| Written by Eric G. |
The story of how I made it to Rutgers–Camden probably differs from most college stories, but is pretty interesting nonetheless. In my senior year of high school, I had my heart set on attending a school in rural Pennsylvania. Once I got accepted there, I had no desire to visit any other school, but my mom forced me to weigh my options. Around October, my mom told me that we should visit Rutgers–Camden. Earlier in the year, I applied to all three Rutgers campuses because I was told it was worth having different options if I decided not to attend my first-choice school. I had some reservations about visiting the Camden campus because it was relatively close to where I lived. Regardless, I scheduled a visit to Rutgers–Camden in November. The only thought in my mind on our way to the campus was that it was a waste of time and that I had already made my decision about what school I was going to attend.
We arrived at the school around noon and made our way to the Admissions building where the tour was supposed to start. I immediately noticed how beautiful and ornate the building was and thought that it was pretty cool. We were first given a presentation about the history of the school and all the information needed regarding applying and when the various deadlines were. My decision was still the same during the presentation, but I was starting to become more interested in the school and was excited to see what the campus looked like.
The first thing I noticed about the school was how small it is and that everyone seemed to know each other. Everyone stopped to say “hi” and our tour guide seemed to know everyone on campus, too. I began to like the campus a lot and was starting to question how sure I was about my school decision to go elsewhere.
Our next stop on the tour was Armitage Hall and, still, everyone was talking to each other and being friendly to one another. This was something I did not notice when I visited other, bigger schools and I loved it. We finally made our way to the Business and Science building (BSB). Once we stopped there, I knew this was the school for me. BSB was made to look like you were standing on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. When you looked up, you could see the ticker tape wrapped around the whole building like a snake. It was such an amazing experience seeing that for this first time and it made me realize what a great school Rutgers–Camden could be for someone with my academic interest in business. For being such a small school, it provides so many opportunities—both academically and socially. Once I left the campus that day, I knew that Rutgers–Camden was the school that I wanted to spend my next four years at.
Now, in my sophomore year, I am so glad that my parents convinced me to visit this campus. There are so many great things that a small campus like this can offer. Since being here, I’ve gotten more involved in extracurricular activities, like the Raptor Ambassadors, the Honors College, and Greek life. I feel like this school has given me so much and I am so glad that I made the right decision by to Rutgers–Camden.