Rutgers Bloustein School admitted student open house 2012 - Thursday, April 5th!

[Bloustein_Open House]

Hello Future Students of Bloustein!


My name is Jorge Santos and I am currently a student at Bloustein (MCRP/MPP ’13). My colleague Sofia Recalde (MCRP '12) and I have started this thread to help welcome the incoming class of Fall 2012.


We hope that this can be a way for incoming students to get to know their future colleagues, friends, and roommates. In years past, Cyburbia has helped connect incoming students with each other and has been responsible for many a roommate success story. We hope you’ll use this space to get to know each other and, of course, post any questions you may have about the program, open house, life in New Brunswick, apartments, or whatever really. We’re excited to meet next year’s cohort and are eager to bring you guys into the Bloustein community.


Sofia and I will be checking in here to see if there’s anything we can help with. Or if you want to get in touch with us directly, feel free to drop us a line at openhouse@policy.rutgers.edu .

We looking forward to meeting all of you here at our open house on April 5th!


See you soon,

Jorge & Sofia

[8hesaid]

Jorge and Sofia,

Thanks for starting this thread and I hope to hear back from Bloustein soon!

-Randy

[Erling12]

I'll be attending! Looking forward to meeting you all!

[Sway.RK]

Thank you for starting this thread! I have been accepted to Rutgers too and I am an International Student but I stay in Tennessee at the moment, so I could possibly make it to the event and I am quite excited to attend the open house! I have a few queries though to the students coordinators:
I am quite interested in the environmental and physical planning since I want to do more of design and policy oriented work in aspects of Land use, transportation and Urban Design as I have a background in Architecture. Do the urban planning concentrations at Rutgers have combined design and policy oriented studios? How are the job opportunities across the United states for internships and after graduation?

Looking forward to meeting you all.

Thanks
Swetha

[Bloustein_Open House]

Thank you for starting this thread! I have been accepted to Rutgers too and I am an International Student but I stay in Tennessee at the moment, so I could possibly make it to the event and I am quite excited to attend the open house! I have a few queries though to the students coordinators:
I am quite interested in the environmental and physical planning since I want to do more of design and policy oriented work in aspects of Land use, transportation and Urban Design as I have a background in Architecture. Do the urban planning concentrations at Rutgers have combined design and policy oriented studios? How are the job opportunities across the United states for internships and after graduation?

Looking forward to meeting you all.

Thanks
Swetha

Swetha,

Studios vary from semester to semester. They usually cover a variety of topics and concentrations. Studios typically consist of an outside client who has a project or or policy question and students, under direction from a professor, produce a professional report and presentation. I'm sure you'll be able to find or help create a studio that matches your interests.

Obviously, the job market is tight right now in general but we are lucky to have a full-time career development specialist for the Bloustein graduate students. Hillary Bardwell works just for our policy and planning students in addition to the career services the university operates. You can contact her with specific questions here: h.bardwell@rutgers.edu and visit our career site here: http://policy.rutgers.edu/students/careers/

Let us know if you have any more questions!

Jorge

[Sway.RK]

Hi Jorge,

Thank you for the information. It was very helpful.
I have a few more queries which have I have e-mailed to openhouse@policy.rutgers.edu

Thank you for taking time to answer my questions!

-Swetha

[isamu]

I'm looking forward to meeting everyone! Also, I'm currently in Hoboken, NJ. Is anyone going to the open house from this area?

[Courtney]

Hi everybody, I’m a prospective MURP student that’s currently living in Oakland, CA. I’m not going to be able to make it to the open house (though I may be able to visit the following week), so I thought I should introduce myself to everyone and share a little bit about myself. I'm originally from a small town in upstate NY, and all of my family lives in South Jersey. I went to the University of Virginia for undergrad, where I majored in Anthropology. This allowed me to explore issues around globalization, gender, and power. It's also what spurred me on to study, work and travel throughout Southern Africa, East Asia, and Southeast Asia (documentary film making with sex-workers on the Botswana/Zimbabwe/South Africa border, teaching English in Seoul, working at a women's shelter in Phnom Penh, etc). Upon returning to the States, I spent one more cold winter in upstate NY and decided to try California I moved to Oakland, where I worked as an AmeriCorps VISTA at a community health clinic (I still work at the clinic today). Though I've had various positions within the organization, I've mostly been working with folks from low-income communities of color to address health disparities created by racial and economic injustice. I also became an apprentice at KFPA, a community radio station in Berkeley (flagship of the Pacifica Network, which produces Democracy Now!). The Apprenticeship Program aims to equip women and people of color with the media production skills we need to tell our own stories, while also providing the space and tools to build community across our diverse perspectives and histories. These experiences are what bring me to planning. I'm most interested in learning about ways in which we can engage traditionally marginalized communities in the planning process through storytelling and other reflective/creative processes, social entrepreneurship, and cross-sector community development. I think the key to effective planning is recognizing the imperative of self-determination, which requires open dialogues, sharing of power, new forms of asset-building/retention/investment, and collaboration amongst various service providers in both the public and private sectors. If any of the current MURP students can speak to these interests and how you think I might be able to pursue them at Rutgers, I'd love to hear from you!

One of the biggest reasons I applied to Rutgers was that it seems to be rooted in real-world practice, and utilized by the surrounding municipalities and community-based organizations. I know that Rutgers professors will be able to provide access to the larger planning world in the New Jersey/New York/PA area, but do you think that I’ll be able to find mentors that will help me hone my capacity to engage with residents in meaningful ways and learn about innovative forms of economic development that aren't based on the traditional models. Can any of the current students confirm my hunch that Rutgers profs are better at working on this in the real world than say more theory-based schools like UC Berkeley, UCLA or MIT (the other programs I’m considering). Do any of you have experience working with them on issues like this in the field? Does Bloustein have a good track record of engaging the community surrounding the university or working with CDC’s, community orgs, residents’ groups, schools, etc? Is the school responsive and inclusive of community needs? What do some of the current community partnerships look like?

On the economic development tip, can anyone speak to the ease or difficulty of taking business classes and/or the integration of innovative business models/forms of finance and investment in planning courses? As I’ve said, I’m very interested in exploring social enterprise as a means of translating the ideas that spring from a collaborative planning process into actionable, community-driven and community-sustained initiatives. Basically, the work I’ve been doing with folks in Oakland has shown me the wealth of ideas and passion that exist in our communities, and we’ve had some success in creating spaces where we can collectively reflect on our experiences and plan for the future, but I really want to learn more about different strategies we can use to generate the financial resources with which to build and support our visions. Are there opportunities to explore these issues (particularly social entrepreneurship and other innovative forms of asset-building and investment) at Rutgers? Has anyone had the opportunity to work with the Center for Urban Entrepreneurship & Economic Development?
I'm also really interested in gaining more skills around conflict resolution/reconciliation and mediation. Does anyone have information about classes or workshops offered at Rutgers that would meet this need?

Also, what are the independent study options at Bloustein? I will be new to the North Jersey community, but I imagine that I’ll find interesting folks doing interesting things, and I would like my graduate school experience to be flexible enough to incorporate them into my studies.

OK, almost finished, I swear! Can current students tell me about the relationships they’ve formed with both faculty and fellow students? Though I grew up in the Northeast, I’ve been in my Bay Area bubble for the past five years, and I’m not too keen on joining a super-competitive environment where folks are out for themselves. Do you feel like students work together well? Does the culture on campus cultivate these kinds of mutually beneficial connections? Are the professors responsive, supportive, and interested in seeing their students pursue their goals and succeed? Are they open to their students’ ideas? I imagine some are and some aren't. Who are some of your favorites?

Finally, as I’ve said, UC Berkeley, UCLA, and MIT are my other top choices and if anyone, current or prospective, has any opinions or experiences with these schools that you'd like to share, I would certainly appreciate your insight

Thanks for making it through this long post and responding with your thoughts. If you want to follow up with me individually, my email address is courtneysupple@gmail.com

Thanks!

[Bloustein_Open House]

Courtney,

I believe Sofia responded to your questions via email. Let us know if we missed anything.

Isamu,

See you on the 5th!

Jorge

[Danai Z]

Jorge and Sofia,

I really wish I could be at the Rutgers Open House as Rutgers M.C.R.P program is one of my top choices. I now just have to be sure that this is the proper program for me. The concentration that I applied is Environmental and Physical Planning and I really want to ameliorate my design skills. In the Design studios what programs do you use? I guess the program is more policy oriented so I want to know more details. Also I want to know about life in New Brunswick. Is there a forum/group/site for Rutger's students so I can learn more?

Thank you very much and I looking forward for your reply.

Sincerely,

Danai

[ChapChap]

Hello,

I've been able to find out that the first day of classes is September 4th, but I just wanted to know if new Bloustein students have to arrive earlier for orientation or anything.

Thanks,
Lizette

[JKosior]

Hi Jorge and Sofia,

Unfortunately I am not able to attend next week's open house, but I did have a quick question that I was hoping you could answer (and share with anyone else who is reading this forum). I am an out-of-state student and wanted to know if graduate students qualify for in-state tuition after their first year. The University's legal lingo is confusing, but this form http://nbregistrar.rutgers.edu/forms/ResidencyAppl.pdf made me think that it was possible to claim residency after the first year, since option (A) is claiming residency as a graduate student. Can you confirm if this is true?

Thank you!
Jacob

[Bloustein_Open House]

Jorge and Sofia,

I really wish I could be at the Rutgers Open House as Rutgers M.C.R.P program is one of my top choices. I now just have to be sure that this is the proper program for me. The concentration that I applied is Environmental and Physical Planning and I really want to ameliorate my design skills. In the Design studios what programs do you use? I guess the program is more policy oriented so I want to know more details. Also I want to know about life in New Brunswick. Is there a forum/group/site for Rutger's students so I can learn more?

Thank you very much and I looking forward for your reply.

Sincerely,

Danai

Danai,

I'm going to try and find out a full listing but I know that students have the opportunity to learn and use PhotoShop, Illustrator, InDesign, SketchUp, AutoCad and ArcGIS.

I'm not aware of a forum or website for New Brunswick. It's a city of about 55,000 people on the Northeast Corridor. We're about a 50 minute train ride from NY Penn Station. Many students either live in New Brunswick near the school or just across the river in Highland Park. I'll try to describe the city a bit for you. You can use this map as a reference: http://g.co/maps/we6g3

The area bounded by the river and Easton Ave (County Road 527) is mainly dominated by undergrads and has what most consider the "heart" of Rutgers, the College Ave Campus. We are located in downtown. Downtown New Brunswick is mainly the area bounded by Albany St, Joyce Kilmer, New St and the Raritan River. There has been a tremendous amount of development in New Brunswick over the last few decades. A large grocery store is going to open by the fall right in downtown. Downtown has many bars and restaurants and is usually pretty active on weekend nights.

I can put you in touch with a current student who can answer more specific questions if you email me at recruit@policy.rutgers.edu.

Jorge

[Bloustein_Open House]

Hello,

I've been able to find out that the first day of classes is September 4th, but I just wanted to know if new Bloustein students have to arrive earlier for orientation or anything.

Thanks,
Lizette

Lizette,

There will be an orientation on the first day of class that all new students are strongly encouraged to attend. Morning and afternoon classes are suspended that day but evening classes will proceed as scheduled at 6:10pm.

Jorge

[MBrendanawicz]

Jorge, I see you're working on a dual degree for urban planning and public policy. I am considering attending Rutgers and I also am thinking about going for a public policy master's as well. Can you speak to some of the advantages of a dual MCRP/MPP degree and where you see it taking you?

[Bloustein_Open House]

Jorge, I see you're working on a dual degree for urban planning and public policy. I am considering attending Rutgers and I also am thinking about going for a public policy master's as well. Can you speak to some of the advantages of a dual MCRP/MPP degree and where you see it taking you?

Sure!

The first thing you should keep in mind is that any dual degree takes more time than just getting one. You need to decide if what you want do would benefit from having the second degree (whether it be MCRP, MPP, MBA, JD, etc) and if it's worth the extra time and money in school.

My own background is in politics and government in New Jersey. In making the transition to a more policy oriented career, I also wanted to get the planning degree. I feel many of New Jersey's challenges come from poor planning practices and believe having both would work best for my own career goals.

You should keep in mind that Bloustein offers a policy certificate for planning students. You can learn more about the different certificates Bloustein offers here: http://policy.rutgers.edu/academics/...rtificates.php

Graduate Certificate in Public Policy (All)
This certificate is a cross-disciplinary graduate program administered by the programs in planning and public policy within the Edward J. Bloustein School. This certificate program is only open to graduate students enrolled in and working towards completion of the master of city and regional planning ( M.C.R.P.) program. There is a symmetrical urban planning certificate available to public policy graduate students.

Hope that helps!

Jorge

[Danai Z]

Dear Jorge and Sofia hi,

I have already sent you an email with some questions to the email address you provide and I am looking forward for your answers. (I really hope my mail wasn't too big because I was really excited to know about the program...) I also want to ask you, as I cannot make it to the Bloustein Open House, if there is any chance to be web-casted live, so the remote viewers will be able watch it too?

Sincerely,

Danai

[Bloustein_Open House]

Dear Jorge and Sofia hi,

I have already sent you an email with some questions to the email address you provide and I am looking forward for your answers. (I really hope my mail wasn't too big because I was really excited to know about the program...) I also want to ask you, as I cannot make it to the Bloustein Open House, if there is any chance to be web-casted live, so the remote viewers will be able watch it too?

Sincerely,

Danai

Dear Danai,

Unfortunately, there won't be a webcast. We can set up an individual tour for you after this week if that could suit your schedule. I'll also check to see if I can get some of the handouts to you digitally.

Jorge

[spytgale]

Hi Jorge and Sophia,

Is there a dress code for the open house? Thanks!

[isamu]

i was actually planning on just wearing a t-shirt and a pair of jeans...

[Courtney]

I, too, was wondering if I could get copies of any materials that were handed out at the open house.

Also, can anyone speak to the likelihood of getting paid internship work, research assistantships, etc with the different faculty and centers at Rutgers?

Thanks!

Courtney

[Bloustein_Open House]

I, too, was wondering if I could get copies of any materials that were handed out at the open house.

Also, can anyone speak to the likelihood of getting paid internship work, research assistantships, etc with the different faculty and centers at Rutgers?

Thanks!

Courtney

Courtney,

Assistanships are handed out as part of a student's award package. There is also the opportunity to receive additional assistantships or awards for your second year. Part-time hourly work is available at the centers. You must ask each center individually if they are looking for part-time help. Of course there aren't enough positions available for all students but many do work for various centers.

Jorge

[merisa]

Hi Jorge,

Is there an internship requirement as part of the MCRP program?

Thanks,
Merisa

[TycoonTitan]

Quick question for Jorge and Sofia: does Bloustein have a deadline for accepting an offer of admissions?

[Bloustein_Open House]

Quick question for Jorge and Sofia: does Bloustein have a deadline for accepting an offer of admissions?

There is no set date for accepting an offer.

Jorge