Adding on— if you are in state for TCNJ, then tuition is much, much lower than the out of state options like the UCs. The money they save by your staying at TCNJ could fund a masters, which will likely increase your earning power, based on research my CS student has done (at least for the type of jobs he wants).
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My parent’s logic is that if I go to a national university, then my chances of getting into a high-level master’s university would be better.
Tell that person you are not interested in transferring.
Incorrect.
And btw those UCs yiu mentioned, short of Irvine, are regional. Even Irvine is outside of USNews.
You can get a masters no matter where you go - yea from a top school.
You may just want to work though.
Are you currently a freshman or a sophomore?
I’m a sophomore
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So you’ve had a good amount of time to settle into TCNJ and know that you’re happy there.
If you went to Rutgers, you would only be about a 30 minute drive from TCNJ, so you might be able to continue to socialize with your friends.
That seems to be the problem – the OP’s GPA is not that likely to get a prestige upgrade college that the OP’s parents apparently want (beyond the fact that the OP is happy where they are).
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My 26 year old TCNJ graduate makes $100,000+ a year, he got his internship through his business fraternity which lead to full time employment. He really enjoyed his time there.
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I am in the technology fraternity Kappa Theta Pi. My parents went through LinkedIn and somehow found that two graduates from TCNJ worked at six flags. I don’t know where they got that information from. They also don’t care that TCNJ ranked 94 in WSJ 2025 Best Schools List.
https://www.wsj.com/rankings/college-rankings/best-colleges-2025
Can you try to get some information from TCNJ career services about recent graduate’s outcomes in your major?
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Tell the transfer counselor you have zero interest. They won’t want to force u. They will tell your folks.
My parents say that since TCNJ is not a national university, it sucks. TCNJ is on US News’ best regional universities list, not national universities.
https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/regional-universities-north
Again, tell your transfer coordinator.
Your parents are a marketers dream.
My daughter’s school is also on the regional list - and yet draws at a heavy percentage from all over.
There is no national or regional schools per se - it’s made up.
Yes, TCNJ is more the regional type - but in the end, can you get a good job.
Again, tell the transfer advisor you want to stay. If they have any ethics, etc. they will tell your parents.
Or simply don’t apply to other schools - just don’t.
Also - there are many rankings - here’s another - move over Rutgers. The Wall Street Journal uses career outcomes in its methodology - have your parents looked at the US News methodology - this methodology factors in what they are after, you getting a high paying job - the US News one doesn’t one iota!! They look at debt and test scores and publishing, etc. and 1/5 of the eval is peer assesment. Rutgers dean says Penn State is better than Ohio State…I mean, how’s that matter in real life at all? The WSJ rankings on the other hand look at how students do!!!
TCNJ scores high marks in Wall Street Journal college rankings
Posted on September 13, 2024
The Wall Street Journal recently released its 2025 Best Colleges in the U.S. list and TCNJ ranked among the top 20 percent of all institutions in the country.
TCNJ also ranked as the top public college in New Jersey and was second only to Princeton for all institutions in the state.
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When do you meet with the transfer counselor?
Let us know how it goes-- we may be able to offer additional support after you find out what their take is and what they will be advising you.
Best of luck to you!
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So, I met with a couple of college counselors. For now, I’m faking that I want to leave TCNJ and then later in the spring, I will tell my parents no. I am starting research with a professor in algorithms and it’s so stupid that I will have to leave that in a couple of months just for transferring schools.
Why fake - tell them (the counselors) you are already at the right school for you.
And show your parents the WSJ data I put above - which is based on making money, not the things that US News lists…which are not about making money.
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Although it’s really hard as a freshman, see or you can line up a good internship for this coming summer. (Much easier after sophomore and junior year). That should help put your parents fears to rest career wise.
Then solution is simple. Apply at UCs. Do not get accepted and stay where you are.
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Just do not apply to Rutgers. Tell your parents that there is something there you do not like (anything will do). Apply only to top schools that are highly unlikely. Smth like UMICH, CMU etc. And if you are forced to apply to more reachable place you can do luke warm application. You can mention wrong school in essay. You are 100% will not be selected. 
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