Caldwell University

I went to a good high school, got good grades for the most part, and did well above average on my SAT. If this sounds like you, this school will not academically challenge you. I came to this University for a sports program and an academic scholarship that allowed me to go to school for close to free, so I took it. I don't necessarily regret it, because Caldwell feels homey and I like my friends, but I wish that it would be possible for me to sit in a class discussion without wanting to roll my eyes every five minutes. The assignments and course load are incredibly easy as well. In one of my courses this semester, we spent about half the class watching youtube videos; I can do that at home. However, you do definitely get to know your professors and classmates really well. I think this does make it easier to understand material if you were to be confused about something because there are no barriers to asking questions in a class with 12 other students. The social scene definitely depends on who you know, but it's fun if you know how to make it fun. A lot of kids go home on the weekend, but there are usually a couple parties or the bar on Bloomfield. I'm not telling anyone to purchase a fake ID, but if you don't have one, you will wish that you did. There is some Greek Life, but I don't know much about it. I think they party at other schools that have Greek Life. They seem nice though. Also, Residence life is overpriced and has far too many nonsensical rules. My advice is to live off campus with friends as soon as you can. It's much cheaper and more fun. Also, it's really important to be outgoing and make friends at orientation. A lot of times, those friend groups don't change too much after that, as strange as it sounds.

Lacking college experience, to say the least. There are no academic standards here! It's sophomore year of high school over and over again and I've taken their most rigorous curriculum in my time here. I'm talking 300 and 400 level courses as a freshman. I came to Caldwell University because my mom had just died and I was emotionally unstable and I needed somewhere easy to go to and it didn't hurt that it was free. Did well my first semester, 4.0 which doesn't matter since the academics are complete bs, but I came back my second semester disillusioned and depressed - was finally dealing with my mom's death. I did poorly in my second semester because of the previously mentioned depression - I had a 2.6! I went to my therapist and psychiatrist, got all of the notes/forms/documentation together, and qualified for a medical withdrawal on the basis of mental health. The health office said I was accepted for a medical withdrawal! It was rejected by the administration - the dean of student affairs rejected it. I went to the vice president of academic affairs to appeal and she told me to my face that "you chose not to come to class." It wasn't depression apparently as a response to my grandmother dying in a country where I couldn't visit her to say buy about a year after my mom's death apparently. That's how she phrased the rejection to my appeal of the initial decision. Now, I knew I was stuck here which was their plan all along, I'm convinced. I was in the transfer trap where your GPA is screwed so you can't go anywhere. So, I stayed for a third and last semester and put in a transfer app. to Rutgers NB. I got rejected on the basis of one D on my transcripts. They have an institutional policy of not letting you in if you have a D in the last 12 credits you've earned. I went to the Rutgers admissions officers and pleaded my case - they realized it was ridiculous to reject my medical withdrawal that semester. They graciously let me in and I will be starting off my fourth semester at Rutgers New Brunswick. I'm now worried that my one-and-a-half year hiatus from actual schooling will tank my grades coming this spring. I'm also going to have to pay around seven thousand bucks to retake the credits as to not destroy any chance I have at an actual graduate school. I put in the time in high school, studied my ass off, got into Duke and a bunch of other great schools. I figured two years at a crap institution and I can transfer back into a school I wouldn't be ashamed to be associated with. Caldwell University ruined my life to a certain degree. I lost a year and a half of it because of going here. All I have to show for it is dark circles under my eyes, being out of shape, and not having any friends because I'm generally pissed off whenever I have to be there which is often since they have a mandatory attendance policy that lowers your grade by a letter grade for each absence beyond two. I could not show up to class and get an A is what I'm saying here people but I have to show up and listen to lousy professors ramble on and on. The international students get the worst of it. They're screwed for more reasons than I'll ever be just because they're getting out with no actual degree, just empty promises and a piece of paper not worth its own weight. People, don't make the same mistake I did! It's a waste of time, effort, brainpower, and money to go here. Go to a community college for a semester or two and transfer out from there. This is where dreams go to die. This is where they take kids who qualify for a lot of financial aid, give them the illusion of an education, an alumni network, prospects for a job, or any hope of being successful. In the interest of honesty, a few kids to go to good grad schools every year. But, you shouldn't throw hundreds of kids under the bus for each year and pride yourself on the success of a few. I'm no longer bound to this school - I got out. I still have to come back and retake the courses I messed up in - 10 credits in total - to salvage my chances at a decent graduate school, but at least I don't have to ever take shit from another uppity faculty member who full well knows what institution this is and instead treats the sane students who reject the premise that you have to respect them while they perpetuate this nonsense. This turned out into more of an angry rant, but the moral of my story and a dozen other stories of kids who've gone here is - DO NOT GO HERE! Please, no matter how much money they give you, no matter what they say, realize that sacrificing your future for a bit of debt is not worth this. Save yourselves! Don't do what I did!

I attended Caldwell University for my freshman year and having experienced Rutgers New Brunswick I can say definitively that Caldwell University is the worst academic, social, and cultural experience I could have asked for. There are no academic standards, the food is repeated every day, the professors aren't able to teach effectively and the student body is equally disinterested in learning. I went there on a full-ride expecting to have a complete college experience but found that instead, I'd be reliving junior year of high school. After I realized this, it took about a semester, I stayed another semester to bolster my application for transferring, I didn't do well in high school, and got out. Trying to make it at Rutgers was difficult because the students at Rutgers had been offered an education that was to the level of a postsecondary institution while I was in high school for an extra year. I did poorly my first semester at Rutgers but have since been able to claw myself up to an actual postsecondary institution's standards. My advice to you is don't attend here no matter how much money it saves you or how they try convince you. It's the worst college experience you could ask for and it won't land you a job because of the school's terrible reputation!

Caldwell university is great I am a commuter and still feel like I’m part of the school. The teachers are extremely helpful and the classes are not overcrowded where your just a number. Teachers usually have office hours set for when one needs help and Caldwell has a great tutoring program available as well as writing workshops. The campus itself is not huge which is great so you do not feel like your rushing to every class, There are a lot of clubs and events throughout the school year for the alumni to socialize. Caldwell University is a very diverse school with international student from all over the world. Caldwell has many career options from nursing to even art therapy which is what I have chosen. They have one of the best art therapy programs in the country. The advisors are great and there to guide you to the right career path. Overall Caldwell is the place you want to go to if you want to achieve your career goals.