Merit Scholarships at TCNJ

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One of the most popular questions that we are asked in the Office of Admissions is about merit scholarship programs. Each year, The College of New Jersey offers an exceptionally large number of merit-based scholarships. Approximately 55% of the students who enrolled in the TCNJ Class of 2014 received some type of merit award. At TCNJ, we have two different merit scholarship programs: one for our in-state applicants and another for our out-of-state applicants. Please direct your attention to the category that you fall in!

In-State Merit Scholarship Program:

At The College of New Jersey, all New Jersey residents that are accepted are automatically considered for a merit-based scholarship. We don’t need you to send us any additional information whatsoever! Our decisions for merit-based scholarships are going to be based primarily on SAT or ACT scores and class rank. However, a number of other factors are also considered – including co-curricular involvement and leadership. The average accepted student last year fell within the top 10% of their class and have a Critical Reading and Math combined SAT score of 1300 (ACT composite score of 30). We are looking for our merit scholars to achieve or excel those averages. Last year, we awarded from $1,000 per year to $6,500 per year for eight consecutive semesters of study at TCNJ. More often than not, you will hear if you’ve received a merit scholarship in your acceptance letter. There is a chance, however, that your merit scholarship decision will come two to three weeks after your acceptance. The College of New Jersey also gives its in-state merit scholars the opportunity for additional need-based aid. We need students who want to be considered for need-based aid to submit their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) no later than February 15th. More information can be found at http://www.tcnj.edu/~admiss/freshmen/merit-in.html or by contacting Jay Jacobs (jjacobs@tcnj.edu) or Katherine Miklosz (miklosz@tcnj.edu) or by calling our Scholarship Hotline at (609) 771-3239.

Out-of-State Merit Scholarship Program:

Out-of-State students have a slightly different process when it comes to merit scholarships. First, we do ask out-of-state students to apply for merit-based scholarships after they have been accepted by the institution. The application will be mailed shortly after your acceptance packet. The application consists of three short-answer questions. We also ask for the students’ most updated extra-curricular resume, and we encourage students to send their most up-to-date transcript as well. While academic performance is the primary consideration--typically, out-of-state scholarship recipients have been in the top 10% of their high school class with an average SAT score of 1250 (ACT of 28) or higher--TCNJ is also looking for students who show talents beyond those criteria... students who intend to actively contribute to both the academic and social community on campus. We are very pleased to be one of the few public institutions to offer merit scholarships to high academic achievers from outside our home state. More information can be found at http://www.tcnj.edu/~admiss/freshmen/merit-out.html or by contacting Matt Middleton at middle2@tcnj.edu or over IM at TCNJLI.

All merit scholarship decisions are final on May 1 and do include some stipulations while attending TCNJ including:

• Awards to students named New Jersey Bloustein Scholars are INCLUDED in TCNJ scholarship award amounts
• Students who receive a merit award are strongly encouraged to complete and file the FAFSA no later than March 15th
  
• High School class rank is required for all students wishing to be considered for merit scholarships. If your high school does not publish class rank, the Office of Admissions will contact your guidance counselor for your percentile
• The writing section of the SAT will not be considered for scholarship purposes
• Scholarships are awarded for eight consecutive semesters of study at TCNJ, and students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of a 3.0 to continue receiving their award

TCNJ does offer other scholarships that include other factors as well as merit. Some of these include ROTC, Community Service, and specific departments. To see descriptions of these and to see if you qualify, please visit http://www.tcnj.edu/~admiss/freshmen/merit-other.html

Applying Early Decision at TCNJ

Early Decision Video... by Rob Buonocore

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The Early Decision Deadline is Approaching… by Christine Kucha

There are two ways a prospective student can apply to The College of New Jersey: through General Admissions and Early Decision. Today we are going to talk about Early Decision.

Early Decision is the only early admission program offered at TCNJ (we do not have Early Action). By applying Early Decision, the student is entering into a binding agreement with TCNJ meaning that if the student is accepted through the Early Decision program they MUST attend The College of New Jersey. The Early Decision Deadline is November 15 (music majors November 1).

When trying to decide if Early Decision is right for you, there are two main deciding factors to consider. First, Is TCNJ 100% your top choice? Because Early Decision is a binding agreement you are expected to withdraw all other college applications you submitted if accepted to TCNJ. Only apply Early Decision if you know TCNJ is the “right fit” for you. Second, Is your financial aid package and the scholarship amount received going to play a role in your final decision on where to attend college? Early Decision students will be given the same consideration for merit scholarships and need-based financial aid as those applying General Admission, but understand that your financial aid package to TCNJ will not be available to you until March. So, if where you attend college will be partially based on who gives you more scholarships and financial aid then General Admission will be the better option for you.

With that being said, Early Decision is a great option for many applicants. By applying Early Decision, you will have an admissions decision by December 15, so if accepted the stress of college applications will be over and you can enjoy the rest of the year. I hope this has helped!

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Christine Kucha graduated from Hartwick College in 2006 with a degree in Business Administration and Psychology. While at Hartwick she worked at a Blue Key Ambassador. Christine joined the Admissions Office at The College of New Jersey in 2007 as the Out-of-sate Counselor for Connecticut and Massachusetts. She is also currently enrolled in TCNJ’s master program for Counseling.

Rob Buonocore - graduated from TCNJ in 1996 with a degree in Business Administration and a concentration in Interpersonal Communications. Rob is currently the Director of Admissions - Operations and Technology.

Transfering to Another College

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So, you thought you had enrolled in the “perfect” school… But then you realized that some aspects of it may not have been so perfect after all… Well, what are your options? Have you ever thought about transferring to a different college?
Many students transfer from one college to another for many different types of reasons. The most common reason why students choose to transfer to another college is because they are unhappy with their current college. Sometimes students’ experiences at their original college are not consistent with the expectations that they had of that college. Perhaps the college campus was too big, or the class sizes were too large. Or perhaps the college was just too expensive. There are a multitude of reasons that a student may be unhappy about their college.

Another very common reason that students transfer is because an academic major or interest may not be available, or perhaps not as strong. Often times, undergraduate students begin college pursuing one academic major, only to decide to pursue a different academic major after a few semesters. What happens if this new major or interest is not available at the college? Or worse yet, perhaps you just discovered that there are no faculty on your campus who have a particular expertise in that new field you have just chosen. Students then may considering transferring to an institution that has that program of study and faculty that are experts in that field.

Students who attend 2-year colleges offer a whole new explanation for transferring. Most two-year colleges award the Associates in Arts and the Associates in Science degrees upon completion of academic requirements. If a student is interested in continuing their studies toward the Bachelors degree, then they have no choice but to transfer to a 4-year school that offers the Bachelors degree.
There are some things to keep in mind when transferring however. First, you should definitely find out as much about the college of interest as possible, particularly if you are transferring to the new college because you are unhappy or dissatisfied with your current college. You would want to avoid leaving one unfavorable situation and landing into another situation that’s even more adverse. Also, you need to make sure that the new college has your academic program of interest, as well as faculty that can prepare you for success in that discipline. Ultimately, you should visit that institution to make sure that: 1) you are comfortable with the campus, 2) you are comfortable with the faculty and staff, and 3) that the campus community feels right to you.

As a prospective transfer student, it is also important to find out if that institution accepts transfer students. Institutions that have transfer departments and transfer services typically do a better job ensuring smooth transitions for transfer students. This typically means that there is more support for transfer students and creates better opportunities for students to be successful at the new institution. As a public, state institution, The College of New Jersey does accept transfer students from New Jersey community colleges, as well as transfer students from other 2- and 4-year colleges.

In addition to ensuring that the new college accepts transfer students, it is equally important to determine if the new college accepts the transfer credits. Some states, like New Jersey, have simplified the transfer credit equivalence process, via New Jersey Articulation Services (www. Njtransfer.org). Particularly useful for students transferring from New Jersey Community colleges, NJ Transfer allows students the opportunity to learn which of the courses will transfer to The College of New Jersey even before they apply. Moreover, unlike some of our competitor institutions, if a student applies to TCNJ as a transfer student, and is admitted, included in his or her admission materials will be a review of all the credits that will be successfully transferred to The College. The more informed a student is about the transfer of credits, the better the opportunity for them to make a more informed decision about whether transferring to The College of New Jersey is the right choice for them… We certainly hope it is!

And since we are speaking about transfer credits, it is important that we mention the official college transcript. Most, if not all, colleges will require students to submit official college transcripts if the student wishes to be consider for transferring to that college. Some admissions offices will even request the high school transcript as well. The college transcript reports to the prospective college, the courses that you have taken, the credits you have earned, and your performance – by grade and GPA – in those courses. Naturally, it is extremely important that if you intend to transfer, that you work hard to demonstrate a strong academic record to increase your chances of being admitted. In many cases, the college transcript will weigh most heavily in the decision to accept a student as a transfer student into that college. Although The College of New Jersey requires both the official high school transcript and the official college transcript(s), we will typically give more consideration to your college transcript if you have completed several semesters of coursework.

In closing, the last point I will make is the suggestion to students to be mindful of transfer application deadlines. Often, institutions that admit transfer students will have a Fall admissions cycle and a Spring admissions cycle – unlike the traditional fall-only freshmen admissions cycle. Because of these two cycles, you may want to familiarize yourself with the various deadlines, not just for the application itself, but for any other necessary and supporting documentation that you wish to have reviewed by the Admissions committee. Keep in mind, the most important part of being reviewed for admission to any college as a transfer student, is to make sure that your application has been submitted for the committee to review it!!!

Kevin Ewell

Kevin Ewell has worked at The College of New Jersey for 4 years. Currently, Kevin serves as Assistant Dean of Admissions and Transfer Counselor. In addition to directing transfer admissions, Kevin also coordinates non-matriculated applications and re-admission applications. Kevin has over 10 years of experience in Higher Education having worked professionally in Student Life, Residence Life, Academic Affairs, and now, Admissions. Kevin graduated from Rutgers University with a B.A. in Psychology and a Masters in Educational Theory.

Writing the College Essay

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I know from both personal experience and from speaking with high school students that one of the most stressful portions of the college application is writing the essay. Two of the most often asked questions concerning the essay are 1) What is the purpose of the essay? and 2) Do you even read it anyway? To answer the first question I must first answer the second… YES! We very much read each essay that is submitted and take it into consideration when making an admissions decision.

Purpose…

The purpose of the essay is not as obscure as you might think. Because we are unable to personally meet even a small percentage of students who apply, your essay acts as an introduction of yourself to us. Remember that Admissions Counselors read thousands of essays each winter (at TCNJ we read upwards of 10,000!) Each one of those essays gives us a glimpse into who you are as an individual. Each one is unique to you. A secondary reason that institutions request an essay is so that we might be able to get a taste of your writing abilities. Keep this in mind as you budget the necessary time to work on your essay!

Choosing a topic…

Think about what you want us to know about you that is not demonstrated on any other portion of your application – that is a great jumping off point when choosing a possible topic. Often times students feel that their topic should be something earth shattering and monumental, but this really is not the case. Your topic should be (and could be) anything that is important to you and makes you unique. Please do not choose a specific topic simply because you think we want to read about it. Write about something that is special to you. Take a close look at each component of your application. What do we need to know about you that we won’t be able to learn in any other vein?

When submitting the Common Application look closely at the six topic choices. Evaluate their merit and yourself, then choose one carefully. For institutions that require supplemental essays, understand that they do so for a reason. They are using each of those essays as a way of evaluating your application. Be sure to take those writing samples just as seriously as you did your original essay. Often times, the institution might weigh their essay more heavily than that associated with the Common Application. Here at TCNJ, we do not require an essay beyond the one on the Common App.

Proofreading…

Now I know that this might sound like common sense, but you would be surprised by what is submitted to us in essay form. Each essay that you submit should be your best piece of writing. Remember that they are being used as an evaluative portion of your application. It is very distracting to read an essay filled with grammatical and punctuation errors or incomplete thoughts. There is nothing wrong with having a parent, your Guidance Counselor, a friend, your English teacher, or any fresh pair of eyes look over your writing. Remember often times this is our first impression of you, make it count!

When writing a “school-specific” essay, remember to change the name of the institution prior to hitting submit. While we are not naïve enough to think that TCNJ is the only school you are applying to (unless you have chosen to apply Early Decision), telling us why you are the perfect fit at a rival institution does not make for a favorable first impression. Spend the appropriate amount of time working on each portion of your application, especially your essay.

Remember, every portion of your application that is submitted is important in its own right. Be sure to give your essay the time and attention that it deserves. Take it seriously!

And lastly, enjoy it! If you are having an enjoyable time writing it, then we will enjoy reading it.

Rebecca Breese

Rebecca Breese attended Lafayette College and graduated with degrees in Psychology and Government/Law and a minor in Economics. As an undergraduate student, Rebecca worked as a tour guide and served on the Tour Guide Committee. Following a year in Admissions at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia, she has began working at The College of New Jersey in 2005. She currently recruits students from New York and oversees the College Ambassador Program.

Perfect your Extra-curricular Resume

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Hi Everyone. My name is Katherine Miklosz and I’m an Admissions Counselor here at The College of New Jersey. This week, I’m going to provide you with some pointers on putting together an extra-curricular activity sheet or resume. For those of you who have already started the CommonApp, you’ve seen that there is a section devoted to this area as part of the application. However, we find that students sometimes struggle with fitting all of the activities they’ve been involved with, or all of the details about these activities, into the space provided. This is why we encourage all students to submit an additional extracurricular activity sheet to TCNJ. When compiling your list of activities, feel free to arrange it in the way that you feel best emphasizes your experiences outside of the classroom – this may be a simple list format for some of you, while others might want to create a more formal resume.

Regardless of how you decide to compose your list of extracurriculars, there are a few tips that will help you best convey your involvement and your passions to our admissions committee.

Don’t abbreviate. I usually tell students that there is only ONE organization or activity that you can safely abbreviate and still be sure that anyone who reads it will know what it stands for…and that’s NHS. If it isn’t NHS, then don’t assume we know it means. Take the time to write out any acronyms.
Likewise, even when you’ve given the full name of the organization or activity, don’t assume that everyone knows what that group entails. While some are more obvious, organizations such as “Heroes and Cool Kids” or “Interact,” aren’t always self explanatory. Be sure to not only explain YOUR involvement in each activity, but what the organization as a whole is all about.

It’s one of the oldest clichés – but your extracurricular activity sheet should be about quality, not quantity. We’d rather see a student who is passionate about a few organizations and becomes highly involved within them, than a student who is a participant in a dozen different activities but never does more than attend their monthly meetings. One way that I describe this to students, is that your activity sheet should be wider than it is long. Where you need the extra space should be going across, because you need to list so many things you’ve done as a member of a specific organization, rather than long because you have so many activities to list.

Don’t be afraid of sounding like you’re bragging. Make sure you highlight the times you’ve gone above and beyond what is asked of a general member. A good example of this is Relay for Life. We see many, many students who have participated in Relay for Life in one way or another and we like to see students getting involved for a great cause. But…there’s a big difference between someone who walks in Relay for Life once a year and a person who was on the planning committee, who met weekly all year to get set up, work with sponsors, etc. If all you write on your resume is Relay for Life, we will have no way of knowing how involved you were. Make sure we know the true level of your involvement. If you held a leadership role, this should be more obvious….make sure you list the positions you held. But even if you didn’t hold a formal title, don’t be embarrassed to tell us about the ways you took your involvement to the next level.

Don’t sell yourself short. I can’t tell you how many times I read a recommendation letter from a teacher or a guidance counselor where they share a story of a special extracurricular accomplishment the student achieved, only to search everywhere through the student’s activity sheet and see it mentioned NOWHERE. Don’t think that any involvement, activity, or experience is too small or not relevant enough to mention. As long as you accomplished it in high school, we want to know about it! And that holds true whether it was school-sponsored or not. It also holds true for those activities that seem less “official” – feel free to share it all with us, even if “it’s only” how many languages you speak, that you’re in a rock band, or that you spend your afternoons helping an elderly neighbor down the street.

I hope this information will help you create an extracurricular activity sheet that truly highlights all that you do and what makes YOU special. When you start working on yours, just remember this: When in doubt, tell us about it! Stay tuned for upcoming webinars on how to make every part of your application the best it can be. And, if you have any questions, you can always feel free to get in touch with me at miklosz@tcnj.edu or at 609.771.3204.

Katherine Miklosz

Katherine Miklosz graduated from the University of Delaware in 2006 with a major in English. While at UD, she worked for 4 years as a Blue Hen Ambassador in the Undergraduate Admissions Office. She began working at The College of New Jersey in March 2007 and has coordinated the In-State Merit Scholarship program for the past three years.

Letters of Recommendation

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Hello there, my name is Germaine and I am really excited to help you understand more about your Letters of Recommendation.

To begin, there is no way to express to you how important your Letters of Recommendation are. This vehicle for your college application is a great way Admissions Counselors become more acquainted with who you are, not only as a student, but as a person too.

When you speak to people you ask to write about you, make sure to have them include in-depth aspects about your personality. For example: your high level of motivation toward pursuing your goals, your enthusiasm of working with youth, or your dedicated attitude toward being an effective leader, just to name a few.

You see, when you talk with the people who will write to colleges on your behalf, make sure you request that they share about your nonacademic ability, as well as your academic. Although many colleges do offer “interviews”, make sure to keep in mind that other colleges do not offer interviews (like us at The College of New Jersey), leaving the Letters of Recommendation to be an alternate component for Admissions Counselors to learn more about you from a third party.
When you have come to a point that you want to select the people who will write on your behalf, here are a few suggestions to consider:

• Gather a total of 2-3 Letters of Recommendation!


• As you think about your recommendations, your goal is to think quality, not quantity.
  Ask people who know you! Examples of people who you may choose to write about you are your guidance counselors, teachers, athletic coaches, employers and/or spiritual leaders.


• But be aware that recommendations from family members will not be considered for your admissions decision.


• Thank the people you have chosen!
  

Once you have selected the people who will write your recommendations, and give them the deadline that is needed, make sure not to forget to thank them. Perhaps you can send a small “Thank You” note in the mail, a sincere email of gratitude or even a “Thank You” internet e-card to just show your appreciation of taking the time out to help you pursue your goals.

In conclusion, I hope this segment of our webinar has been helpful. If you have any concerns or questions regarding your Letters of Recommendation, feel free to contact me via email at ghill@tcnj.edu.

Have a Great School Year!

Germaine N. Graves

Germaine N. Graves is currently the Assistant Director of Admissions for On Campus Recruitment. Being a part of The College of New Jersey Admissions department for over eleven years, Germaine has gained valuable experience working with hundreds of students and their families helping them attain their academic endeavors.

Germaine N. Graves graduated from Rowan University with a Bachelor of Arts in Professional Studies and attained her graduate degree from the Philadelphia Biblical University, receiving her Masters of Science in Christian Counseling.

Stress Relief for your SAT/ACTs

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Ask any high school student what part of the college application process scares them the most, and the vast majority will reply: “standardized tests.” So much attention is paid to the SAT and ACT—by the media, by educators, by test-prep companies—that you may start to wonder if the rest of your application even matters. Well, I’m here to put some of those fears to rest and assure you that—while standardized tests are often an important part of reviewing your application—they are almost NEVER the most important part.

First, some logistical things to keep in mind… it is very important that you find out each college’s policy on standardized tests, especially as they relate to taking the tests multiple times. Some colleges average your scores together, while others look at the first two tests only. Some, like The College of New Jersey, always take your highest combination of SAT scores, no matter how many times you’ve taken the test.

You may want to try both tests, since some students wind up doing much better on one than the other. Depending on your college’s location, however, an ACT score may be given less weight than an SAT score… though more and more schools are following TCNJ’s lead and using whichever test you scored higher on when reviewing your application.

In regards to the SAT, you also need to find out their policy toward the Writing Section. Some schools use it, others don’t (or only use it for placement purposes, such as determining whether you can test out of an introductory writing class). Ultimately, I expect more and more schools to evaluate your Writing score in the years to come, once there is more data on how effective that section is in judging your writing ability. Regardless, it’s a key question to ask an Admissions Counselor, because when they tell you their college’s average SAT score, it will help to know if it’s for two sections of the test or all three! At TCNJ, we don’t weigh the Writing section in our admissions decisions.

Speaking of averages, pay close attention to the numbers college representatives offer when talking about standardized test scores! “Average” does not mean “minimum”; in fact, few schools have SAT or ACT cutoffs that you must meet to be considered for admission. I can’t tell you how many times a student has said to me, “I loved TCNJ and wanted to apply, but you said that the average SAT score for accepted students was a 1300, and I only scored a 1220!” That student had a good chance to be admitted, but they misinterpreted the numbers. I encourage you to ask for the “middle 50%” range of standardized test scores, which gives you an idea of what the majority of accepted students scored.

Now, some colleges have a policy of “optional reporting” when it comes to standardized tests. These schools may appeal to you if you weren’t happy with your test scores, but keep in mind that their applications may require additional supplements (an extra writing sample, for example). The reason why more colleges haven’t embraced this philosophy, like TCNJ, is that standardized tests are still the best—though hardly perfect—way of comparing students from different states and school districts.

The best advice I can share about standardized tests and college admissions is to relax… the time and effort you’ve put into four years of high school will always be more valuable to a college Admissions Counselor than how you scored on a random Saturday morning. TCNJ thoroughly reviews every application regardless of the standardized test scores, and in future weeks you’ll learn all about the other vital parts of your application!

Matt Middleton

Matt Middleton is a graduate from The College of New Jersey's class of 2000. He is now the Assistant Director of Admissions for Out-of-State Recruitment and a proud member of the Admissions Office for the past 10 years.

Sending your High School Transcript

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Hi there! My name is Jason Jacobs and I’m an Admissions Counselor at The College of New Jersey, where I also help coordinate the Merit Scholarship Program. Today I want to relieve some of your stress about an important part of your application, your High School Transcript. This is probably the part of the application that causes you the most stress; but, remember that we take a holistic approach to our application process and all parts of the application are reviewed and weighted in the admissions decision. That being said, there are a few basics that you need to know when it comes to your high school transcript.

First and foremost, we need an official copy of your high school transcript, meaning it needs to come directly from your high school. Most high schools have a procedure in place in order to release your transcript to colleges and universities. Make sure you talk to your Guidance Counselor to find out what you need to do in order to assure that your transcript makes it to us by your respective deadline!

I know what your next burning question is: “What is the GPA of the average accepted student to The College of New Jersey?” The truth is, we don’t know. There are so many different ways of calculating grade point averages out there and, to be honest, GPA isn’t the most important part of your high school transcript. Here at TCNJ, we are more concerned with the kind of courses that you took throughout your high school career. Most of our applicants are on an honors ,AP, or IB track, meaning they have taken at least some of their courses at an advanced level. A “B” in one of those courses is going to look better to an admissions counselor, than an “A” in a typical college-prep course. If you took all college-prep courses and got straight A’s as a freshman in high school, we will be looking for a more rigorous course load in the coming years. All we can ask of our applicants is that they take the most challenging course load that they can be successful at.

You will notice on our website that we tend to focus on class rank more than we focus on the GPA’s of applicants. This gives us a better understanding of where you stand compared to your peers who have attended the same school. I know, I know, not all schools rank their students. This is not a big deal, and, if we absolutely need your class rank, we can work with your high school to get that information. Most of the time, if your rank wasn’t provided, we’ll only need it when it comes to merit scholarship decisions.

Hopefully I was able to alleviate some of the stress that comes with applying to all colleges and universities, including The College of New Jersey. Stay tuned for the following sessions of our “Application Webinar” on the other part of your application. For any questions, comments or concerns regarding your High School Transcript, feel free to contact me via email at jjacobs@tcnj.edu or call 609-771-3408. I look forward to learning more about all of you when your application arrives!


Jason Jacobs

Jason Jacobs graduated from St. Lawrence in 2008 with a major in Economics. While at SLU, he worked for 4 years in the Undergraduate Admissions Office as a Tour Guide and Admissions Management Assistant. He began working at The College of New Jersey in January 2009 and has helped coordinate the In-State Merit Scholarship program. Jason is currently enrolled in a Masters program through Drexel University for Higher Education Administration.