<p>So I got accepted to RPI a few weeks ago, and I'm planning to major in Biology. Here is the problem: I've been wanting to go to RPI for the longest time, but the only thing that scares me, is the label 'the computer school.' Stupid as this question may seem, I hate/am baffled by computers. I can barely do anything besides type on the keyboard. At RPI, I hear we have to buy our own special computer and have to take a series of classes for computer science. ...Does it make sense for me to attend RPI, with no interest/knowledge in computers?</p>
<p>I wouldn’t say RPI is a ‘computer school’ Sure it’s wired in, but it’s more or less an engineering school with +60% of the students attending for engineering, and only ~10% for CS/IT. </p>
<p>You don’t have to buy a ‘special computer’ for RPI, they simply offer a suggested laptop if you need one. It’s nothing that special, just an average laptop with a school insurance plan - That’s about it. I don’t think you have to be to nerdy with a computer to fit in, and either way, you’ll learn a lot from those that know their ways around a computer at RPI anyway. So you shouldn’t have to worry too much.</p>
<p>-Doom</p>
<p>Bio majors don’t need to take any CS courses</p>
<p>[Program:</a> Biology - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - acalog ACMS?](<a href=“Program: Biology - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - Acalog ACMS™”>Program: Biology - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - Acalog ACMS™)</p>
<p>Yet CS majors have to take intro to bio, haha.</p>
<p>-Doom</p>
<p>I don’t see why not to take bio. It’s a useful class, especially considering that you are not a cumputer. On the other hand, CS classes won’t do any harm either considering that they are taking over every area of life.</p>
<p>As a CS alum, I can attest to the fact that intro to bio at RPI is the most useless class I have ever taken.</p>
<p>Sent from my DROID PRO using CC App</p>
<p>Would you say RPI has a strong CS program? Is the CS faculty and career services/recruitment strong? Any CS alums’ replies would be welcome as well as those of current students. Thanks!</p>
<p>seniorkid - Maybe you should have the attitude you’d have excellent technical support all around you!</p>
<p>piestone - I felt very well prepared by the CS curriculum. I was more interested in web technologies, and for those classes I had to take cross-listed courses in the IT dept. However, in my experience, the CS students in those classes were much stronger programmers and problem solvers than the IT students. The professors, as in any major, are good and bad. I had some amazing professors and some not so much, but all of them held office hours (as did their teaching assistants) if you needed extra help. There’s lots of room in the curriculum to take free electives, dual major, or do a co-op (which I did). Thanks to AP credit I was able to still graduate with a co-op in 4 years.</p>
<p>Employers love RPI CS grads…my fall semester senior year was full of all-expense paid interviews in swanky hotels. I accepted a full-time job offer in January of my senior year…so yes, the career services/recruitment aspect is quite good.</p>
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<p>I’d say it’s mixed. On the one hand, I feel like it definitely has some major holes in the courses available (no classes in data structures beyond comp sci 2? no [nontrivial] AI classes? nothing on computational geometry?), but on the other hand some of the courses offered here are pretty fun and not commonly available to undergrads elsewhere (ex. randomized/approximation algorithms, computational linear algebra, …)</p>
<p>Most, but not all, of the professors here are very good and you can learn a lot from them (or maybe even coauthor a paper or two with by the time you’re out of here). It’s not hard to find good classes to take up through at least your junior year (senior year gets tough if you’ve come in with some credits and have been overloading on classes, though).</p>