of New Jersey? What is its image and prestige?
How recognized is Queens University outside of Canada?
How is the city/town of Kingston, Ontario?
And what do you think I should do?</p>
<p>Thank you in advance, I appreciate any help I can get!</p>
<p>Rutgers is well regarded outside of New Jersey for it’s academic prestige and high research activities. But as for overall image, campus life is not considered to be very great. As for “easy to get into,” the acceptance rate is 54%, so it’s somewhat selective, but not very much so. As with all public universities in the US, it is comprised mostly of people from the state it’s in, but that doesn’t mean it’s easier for them to get into, just that the proximity, scholarship opportunities, and lower in-state tuition make it more appealing to them.</p>
<p>I know someone (an American) who goes to Queens and she loves it, it seems like a great school, but I’d venture a guess that most Americans haven’t heard of it unless they are within higher-education circles (professors, administrators, etc.) With a 40% acceptance rate, it is more selective, although with different education standards between the US and Canada it’s hard to compare it academically with Rutgers. </p>
<p>All I know about Kingston is that it’s a small city, whereas Rutgers is located in a very urban area. The Rutgers is campus is more a part of the city than it is separated from it like most universities, so which sort of lifestyle, big city or small city, you’d prefer, has an impact on your decision.</p>
<p>If you have the time and money to do so, I’d suggest contacting both schools to plan a visit. That’s how you will get your best impression of what the best fit for you would be.</p>
<p>One thing to consider with Queens is that it tends to attract the highest achieving Canadian highschool kids, almost on par with McGill (if you look at the entering averages- a key factor in the selection process for Canadian students). It also repeatedly receives the highest student satisfaction ratings across many surveys/magazine rankings for many years. Very high graduation rate as well. </p>
<p>I don’t know anything about Rutgers but Queens is a very self-contained residential campus, right on the lake, and within short walking distance to the town (so its very pretty). Well known for having a very strong school spirit.</p>
<p>It might not be recognized like McGill to Americans, but that is true for lots of American universities and liberal arts colleges (it really ends up depending upon who you ask but many reputations are quite regional among people on the street or smaller employers). And of course for graduate school it won’t matter- schools will recognize Queens.</p>