On that note, be super critical of every school you get into and treat the college processing as “shopping.” Where will you get the best product for the least amount of money to maximize your return? It’s not always black and white since other things like research, activities, location, reputation, etc. come in to play, but please don’t go somewhere where you’ll graduate in a field making not a lot of money with a lot of debt. If you can avoid it and go to a cheaper school, it’s probably a good bet cause you’re buying connections more than education with elite private schools. Granted, loans are usually unavoidable so don’t be afraid of loans as much as excessive loans.
I know someone that came to RPI as a bio major and left with a 30k starting salary and had to live in Boston with over 100k in loans for an undergraduate degree. HORRIBLE IDEA, you leave college and all you can afford is living in a closet and eating rice and beans. Check starting salaries for your major before taking out the loans. If you’re going to make money and expect to be employed, make the investment (CS/IT/most engineering fields). Otherwise, really consider if that fancy education is worth it, even if it’s at MIT, etc.
@randomdude532 Thanks for the very detailed and honest review. I have no experience of attending RPI but I would agree with you in that as good a school as RPI is (on paper), it is not worth paying $80K/year to get an undergraduate education here.
@GeekyFamily harsh conclusion after being a member for 1 day. I suggest good or bad, including any of my posts, you take social media posts with some caution. I have read posts about many schools here, and almost all have negative posts. Many have overblown positive ones too. I can’t explain one’s motivation other than my own, which is at this point to help inform at the schools my kids attend. It is clear to me, that some posts are fueled by not getting in, or having an individual bad experience and trying to make it the general experience. RPI, like many private NE school, is expensive. If you are looking for value, a private NE school is rarely going to look good, short of a sports scholarship / full ride. RPI is priced with its peers. RPI is a great school on paper, and in person. Is it the best fit for you ? The best value ? That is a different question.
If you have questions ask RPI and do not accept generic answers. I always prefer e-mail so there is a written record and one does not play phone tag. Sometimes questions require some thought to answer correctly. The phone does not lend itself to this.
Read the poly poly.rpi.edu This is the student newspaper. If I got the link wrong google rensselaer polytechnic newspaper. You can also check the poly archives to see what has happened based on a student’s perspective.
Ask for copies of the presentations etc made during the accepted student days. This will help you take notes and not miscopy key information.
Consider just visiting during GM week the week of Student Government Elections to see what is going on. Introduce yourself to students and ask if they can answer a few questions.
Determine if it feels right compared to other schools.
That’s how I made my final decision many years ago (I will not answer how many except to say it was more than 20). I never regretted it.
@Spark2018 totally agree with your thoughts, generally students who have negative experiences are more likely to post on media sites such as this than ones with neutral or above average experiences.
With the influx of activity from newly admitted students, please ask if anyone has any questions about the school.
Students in the first and sophomore year are required to live on campus in the Residential Commons with their class cluster. Sophomore students may elect to live in their affiliated Greek Chapter house if they are an active member and fulfill all other obligations as part of the good standing and by-laws of each Greek chapter house.