The Grown & Flown series features wisdom and insight from parents of current Rowan Profs, to help parents of new Rowan Profs. The transition of parenting a child at home to parenting a young adult at college is an important one, and Rowan parents are here to help our community. Read additional stories here. What […]
parenting tips
Grown & Flown: Mom of College Senior Shares Advice for First Time College Parents & Empty Nesters
The Grown & Flown series features wisdom and insight from parents of current Rowan Profs, to help parents of new Rowan Profs. The transition of parenting a child at home to parenting a young adult at college is an important one, and Rowan parents are here to help our community. Read additional stories here. Kim […]
Grown & Flown: Moving Away & Fostering Independence
The Grown & Flown series features wisdom and insight from parents of current Rowan Profs, to help parents of new Rowan Profs. The transition of parenting a child at home to parenting a young adult at college is an important one, and Rowan parents are here to help our community. Read additional stories here. Today […]
Grown & Flown: Helping Your Student Through Homesickness and Mental Health Needs
The Grown & Flown series features wisdom and insight from parents of current Rowan Profs, to help parents of new Rowan Profs. The transition of parenting a child at home to parenting a young adult at college is an important one, and Rowan parents are here to help our community. Read additional stories here.
Success For All: Support Systems at Rowan and Where to Find Them
If your student has a documented disability, sending them to college without an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) may feel downright scary.
Lisa Wilner, parent of a College of Education graduate student in the Higher Education program, wants to flip the script.
“[Parents] need to understand that universities are not abandoning the IEP resources that your child had,” she said. “Your job is to teach your child to use the resources that exist and to find the proper university for your major that has the resources. Rowan has them.”
Lisa is a featured speaker for the Academic Success Center’s College Prep Transition Conference and a parent network member with Rowan’s Autism PATH program, which aims to strengthen employment outcomes and networking opportunities for neurodiverse students and alumni.
Lisa’s tips, gleaned from five years at Rowan with her son, Ben — who also earned his undergraduate degree in Music from the College of Performing Arts — offer a parent’s take into the university’s academic and wellness resources.
- “If you have a student with a disability, you should register them with the Academic Success Center, even if you don’t think they’ll need it. If they think they can get extra test-taking time at the Testing Center, and they didn’t register and they ask the professor, they’re still going to have to take that test. It’s not like they can change it instantly. To register with the Academic Success Center, they need their senior year or [most recent] documentation of disability.”
- “I highly recommend the College Compass [transition to college] program. Students come in early, before the rest of freshmen students, and they get familiar with the school. They get comfortable, before everything starts to happen. And whether your student is on the [autism] spectrum, has ADD, has emotional issues, no matter what challenges, it gives them a comfort zone within the school.”
- “Register with Academic Success Center to work with an academic coach. I look at it as an insurance policy. If they never use it, that’s wonderful. But if they need it and you didn’t register them, you’re going to have issues because you can’t go backwards.”
- “This is for all students — drop-in and math tutoring and writing labs, all students have [access to] those. We just have to teach our children to utilize the services.”
- “[Students] have to build relationship with professors. Meet your professors. They have to know who you are by name. They have to go to their office hours. Get their email. When your student gets their accommodation letter, give it to the professor on day one, trust your student to do that.”
- “Your student needs to utilize Blackboard and check their email. I get more calls from parents saying my son’s crashing because he never checked his email. Some students are really good about that, others aren’t. A lot of professors [also] communicate through smartphones.”
- “The first two weeks of the semester and right before finals, your student will be freaking out. They will be a stress mess. So whatever their stress relief is, tell them to do it … it could be the gym or to just breathe. Rowan has something that is very unique — they have one counselor [at the Wellness Center] who specializes with working with students on the [autism] spectrum, ADD and such.”
Lisa’s final tips: “Your student knows more than you think they know. You just have to get them to advocate for themselves. At this point, we’re letting the student go. We’re their emotional support and their encouragement. Rowan is their scholastic support.”
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VISIT CAMPUS
Rowan University Application Timeline
Today we feature insight from admissions counselor Amanda Marcks, who has been an assistant director of admissions at Rowan since 2017. She reviews first-year applications (formerly known as freshmen applications), and was previously an admissions representative at Ocean County College. Amanda was a transfer student to Rowan University and graduated in 2015 with a bachelor of arts in communication studies.
Story reviewed for accuracy October 2023; first published 2019.
At Rowan University, we review applications on a rolling basis. What that means is once I receive all the required documents needed in an application, I will review the complete application and send out a decision. Since we review applications this way, we do not have Early Action or Early Decision.
Below is a timeline of the Rowan application and when your student should expect a decision from the university!
August
The application is available to all students interested in applying to Rowan. Students have the option to apply via Common App, Coalition App, or through our Rowan University application. There is no preference when it comes to the application and each application asks the same questions. Students don’t necessarily have to submit their application as soon as it becomes available, but it is a good idea to start looking it over and thinking about the essay prompts for their college essay.
September
Start having your student ask people to write their letter of recommendations! At Rowan, we require at least one letter of recommendation, and we accept up to five. Keep in mind, teachers and school counselors write A LOT of letters of recommendation, so you want to make sure they have plenty of time to write a well-written letter. Please note, home schooled applicants choosing to apply test optional will be required to submit two letters of recommendation.
Your student should also be drafting their college essay and having their teachers help revise and make edits.
October
At this point, your student should have their letters of recommendation written, their college essay ready to go, and the application complete and ready to be submitted. October is a great time to hit the “submit” button on the application and start sending test scores (if you choose to send them), letters of recs and high school transcripts.
We are a test optional school; we will consider your test scores should you submit them. There are some exceptions where test scores are required; see our Test Optional page for more information. If you are sending test scores, they must be sent to Rowan University through College Board or ACT directly.
Your student will also need to see their high school counselor and request their high school transcript be sent to Rowan.
If you are going to be applying for financial aid, be aware the FAFSA becomes available on Oct. 1. I always tell students to sit down with their parents/guardians in early October to complete that. The sooner you get the FAFSA submitted, the sooner you will get your financial aid package.
After submitting the application, your student will receive a link to their Admissions Status Page. This page will list all received materials and show which materials have not been received yet. It will also identify the student’s admission counselor and it will include their phone number and email. If you have any questions about the application process, we encourage you to connect with us!
Once a decision is made on your student’s application, the status page will reflect their decision letter; and if a FAFSA is submitted, you will be able to view the College Financing Plan. There will also be a section for your student to reply to their offer of admission, and it will show their next enrollment steps if they choose to call Rowan University home.
November
If your student submitted all their required documents in October, November may be a waiting game. This is a great time to go re-visit some of the schools your student applied to and meet with faculty members from the department/area of interest your student applied to.
December
By December, your student should receive their decision if they applied in early October. Keep in mind, this can fluctuate depending on volume. When your student does receive their decision, they will also receive information regarding merit scholarships, and they will receive financial aid information a few weeks following.
January-April
Continue to visit colleges that your student has been admitted to and attend Accepted Student Days. This will allow your student to see a school through the eyes of an admitted student, instead of a prospective student.
This is also a great time to compare financial aid awards and start thinking about which school is the right fit for you.
May
Time to make your decision! When you are ready to confirm your enrollment to Rowan University, your student can visit their Admissions Status Page to reply to the offer of admission. Once your student confirms their enrollment, the status page will list all of their next enrollment steps (orientation, housing, testing, etc.).
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LEARN MORE
Story by:
Amanda Marcks, Assistant Director of Admissions
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How to Help Your Student Adjust to “Adulting”
Helping your child adjust to “adulting” is easier than you think. Today we hear from Ferdoushe Laizu, mother of rising Rowan senior Mohammed Fuad (journalism); Brunilda Gomez, mother of rising Rowan senior Miguel Martinez (radio/tv/film); and Kathy Vause, mother of recent Rowan graduate Vanessa Vause (public relations and advertising). They will share their tips on how to help your child adjust to “adulting.”
There is no book in the world with instructions on how to properly help your child adjust to “adulting,” but if every parent shares at least one tip or advice that has worked for them then there is a higher chance you can help your child adjust to “adulting” properly. Here are three “adulting” skills/qualities that Gomez thinks is essential for your child to learn before entering college:
- Time management- “Being able to manage your time between priorities is important in the real world, whether that is for a job or just in general in life.”
- Respect- “Respecting your coworker or people you come across in life. Show what kind of person you are. If you respect people, they will also respect you.”
- Organization- “Just like time management, organization is something you will use in real life and being good at it will bring you a long way.”
Laizu’s piece of advice for students:
“One advice I would give is to tackle responsibilities like an adult and if you mess up, you have to learn how to take responsibility.”
Kathy Vause shares her own experience as a parent on how she helped her recently graduated daughter adjust to “adulting.”
“As a parent, I’m there for my daughter but I need to step back and let her live out her life. Yes, she’ll make mistakes and struggle but that’s what will make her stronger and give her the ability to grow. It’s important to find a balance of supporting, but letting your child learn lessons on their own.”
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Story by:
Iridian Gonzalez, rising senior journalism major
Who to Ask for Letters of Recommendation?
Letters of recommendation are a vital piece of a student’s application. In addition to the application, college essay, high school transcripts and test scores, letters of recommendation give an admissions counselor insight as to who the student is beyond what is seen on the other supporting documents.
At Rowan University, we require at least one letter of recommendation and we accept up to five. So, who should be writing your student’s letter of recommendation?!
- A High School Teacher
A high school teacher is a really great person to ask for a letter of recommendation! They can speak to your student’s academic success, struggles that they have overcome and about their character.
- School Counselor
A high school counselor meets with the student throughout the year and is a crucial part of a student’s journey to life after high school. School counselors typically get swamped with writing letters of recommendations, so be sure to have your student ask for a letter of recommendation as early on in the year as possible.
- Employer
An employer can really highlight a student’s life and work ethic outside of the classroom. Most student’s applications give admissions counselors an idea of who they are in the classroom, so it is always nice to read letters from people who know your student outside of academia. An employer can also highlight a student’s work ethic and strengths.
- Coach/Youth Group Leader/Club Advisor
If your student does not work because of sports, academics, etc., a coach, youth group leader, troop leader or club advisor could be a great person to ask! Just like an employer, these people can really highlight a student’s leadership and teamwork skills.
Make sure your student gives the person who is writing their letter of recommendation enough time to write a thoughtful piece. It is also a good idea to have your student provide the person who is writing the letter a copy of their resume and some information about the school they are applying for, including their intended major!
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Story by:
Amanda Marcks, Assistant Direct of Admissions
Related posts:
I’m Not Sure What to Major in, is That Normal?
Rowan Foundation Scholarships: Which Ones To Apply To and Where To Find Them
Parenting from Far Away: One Mom Shares Advice
Today, we feature advice from Barbara Reina, a Rowan University parent from Hawthorne, NJ (Passaic County.) As a parent whose son (Mike Reina, a senior journalism major who lives on campus) goes to college not so close to home, approximately a two hour drive, it can be tough letting go and parenting from far away.