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I attend New Jersey City University in Jersey City, NJ for criminal justice. The instructors are great, the coursework is interesting, and they have a buncha internships specifically for this field, including FBI, Secret Service, local agencies etc. They sent me a 5 page list with hundreds of them to pick from, and that's just CJ related. However, the school is not very hard to get good grades at (maybe I'm just smart like that lol, joking) and even though it's a state school and is accredited, I am wondering whether I should transfer to a better recognized school. I heard some people say a degree from a "mediocre" college doesn't amount to much in regards to employers valuing it. I also heard that in my particular field the name of the school will not matter as much as for someone who wants to be some kinda CEO or a Wall St big shot and that internships and exp will play a bigger role. The colleges that I was thinking about transferring to would be Rutgers Newark or CUNY-John Jay.
it depends ... what do those other schools offer in your field?
it sounds like you have some good opportunities with internships and quite probably with interviews etc as your program ends .... which makes it sound like that your program is solid enough in reputation to not hurt you
if those options are really there and open to you then it may be best to be in a situation that you are doing really well in and not worry so much about the overall school reputation for programs that have nothing to do with where you want to go
compare them on metrics that will be impactful to you
it depends ... what do those other schools offer in your field?
it sounds like you have some good opportunities with internships and quite probably with interviews etc as your program ends .... which makes it sound like that your program is solid enough in reputation to not hurt you
if those options are really there and open to you then it may be best to be in a situation that you are doing really well in and not worry so much about the overall school reputation for programs that have nothing to do with where you want to go
compare them on metrics that will be impactful to you
I don't know for sure what they offer, but they should offer something, especially John Jay being a bona fide CJ school. In regards to NJCU, I figure it's not such a bad school if agencies like the above are dealing with people from there, I mean they wouldn't deal with morons in all probability. The opportunities are def there. I don't know if they will end up hiring ME after I am done with my degree or whatever, but I heard many stories of people who did get hired at my school by these and similar agencies. With me though, I doubt that I will touch Fed law enforcement simply because you have to relocate, but that's a different story.
Last edited by OleSchoolFool; 05-21-2012 at 06:29 PM..
I attend New Jersey City University in Jersey City, NJ for criminal justice. The instructors are great, the coursework is interesting, and they have a buncha internships specifically for this field, including FBI, Secret Service, local agencies etc. They sent me a 5 page list with hundreds of them to pick from, and that's just CJ related. However, the school is not very hard to get good grades at (maybe I'm just smart like that lol, joking) and even though it's a state school and is accredited, I am wondering whether I should transfer to a better recognized school. I heard some people say a degree from a "mediocre" college doesn't amount to much in regards to employers valuing it. I also heard that in my particular field the name of the school will not matter as much as for someone who wants to be some kinda CEO or a Wall St big shot and that internships and exp will play a bigger role. The colleges that I was thinking about transferring to would be Rutgers Newark or CUNY-John Jay.
Is it worth transferring or not?
Doubtful that it will matter much for your goals and aspirations.
A woman I worked with at my last job actually graduated from NJCU and I graduated from one of the better schools in the country.
We were doing the same sh@t.
On the other hand, I'm guessing you are probably thinking of going to law school somewhere down the line. If you are, then I would try and transfer to Rutgers New Brunswick.
The most important part about going to a better college is to help with opportunities while in school such as internships. If your school offers internships with places like the FBI it should be pretty good and you'll most likely be prepared for the work force.
If you're happy where you're at I think you'll be ok. If you're unhappy and would like to try something else out, by all means go for it just as long as you aren't taking on extra debt.
I got accepted into CUNY-John Jay, but I am still not 100% whether I should go there or not. I live in NJ, and if I attend JJ, I'll have to deal with heavy commute times 1hr+ on public transportation (buses then subway) from Staten Island, as that's the only NYC borough that fits me. The thing is like I said b4 JJ is a reputable school unlike the one I attend now, which is decent but not well known, however my school offers numerous internships in NJ while JJ I am sure will mostly offer internships in NYC. I think I might wanna live in NJ, cuz its easier and more comfortable, you can drive to work, etc. With JJ, I'll prolly end up working in NYC so I am not sure if that's what I want. I could finish JJ and then still work in NJ I guess, but with NJCU I can already start on NJ internships in the fall and hopefully that will help me get a full time job later in that same agency. Is it worth going to JJ cuz it's overall better and a better known school? I figure people commute to NYC cuz they get better salary than in NJ, but with my field-criminal justice, the salary will most likely be similar, since it's government related so why make commute so difficult if I'll get paid the same. On the other hand, JJ might have access to better paying agencies or companies, since NYC is the center of it all, but I don't know that for sure.
Suggestions?
I personally think everything you do is life depends on YOU. You can’t compare your future goals and accomplishments with Betty Lu that graduated from a state school and never went anywhere because she graduated from such a mediocre school. Many very successful people started and finished their studies at average state schools. Not every CEO in the world went to a prestigious private school. I work for a pretty large corporation, there are managers and supervisors working alongside each other (same title, same pay, same everything) some have private university degrees, some have state university degrees, and some have no degree at all! I think if the school is working out for you and you aren’t drowning yourself in debt you should stay put and finish your degree. When applying for jobs rock that degree, sell it, and build it up as much as you can. A lot of interview sessions are about selling yourself. It sounds bad, but it’s the truth. I graduated from a mediocre state school with a BA in an in Psychology. I sold that degree like no other. Relating it to the industry I want trying to get into. I got the job! So it worked out. You’ll find a way to use your degree without transferring to a more “prestigious” university.
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