Ramapo College of New Jersey

Statistics

Scholarships & Financial Aid

School Says - General Information
Ramapo College of New Jersey is a comprehensive institution of higher education dedicated to the promotion of teaching and learning within a strong liberal arts based curriculum, thus earning the designation "New Jersey's Public Liberal Arts College." Its curricular emphases include the liberal arts and sciences, social sciences, fine and performing arts, and professional programs such as business, nursing, and teacher certification, within a residential and sustainable living and learning environment.

Ramapo College provides academic excellence through its interdisciplinary curriculum, international education, intercultural understanding and experiential learning opportunities. These four pillars, supported by global partnerships established in Europe, Africa, Asia, South America, the Caribbean, and several Native American tribal communities, have become central themes in Ramapo College's excellence in the teaching and learning continuum.

Ramapo College provides students with individual academic attention and social support within a caring, sensitive and intellectually vigorous community. The College provides service and leadership opportunities for students and faculty through a combination of internships, field placements, community service, study abroad, and cooperative education. These opportunities allow students, faculty and staff to encounter the world beyond the campus.

Ramapo College is committed to maintaining strength and opportunity through diversity of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and economic background among faculty, staff, and students. Ramapo College is a selective institution committed to providing equal access to under-represented populations. Barrier-free, the College maintains a continuing commitment to persons with disabilities.

Ramapo College provides a rich living and learning environment through over one hundred student organizations, intramural sports, and intercollegiate athletics. The College maintains a strong positive and economic impact on the surrounding communities by partnering with area communities, corporations, schools, service organizations, and governmental entities, while sharing its intellectual and cultural resources and its facilities. Ramapo College of New Jersey is committed to providing service and ethical leadership through international understanding and the creation of 21st century partnerships.

School Says - Student Body
Arriving on campus amid a scenic summer landscape, students quickly realize that life at Ramapo includes a warm environment blending a diverse campus community that serves as a catalyst for study, friendship and discovery.

There is a firm belief that learning occurs both inside and outside the classroom. Both commuting and residential students have a wide variety of activities, organizations, and experiences from which to choose.

Participation enables students to become more involved with the inner workings of the campus community. Serving together with administrators, faculty members and staff, students play direct roles in planning and implementing a variety of college activities. Whatever the interest, Ramapo has an outlet to match it.

School Says - Academics
At Ramapo, a "liberating" education means students gain the means to acquire the knowledge, skills, abilities, and values to seek both general and expert knowledge and expand their views of humanity in a multicultural setting.

Ramapo's curriculum provides a balance between practical and theoretical knowledge. The curriculum and support programs foster the acquisition of knowledge and skills related to individual programs of study and, ultimately, to future careers.

To strengthen the college background before concentrating on major courses for a degree, students are required to complete an all-college general education program consisting of courses in English, mathematics, the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.

All students are assigned an academic advisor during their first semester, allowing the choice of major to be made midway through the sophomore year (with the exception of Nursing and Biology). There is ample time to explore several fields of interest before selecting a major.

School Says - Admissions
Each year Ramapo College welcomes about 900 freshmen and 700 transfer students, primarily from the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions and from many foreign countries. You may apply online at www.ramapo.edu/admissions/apply.html. Paper applications are available if needed, but electronic submissions are preferred.

Ramapo College practices a holistic review process. Each application is evaluated individually with emphasis placed on academic achievement in high school and standardized test scores. Ramapo College begins reviewing applications September and offers rolling admission until March 1st. While there is no Early Action or Early Decision option, Ramapo College does offer Immediate Decision Day for students meeting certain criteria. Please visit our website for more information.

Scholarships:
Ramapo College of New Jersey offers a variety of merit based scholarships for students who have excelled academically. Scholarship awards include the Academic Achievement Award ($12,000), the Deans Award ($24,000), Provost's Award ($40,000) and Presidential Scholarship ($72,000) and are disbursed over the duration of four years.

Please note all applications received by December 15th are automatically reviewed for our prestigious academic scholarships. As such, all high school seniors are encouraged to apply early.

Applications:
A completed application for freshmen admission includes: high school transcript, SAT or ACT scores, at least one letter of recommendation, application, essay, and $60 application fee. Transfer students are encouraged to review our website for application information specific to the amount of credits they hold and program of interest.

If you have a General Equivalency Diploma (GED), you must submit an official copy of your test scores. Prospective full-time students with a GED are still required to take the SAT. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required of all international students and is recommended for all students who have resided in the United States fewer than four years.

Ramapo College seeks the very best students for its Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) Program. If you qualify, you will join a community of achievers who are supported by a partnership between the college and EOF that is outstanding not only in financial assistance to cover your college cost, but also in personal and academic counseling, career planning, and leadership training. Your admission to the Ramapo College EOF program depends upon meeting our financial eligibility requirements and academic standards.

Deadlines:
December 15th: Biology, Nursing, Lab Sciences, Scholarships*
March 1st: All other programs

If you have any questions, please e-mail us at admissions@ramapo.edu.

School Says - Campus Life
Set on approximately 300 wooded acres with a stunning mountain backdrop, the Ramapo College campus is one of the most picturesque suburban environments in American higher education. Enhancing these tranquil surroundings is the knowledge that the campus is approximately 30 miles from the nation's cultural Mecca, New York City.

A magnificent turn-of-the-century mansion sits among state-of-the-art academic buildings, residence halls, and other facilities. The campus is centrally located near county and state parks, skiing and recreation areas, as well as activities such as riding, hiking and camping. Major highways bring you right to Ramapo's doorstep.

Once on campus, Ramapo's barrier-free facilities make accessibility to all buildings, classrooms, residence halls, dining and recreation areas easy.

School Says - Cost Aid
Undergraduate tuition and tuition related fees are calculated on a flat rate for full-time (12 or more credits) students. Full-time charges are calculated on a flat rate between 12-19 credits. The flat rate amount is based on 16 credits. If a full-time student takes more than 19 credits, the charges are calculated on the flat rate plus the per credit rate. The rates as follows are for the 2010-2011 academic year:

Per Credit Rate/Semester Flat Rate (In-State): $371.05/$5,936.80

Per Credit Rate/Semester Flat Rate (Out-of-State): $614.95/$9839.20

Per Credit Rate/Semester Flat Rate (Qualified Rockland County College Graduates): $493.00/$7,888.00About 40 percent of Ramapo's students receive more than $15 million in aid. This aid includes grants - funds which the students are awarded but don't have to pay back - and loans, which must be repaid. Students also can receive a work-study job to earn money to help pay for school.

Applying for Financial Aid:
To apply for aid at Ramapo, students should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and mail it by March 1. No other application forms are required. By complying with this priority deadline, students will be notified by May 1 about their expected aid package. The FAFSA is usually available from any high school after January 1, or you can call Ramapo's Financial Aid Office at (201) 684-7549 for a copy. Applicants should use Ramapo's school code (009344) when filing.

Transfer students must initiate a school code change on the Student Aid Report (SAR) to ensure that their account will be appropriately credited. Students should begin this process at the time of application. Contact Ramapo's Financial Aid Office at (201) 684-7549.

Students Say - Academics
Ramapo College of New Jersey is a smallish, public, career-oriented liberal arts school on the fringes of northern New Jersey's suburban sprawl. "The classes are small" and students call Ramapo "a great bargain." Business programs are particularly "excellent." Some students like the "hands-on experience" they gain from the required experiential learning components of the curriculum. Other students call experiential learning "a big waste of time and effort." "While watching movies or attending seminars may seem nice to fulfill the requirement, the forced nature of it has irritated many a student," explains an accounting major. The faculty at RCNJ is all over the place. Some professors "have a passion for teaching." They're "dedicated to their students" and "very accessible." "The great professors will blow you away," promises a business major. However, other professors are "dull and incomprehensible." Student opinion really varies when it comes to the administration. "Ramapo runs fairly smoothly," contends an education major. Others disagree. "The school's administration is slightly lacking in terms of service towards their students, but I would assume that is the case in most schools."

Students Say - Campus Life
Ramapo's campus is "very clean" and "in a beautiful and quiet location." "The gym is really nice" and the rooms in the newer residence halls are "huge" and "extremely comfortable." There are "many extracurricular options" and the school "does try to plan things." However, "school spirit is definitely lacking" and "unless you join a club or activity early on, it is very hard to get to know people." The basic problem is that "too many people go home on the weekends." "It's a suitcase college," laments a junior. "It is completely empty here on a Saturday night." Greek life provides an outlet for students who join frats and sororities but "the college goes a little overboard" with "ridiculously strict and severe" alcohol and drug policies. As a result, it's "hard to have fun and party like a normal college kid." Surrounding Mahwah is a "grim town" and "having a car on campus is essential to avoid feeling cut off from the world." If you have wheels, a handful of malls are "within 20 minutes" and there's "an absolutely gorgeous hiking area" just down the road. If you enjoy more urban pursuits, New York City is also reasonably close. "I go often," proclaims a sophomore.

Students Say - Student Body
Except for the solid contingent of international students, virtually everyone here is "New Jersey born and bred." Many students are "preppy" and most "come off as put-together," and are "white, upper middle-class suburbans." Commuters, nontraditional students, and "transfers from community college" make up a good percentage of the student population. Though there are a few girls with "the latest Ugg boots," wearing "Hollister," "makeup and sidebangs," it's mostly "lots of jeans and hoodies" and "hats with pre-frayed brims" at Ramapo, and many students describe themselves as "laid back." The campus tends to be "very clique oriented." "Eating in the cafeteria is almost like eating in a high school cafeteria all over again," observes a junior.

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