The New Jersey Institute of Technology

Ok, the thing about NJIT is it's an engineering school in Newark. That means it attracts your typical science, math, and engineering type and it's in a somewhat dangerous city. Let me address each of these so I can share my take on the campus.

Being a engineering school, NJITs student body is mostly smart kids. I can honestly say that 99% of the people in my major actually have a genuine interest in the field. The pay can be attractive, but there's no way someone could get through an engineering curriculum without a general interest in the material, unless you were a robot. But we make robots at NJIT, so who knows.

Since you'll be taking a lot of major-specific courses, you surround yourself with people in your major, creating a supportive community of colleagues. They've ramped up admissions over the last few years, so the campus getting a lot bigger and almost reminds me of a big, state school at times.

I'm a commuter so I don't really have a social life on campus except the occasional club meeting, but those who do live in or around campus seem to make things fun for themselves. If you look, you can find a lot to do on campus. Frequently, there are guest lecturers and workshops. If you are very motivated, you can volunteer or perform research. Or you can spend all day in the library, which is very popular.

The academics are pretty tough here, especially for me because I'm procrastinating and lazy. But it's very easy to get into the study-all-the-time mindset because that's what everyone else is doing. The professors I've had have all been very good. To make it short, I will just say that, so far, they've taught me more than I thought I could know in a semester.

Again, it's in Newark. I don't really go off campus because I have no reason to, but I hear about bad things happening to those who do, then get lost. There are occasional muggings in the surrounding areas, sometimes on the Rutgers-Newark campus. But all that happens at Columbia, too. That's life in a big city. I've heard a lot of good things about Newark from other students. I just haven't had the time to check it out, yet.

1st Year Male -- Class 2013

Collaboration/Competitive: A, Social Life: C

Yes, there are some pros & cons at this university but overall, if you want to get some good education & a bright future...this is a great place to achieve this goal. I landed a management position once I graduated because my employer recognized the school's name on my resume and knows this is great university, etc.

2nd Year Male -- Class 2006

Campus Maintenance: A+, Collaboration/Competitive: F

The EE Dept is very good. I took courses geared towards IC Design (VLSI) and all the Professors that I came across were smart, very patient and way more than well qualified. The one thing I loved about NJIT EE was that most of the Professors would go out of their way to teach the concepts of their courses to a willing student. After almost 6 yrs of graduation, I am very pleased with the impact NJIT has had on my career. Some advice for aspiring students.. be active on campus. Definitely join student clubs, make contacts with seniors, juniors and people willing to help you and maintain those contacts for Years (yes, years, not months.. dont forget them after you do find a job.. you'll eventually plan to switch). NJIT job placement program and assistance is top-notch. Utilize their help in the best possible way. Plan on attending every single Job fair on Campus. Undergrad is fun, but Grad school is serious business. Just remember, you get less than 2 mins to impress some really smart guy standing at the booth (looking for candidates). They don't expect you to be a genius. They are expecting you to know your subjects that you choose and you study. Work hard and don't let your report see anything lower than a B-.

Alumnus Male -- Class 2000