Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

“Well to get in, you need to be anMay 06 2010Other
Well to get in, you need to be an academically outstanding student, because it is a top-tier school among MIT, Carnegie, Cornell, WPI, BU, (at least in terms of engineering) etc. Being in the top 10% of your class will help alot, as well as taking a handful of APs. Doing what you can to be proactive in high school is key; getting into national honors society, AP scholar, and even the RPI medal (plus helps defray tuition costs). Besides academics, its good to have a good extracurricular credentials; my advice would be to join only a few clubs and excel at them. I myself joined boy scouts, where I achieved Eagle, band, where I got to play in competitions in DC and Disney World, and WAVM radio station, where I got some experience working director/manager positions. Overall, it is good to be a well-rounded student, but also be specialized in areas you are interested in.
ACT: 26 Male

“If you really want to get in, you needMar 26 2010Electrical Engineering
If you really want to get in, you need decent SAT scores because that's what RPI advertises about the incoming class when they come here.
SAT: 1790 Male

“The best deal all around is RPI's medalist programNov 11 2009Nuclear Engineering
The best deal all around is RPI's medalist program. If you are the top math/science student in your high school, you can be awarded a $15,000 per year scholarship. Make sure to speak to your counselor about this very early in your junior year or even the spring of your sophomore year. The high school only gets to choose one student. If your high school does not participate get them to sign up.

When writing your college essay make sure it is personal about you and something no one else would be writing about. RPI seems to put emphasis on this component. They also require top grades and high standardized test scores. Take a SAT study course to improve test performance.

RPI has become so selective in the past couple of years, it's no wonder it's now classified as a "new Ivy." It is just as selective as Harvard or Yale, so make sure to put the same effort into your application. RPI does lower the bar a smidge if you're a girl. It is working hard at lowering the male to female ratio.
ACT: 32 SAT: 1460 Female

“Getting in as a female would be so easy,Oct 25 2009Other
Getting in as a female would be so easy, just show a little cleavage.
ACT: 30 Female

“Come and do an overnight and stay with aOct 22 2009Civil Engineering
Come and do an overnight and stay with a student to see that we really are more than just nerds. There is more here than just work and video games... Believe me.
SAT: 1320 Male