New Jersey Students’ Favorite Colleges

New Jersey is known for its “brain drain,” as more than half of its high school students typically leave the state for college. Where do they go?

Students heading north often favor Boston University, Boston College, Northeastern University, and University of Massachusetts – Amherst.

New York favorites are NYU, Syracuse University, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Top choices in Pennsylvania are University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, Drexel University, Lehigh University, and Penn State University.

Heading south, New Jersey students look towards University of Delaware, University of Maryland, and Johns Hopkins University.

In Washington DC, popular options are American University, George Washington University, and Georgetown University.

Moving into Virginia, students favor Virginia Tech and James Madison University.

Further south, students look towards NC State, University of South Carolina, Clemson University, and University of Tampa.

Those wanting to spread their wings a bit further often consider Indiana University – Bloomington, Purdue University, University of Illinois -- Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), Ohio State University, and University of Michigan.

The problem with New Jersey students typically applying to the same colleges is that they build up the competition for their peers. Colleges want a diverse student body, so they often limit the number of students they accept from each high school.

High school students should look beyond the colleges that everyone else is applying to and identify those that are the best fit for their talents and interests – especially when they’re not on the radar of the majority of their peers.

Students interested in business should check out Bentley University located in Waltham, MA, just outside of Boston, with a 99% job placement rate. It’s a particularly great choice for females with a Women’s Leadership Program that offers a $10,000 annual scholarship.

Students seeking a great college for engineering should consider Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA. It’s ranked as one of the Top 5 engineering programs in the U.S., where the highest degree is a bachelor’s or master’s, in civil, computer, electrical, and mechanical engineering.

Students specifically seeking aerospace/aeronautical engineering should check out 1st ranked Embry-Riddle University with campuses in both Florida and Arizona.

Students passionate about computer science should consider Marist University, located in Poughkeepsie, NY. Marist has a longstanding partnership with IBM, located in the same city, making it one of the most technologically advanced liberal arts schools in the country.

When planning their future, students should look beyond the colleges filling the Common App of their peers and identify those that are the ideal fit for their specific goals.

Susan Alaimo is the founder & director of Collegebound Review, offering PSAT/SAT® preparation and private college advising by Ivy League-educated instructors. Visit CollegeboundReview.com or call 908-369-5362