Rider University Top Questions

I took one class on the Rider campus, and it was like being in high school again. You didn't have to do much work to pass the class, I just showed up and got my coffee fix covered (Starbucks offered on campus = godliness.) Westminster campus, though I admit there are a few gems, is littered with really terrible teachers who have, to my face, admitted that the subject matter was "bs," but they were teaching us a very important lesson of how to do things we don't want to do because our careers will be full of it. You have to be very self motivating, unless you are very lucky to find a mentor that'll talk you through tough times. This feat is very hard. Politics are intense here, so if you're not in good with certain teachers, good luck passing your Vocal Juries on the first try.

I think Rider is the perfect sized campus. I would definitely change the food there and I wish I could make the town a "college town." I would love if there was off campus housing through the school that I've seen at other colleges. I spend a lot of my time in my room with my friends or else I'm in Daly's eating. The biggest complaint... the food.

Rider's strongest claim to fame is Westminster Choir College, something that never gets quite the credit it deserves. It is the only reason people come to Rider from outside the immediate New Jersey area, and despite its music focus, its students in general are much more responsible people and higher academic achievers. Rider has had incidents lately with drinking on campus being an issue, causing the university to supposedly "crack down" on its alcohol policy. However, after the past year of living on campus, I've not seen one shred of evidence of this occuring. Rider calls itself a dry campus despite allowing students who are 21+ to have alcohol in their rooms (thus distributing it among their friends without any trouble) and having an alcohol-serving pub on campus. The Resident Advisors do not enforce the alcohol policy; rather, most of them are in violation of it as well, with the exception of one that I know. Rider's campus is well-maintained and attractive, one very positive thing I can say about it. However, the university is constantly looking for new projects to pour their money into to make their campus more beautiful, while the Princeton campus (Westminster Choir College) gets drastically overlooked. Being the part of the university that draws the most attention for reputable performances and nationally acclaimed events, Westminster should be getting far more money for renovations. I don't simply mean beautifying the exterior of the campus, either, as is the case with most Rider renovations; Westminster's primary recital/concert hall, for example, finally was renovated to meet its fire code this past fall. Scholarship money is also quite unevenly distributed among the campuses. A Westminster entering freshman with an impressive high school GPA and quite high SAT scores might receive 9,000 a year, while a Rider entering freshman with much lower grades, GPA and SAT scores could receive 15,000 per year, a half tuition scholarship. Additionally, the president of the university recently took a large pay raise for himself, making himself one of the highest paid people in this position in the nation, something I feel is completely unjustified after the way he has failed to shape up the school after the alcohol-related incidents as well as something unjustified when we have so many areas where that money is sorely needed. Lawrenceville is not much in the way of a college town, but Princeton is just a short drive or bus ride away, and there is a great deal to do there in the way of entertainment, restaurants, etc. The location of both campuses also provides very easy access to NYC and Philadelphia.

My favorite thing about Rider is the size. We only have 3400 undergraduate students and the campus is small and everything is conveniently located. If I wake up at 9:00 and I have class at 9:10, I can be in my class right on time. Also because the population is small the classes are small and one can really get personal attention. I feel like I know just about everyone on campus. You get really close to your professors as well and they are always willing to help you out. The one thing I would change would be the academic advising here at Rider. Each student is given their own advisor depending on their major who is to assist with course selection and give guidance about the future. However, my advisor has not really been that much help. In essence, the students, faculty, and staff at Rider are one big family. We all know each other, may get annoyed with each other from time to time, but we stick together. If you are looking to have a close relationship with your professors, administrators, and fellow students, Rider is the place for you.

For me, Rider is the perfect size. Its big enough where you feel like your at a college, but its not too large where you are just a name on a paper. The teachers and staff here are genuinely interested in you, they are available to help you whenever you need it. There are programs on campus that are there to help you succeed in your classes. Those things are important when your attending a school. Most time is divided between, homework & friends. How much you like Rider really depends on how much you get involved, find a club that interests you and get started! The main complaints about Rider would probably be the Alcohol policy, in the past year Rider has gone through a rough patch. Changes were made to ensure the safety of the students, and unfortunately some people are very unhappy. If you choose to drink, there are ways around the policy - and if you choose to party off campus there is now a safe-ride program - so don't drive home.