<p>When do these get sent out? Are they a simpler application? Do they have essays?</p>
<p>The Candidate's Choice Application is a lot simpler than the Common Application. The Candidates' Choice Application requires one letter of recommendation and one essay. Applying for admissions to RPI via this route provides a response within 28 days, although it did take more time this past year.</p>
<p>Thanks! So do you have any idea when they will be released? </p>
<p>And is there any special trick to getting one, other than "demonstrated interest"?</p>
<p>Last year, there was a link on the Admissions page. I don't see that option there this year.</p>
<p>RPI admissions just sent out a e-mail to Rensselaer Medalists with a link to the Candidate's Choice Application.</p>
<p>The e-mail states:</p>
<p>I hope you are enjoying your summer vacation. As a Rensselaer Medalist, you have been awarded the opportunity to receive an early preview of Rensselaer's Candidate's Choice Application.</p>
<p>When you accept this special advanced invitation to apply, you will enjoy</p>
<pre><code>[ul][li] A head start on the application process[/li][li] No application fee (as a Rensselaer Medalist, your $70 fee is waived)[/li][li] Earlier notification of your financial aid award - including your $60,000 Rensselaer Medalist Scholarship for undergraduate study.[/ul][/li]</code></pre>
<p>This special opportunity to apply with this early preview of the Candidate's Choice Application is only for select students.</p>
<p>DS1 got an email from them today with the Candidate's Choice app. He was not a RPI medalist.</p>
<p>Thanks for posting. DD got an e-mail with a link to the Candidate's Choice application today, too. She was not a Medalist.</p>
<p>My son was not a medalist but received a Candidate's Choice application in the mail in September last year. He may have received an email about it prior to that, cannot remember. It was our understanding that he probably was put on the mailing list to receive this application because he had shown interest in RPI by visiting campus during his junior year. He did use the Candidate's Choice application to apply and got his acceptance in December. He also received his financial aid award in January which was very helpful. Since he had an acceptance so early from RPI, I think he had a lot of time to think about the school and he began to envision himself there. Once his March/April acceptances at other schools came in, he was already emotionally invested in going to RPI . He just attended his student orientation there and will start at RPI in late August.</p>
<p>
[quote]
How are you applying?
Early Decision I (binding) Apply by November 1, 2007 and receive a decision by December 7, 2007.
Early Decision II (binding) Apply by January 1, 2008 and receive a decision by February 1, 2008.
Regular Decision Apply by January 15, 2008 and receive a decision by March 14, 2008.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>These dates are a change from last year when when they promised a regular decision answer in something like 4 weeks.</p>
<p>I'm pretty sure my son had an RD acceptance in December and merit award in early January. This was a real stress reliever, particularly when the thin envelopes from the reach schools started showing up in April. He almost went to RPI, but decided on Case at the last minute (another non-binding early acceptance easy on-line application, by the way).</p>
<p>RPI had a huge increase in the number of applications last year, so they probably had to change their procedures. Maybe they will still send out the decisions on a rolling basis, but that's just speculation on my part.</p>
<p>^^^^^
Last year, those who applied using the Candidate's Choice application were promised an admission's response within 28 day. However, after receiving in excess of 10,000 applications last year, I am confident that RPI has had to adjust their admissions process.</p>
<p>Within the past two years, RPI has seen the numer of admissions application double. Being named one of the "New Ivies" in addition to an extensive amount of marketing has created this deluge of applicants.</p>
<p>The result is that it is now more difficult to gain admission to RPI. Two years ago the admissions rate was 67 percent. For the Class of 2011, the admissions rate was 13 percent. That rate puts RPI in the same league as MIT and Harvard. Being promoted as a "New Ivy" is probably a self-fulfilling prophecy.</p>
<p>Apply Early Decision if RPI is your first choice for college. Early Decision is binding if you receive an offer of admission. My daughter is applying Regular Decision, which is not binding. </p>
<p>Last year, my son applied Regular Decision to RPI and received a decision in December. He had quite a few offers on the table and he didn't want to be locked into anything.</p>
<p>^
Ah, the acceptance rate is not that low.. yet. For the class of 2011, it was 49%. (<a href="http://www.poly.rpi.edu/article_view.php3?view=5463&part=1%5B/url%5D">http://www.poly.rpi.edu/article_view.php3?view=5463&part=1</a>) </p>
<p>Actually, I think I know what you were thinking... the article here <a href="http://www.poly.rpi.edu/article_view.php3?view=5541&part=1%5B/url%5D">http://www.poly.rpi.edu/article_view.php3?view=5541&part=1</a> says RPI is welcoming 1,300 out of 10,100+ that applied. So yeah, about 13% enrolled, but 49% accepted. I think I was misled the first time I read that too.</p>
<p>But yeah, they said in that first article that admissions officers expect the acceptance rate to continue to decline, based on the amount of interest they are receiving from sophomores and juniors. They also said they will be hiring 2 more admissions officers starting this fall to help out.</p>
<p>Regardless of what the acceptance rate is, student quality continues to improve. An average of 1337 SAT for the class of 2011 is +17 compared to class of 2010. I think people are starting to realize that RPI is one of the world's great engineering schools.</p>
<p>^^^^^
For the College of Engineering the SAT scores increased by 40 points for the Class of 2011 over the Class of 2010.</p>
<p>How do you know? j/w</p>
<p>It was in that Polytechnic articles above</p>
<p><a href="http://www.poly.rpi.edu/article_view.php3?view=5541&part=1%5B/url%5D">http://www.poly.rpi.edu/article_view.php3?view=5541&part=1</a>
and also
<a href="http://www.poly.rpi.edu/article_view.php3?view=5463&part=1%5B/url%5D">http://www.poly.rpi.edu/article_view.php3?view=5463&part=1</a></p>
<p>
</p>
<p>The Dean for the College of Engineering stated such during the Accepted Students Celebration held on April 14th.</p>
<p>I was there...I guess I missed that lol.</p>