Why to pursue a Ph.D. at Rowan University?
A Ph.D. is a long journey that may take 4-6 years to complete. As important as finding the right area of interest and advisor, you should consider why you want to attend that university and live in that city/region. Here is a list of things you should know while considering Rowan University as your academic home.
Rowan is dynamic and fast-changing. The university has re-transformed itself and its region in the past 10 years, changing from a teaching-oriented university to a top research university. Rowan is currently ranked as one of the top 100 public institutions and the third fastest-growing public research university in the US. Rowan is currently classified as an R2 university (Doctoral University - High research activity) and is expected to become an R1 university (Doctoral University - Very high research activity; top-tier research classification in the US) in the coming years.
Rowan is located in Glassboro, South New Jersey, on the northeast coast of the US, only 30 minutes away from Philadelphia, and a 2-hour train ride to New York City and Washington DC (with train tickets as cheap as $10!).
If you are a traveler, there are five major airports nearby. The Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is the closest and offers a good range of domestic (you can fly to Boston for as little as $25) and international flights. Within a radius of a 2-hour train ride from Philadelphia, you can also access a) the Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), b) the John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), c) the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BW), and d) the Dulles International Airport (IAD).
Despite its privileged location and proximity to New York City and Washington DC, Philadelphia is much more affordable while having much to offer in terms of sports (home of the Philadelphia Eagles, the Philadelphia Phillies, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Philadelphia Flyers), art (sure, Rocky, but also many museums), food, and history (one of the country's first cities and the early capital of the US). If you like big cities, living in Philadelphia (or nearby) and commuting to Rowan is very feasible, and many do, including me.
Don't like living in big cities? No problem. Rowan is located in Glassboro, NJ, a typical college town. What makes Rowan-Glassboro unique is that you can enjoy a quieter lifestyle while not being deeply isolated in the countryside. This is a key distinction between Glassboro and many other college towns in the US, where you could be hours away from a big city or airport.
The weather is tempered with four well-defined seasons. You can experience it all: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Even better, weather conditions are not extreme, with mild winters compared to places such as Canada and mild summers compared to places such as Texas. Also, hurricanes and earthquakes are uncommon.