Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

“I met with a professor in my department beforeJul 09 2003Other
I met with a professor in my department before I was even considering applying to the school, and he helped me figure some things out- even find some other schools I might be interested in. I went on a tour of the school and researched RPI online. My application accentuated community service and leadership roles, as well as the performance arts aspect of my life. I applied early decision because I was sure that RPI was the place I wanted to be.
ACT: 28 SAT: 1270 Female

“For my major I had to do the regularJul 05 2003Architecture
For my major I had to do the regular application, but submit a portfolio as well. I think that applicants shouldn't only focus on facts and figures about what they did in high school, but on what kind of people they are, and how that could impact the RPI community.
SAT: 1270 Female

“To be perfectly honest, this school was my safetyMar 18 2003Computer Science
To be perfectly honest, this school was my safety. I got into all the other schools I applied to, I got into, including NYU and CMU School of Computer Science. But I fell in love with RPI, and knew that I'd die if I went to CMU (the workload there for CS is just INSANE). My only advice would be to get good grades and do well on your SATs. If you have both of those, then I think you got a guaranteed in. It's not a hard school to get into... 66% of people who apply get in. So the odds are pretty much in your favor. But since the comp sci program here is the biggest, I think you better make sure you score higher than the average (for RPI students) for both grades and SATs.
SAT: 1390 Female

“I transferred in from a two year school toMar 04 2003Business - Management and Administration
I transferred in from a two year school to save money. I had to work very hard to get in to RPI but it was worth it. The hard work is really starting to pay off. For example, despite the lackluster economy, I am still getting many interviews for internships and I really have no worries about finding a job when I graduate because RPI students are still in high demand, no matter how bad the economy. In fact, I feel getting an education at RPI really pays off more when the economy is bad because it gives you that added advantage over other applicants. So work as hard as it takes, I promise it would be worth it.
Male

“To get into RPI I ignored almost all extra-curicularJan 24 2003Nuclear Engineering
To get into RPI I ignored almost all extra-curicular activities and merely did what I enjoyed doing in high-school. I graduated with a 3.73 GPA and got a 780 math sat and really didn't do anything to any exceptional degree.
SAT: 1330 Male