Hi! I was just accepted to RPI and before I make the decision to go there, I wanted to ask some insiders what it is actually like there. I want to major in physics, and I was curious about the quality of their program. I also love to have a busy social life, and have heard that at RPI there is no such thing. Any and all insight would be good, thank you!.
@athenasgal First off, congratulatioms on your acceptance! I am a current physics major at RPI, and I absolutely love it! The program is rigorous, but constantly ranked as one of the top in tbe country (a source this year ranked us as 3rd in the nation, behind MIT amd CalTech). You will have to work hard, but it will definitely pay off. No other school will offer you the opportunities that RPI will. You develop good relationships with the professors, and that can pay dividends! Research opportunities are unmatched. Some freshman students are able to conduct research in labs, and many more sophomore students do. However, every physics major works in research if they want to over the course of their time at RPI.
As for the social scene, don’t be fooled by what you read. I am an increcibly social person, and the social life was my biggest concern upon enrolling. It seems like every post you read says that “RPI sucks socially” and that “There is no social life.” This is simply untrue. The people posting that are the ones who don’t put themselves out there and attempt to engage in the scene. You really get what you put into it, and if you put yourself out there to meet new people and engage in having an active social life, you will find that and much more. Most of the social life at RPI is based around fraternities. As a guy, it is a lot easier to get involved if you join a house. However, as a girl, you typically have no problems. I came to RPI frightened that my four years here were going to suck socially, but I put myself out there, actively made friends and met people, and I have never spent free time not doing something socially active due to that.
Again, congratulations on your acceptance, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any further questions!
Wait how were you already accepted? I though decisions are Mar 10.
Unless you did ED, but then you are committed to go to RPI
I’m curious what this source is that ranks RPI 3rd in Physics. Can you please provide a link?
I’m currently a student at RPI and have to say that I’ve loved the experience so far. I’m an ITWS/CS major (originally started as a CSE), so a little different, but the atmosphere and social vibe is great. Pretty much whatever your ideal social atmosphere, there will be something that suits you are RPI. That’s really what I like about it. You can be a total frat star while still doing well in school or go the nerdy interest route or both. It’s a diverse campus with a lot to do.
@joedoe Just returned from a visit to RPI which my son loved. Unfortunately it was a holiday (President’s Day) so he couldn’t really figure out the social vibe. Where do kids go out? Where are parties held (other than just at Fraternities? What nights of the week are social nights? Thank you.
@SwimmingDad The most social days of the week are Friday and Saturday. That’s when all big registered parties are. Tuesdays are also pretty big nights in fraternity houses since most students don’t have class on Wednesdays, but ones on Tuesdays are usually pretty exclusive.
Most of the party/social scene is around sports teams/intramural teams, Greek Life, individual enclaves in freshman dorms, and school clubs. Pretty much all of them are a great way to find out about parties, which would either be in fraternity houses or in off-campus apartments. I’d say fraternity houses are the best/safest bet if you go with friends since they’re required to maintain sober monitors, have food/non-alcoholic drinks, and the school occasionally sends student monitors to make sure no rules are being broken. Around a third of RPI students, around 20 percent of women and 40 percent of men, end up joining Greek Life. Even if you don’t, you can still find out about parties at fraternities, apartment parties, or just invite friends over your dorm and do something. I remember plenty of times as a freshman when we had ‘dorm parties’ where we’d cram 10-15 friends in a double room and kept the noise relatively low so we wouldn’t get written up by RAs.
It’s also important to note that Greek Life is very different at RPI than at other schools. RPI students are very academic, so fraternities are as well - you can be the nerdiest or least nerdy kid and there will be a fraternity for you. In my experience joining a fraternity there was no hazing and it just ended up being a supportive group of friends as well as cheaper housing than RPI dorms. It never interfered with my school work and ended up being a great decision for me. There are of course exceptions, but I’m sure your son would be able to figure out if something like that is for him. I always encourage everyone to at least rush though - it’s free food (think lobsters, steak), not binding, and you get a vibe for where you’d want to hang out.
Older kids go to bars downtown, but RPI students aren’t really big on getting fake IDs and doing that as much as I’ve seen from friends that go to other colleges. Note: don’t get caught with a fake ID at a bar in college. If they actually press charges you’ll get a felony on your record and be thrown out of school. This goes for any college.
@joedoe That is incredibly helpful. Thank you so much.
I applied ED, but you can decline acceptance if the college does not meet your financial needs.