<p>I'm sure it'll be that way to some degree wherever I go, and I'll probably go to RPI anyway, but I still want your opinion on whether or not this reflects the college well or not. I talked to one student who says it's probably not that bad and it's just the mentality of "Let's complain about school," but that's also not a happy environment.
I have checked out the "How are the profs" post here, and <a href="http://www.ratemyproffessors.com%5B/url%5D">www.ratemyproffessors.com</a>, which have both been useful, but the more opinions the better!</p>
<p>My son has decided to attend Rensselaer in the fall. Those rankings had us concerned as well. However, we spoke to many students at the Open House, including one who went to elementary, middle and high school with my son (so we thought his opinion was unbiased). Everyone seemed so excited about the work they are doing and the opportunities that were available to them. We were told there were some bad professors, but there were also some wonderful professors as well. Everyone told us it was important to research the professors before signing up for courses and to take advantage of the study groups, office hours if you were having problems. I think "Least Happy Students" comes from how hard everyone works. Everyone commented that they were being challenged and did work very hard. I am not sure that is any different at any technical/science school. Add to that the location and weather and it will be easy to find things to complain about. And you are right - if others are complaining, it is easy to join in. One other thing everyone told us is that it is important to get involved in activities. I think that may have an impact on one's views. If you are studying and working hard all of the time, you are more likely to have a negative view. Have you read the reviews on studentsreview.com? There are quite a few comments and many of the negative comments seemed to come from the 75/25 male/female ratio and Troy. However, there seems to be a lot to do on campus. Good luck with making your choice.</p>
<p>That is discouraging, but I've noticed that overall students seem least happy at the very technical oriented schools. (Well, at least until they graduate! :) ) I think it mostly has to do with the gender imbalance and the fact that, let's face it, a larger percentage of kids on campus are probably working harder than kids at other schools!</p>
<p>Moral of the story: If you are a self-directed student who knows (more or less) where you want to go in life you'll excel. Make sure you try to participate in extracurriculars. Go easy on the drinking/drug scene, it will just make you feel worse. Don't procrastinate; it exacerbates the pressure.</p>
<p>Three of my son's top schools were Case, RPI and GaTech. All three had such comments on Princeton Review and other similar sites. My S commented when he came out of a restroom that 'i can't go here, it says in the bathroom that RPI sucks'. These types of comments were seen several places on campus. I think for whatever reason, it goes with those schools. However, I did notice that at UIUC, even the engineering kids were seemingly happier. I would think they'd be just as unhappy?</p>
<p>professors at technical schools and large research universities are not hired based on teaching skills--they're hired for their ability to bring grant money into the school and get papers published. Thus, it would be pretty much impossible for these schools to appear on a "best teachers" list. My dad is a professor of geology at a large research university and openly admits to hating teaching. He's a scientist, not a teacher.</p>