it is not only 2 consecutive terms without a break, I think the summer program may be too intense, a regular semester’s courses taken in a shortened summer terms is just too much.
Yes, and maybe kids want to go home and spend time with family in the summer , or work a traditional summer internship. This program should be offered but not required.
I agree, Arch should be an option. Designed correctly, they should be able to make it an attractive choice, and all would be good in the universe. Maybe Arch equals an easier path to a Masters. Or a on campus research experience, maybe with an industry partner. I don’t know. While very happy with our choice to attend RPI, the Arch was certainly in the - column.
My son is in the last class NOT required to participate. They were given the option. Asked my son if he was considering and his answer was … hell no, I am not spending my summer here 
RPI is a great school academically, but not exactly a great location to spend the summer.
Funny, he is doing a part time coop in-semester but had great internships each summer, ones he might not have been able to attend if he was forced into Arch. Arch is one of many self inflicted problems at RPI, a great school that is ruining what makes it special.
If arch is such a negative, I suggest requesting a report of its advantages and success stories. How does the pilot group differ from those who chose not to do arch? What are the numbers? What changes were made based on the pilot experience? What is being looked at this year? How is success measured? Parents and students could petition the President and the Board to make Arch permanent, optional or abolished based on the findings.
Give RPI the chance to prove it benefits students (compared to the alternative) and is not just a cash flow fix.
I am friends with current students that work at the CCPD (career center) and I’ve asked them about reports regarding The Arch program. You will find that no such reports exist because the program has been such a massive failure. For example, placement rates into co-op programs being sub ~50% for the initial pilot experience of 100 students. I can’t imagine what it will be like with 1300 kids looking for a co-ops simultaneously. RPI has built no infrastructure to support this. Administration in the CCPD and supporting The Arch program are quitting because of the insane and unrealistic pressures created from a program that was implemented without thought put into how to actually support it, because it is almost exclusively a money grab by the Institute.
The only success stories RPI will share will be on an individual student basis. This is because the broader statistics will paint a much darker picture.
Students are transferring because they are required to be in the program for the summer, but also have a summer internship offer. The internship offer is more valuable than an RPI education so they go elsewhere.
This program is now required for all incoming students or depending on major? My son will be computer science? Still waiting to hear on acceptance. When we visited we were told it was an optional program.
Based on the student newspaper and all relevant RPI information Arch is now required for all undergraduates. Major does not matter.
I think that when my daughter applied last year, the common app supplemental questions for RPI had a page stating that ARCH is required and made the applicant check a box indicating that they understand that. They have been pretty clear that starting with last year incoming class it wasn’t optional.
There are exceptions to the ARCH program. The exceptions are stated on RPI’s website.
Here is the list:
Sports: Cross Country/Track & Field, Golf, Basketball, Hockey, Swimming & Diving, Tennis (M+W),
ROTC: Navy and AirForce
Albany Med Pre-Med Program
Sports seems to be the main reason for exceptions. I am guessing this means teams not intramural involvement. The exception form which would shed more light on this subject is not available. However it is clear all majors are required to participate in Arch.
I encourage all potential and accepted students to ask lots of questions when they contact/visit campus. By the time incoming students are required to participate in Arch - Greek Housing (which would be cheaper) should be an option. Why Greek Housing is an option and not students own apartments (which they usually have to rent for a year) is beyond me. Removing the housing requirement would be a great way to save students $.
I am not sure asking a lot of questions will really help. They will tell you that they make decision case by case, however, from what I read, some said that they did not allow students to skip Arch even they found summer internship. Also Summer Arch does not mean internship, it refers an away program, technically if a student cannot find internship, the student can study aboard or even work on a “research” project with a professor. I think one problem with Summer Arch is that a student loses the opportunity to look for summer internship after sophomore. If the student cannot find internship for the away semester, the student just has less opportunity to look for internship.
Asking questions cannot hurt. I suggest everyone not be satisfied with “generic answers that sound good”. When given an answer like “it is decided on a case-by-case basis” state there must be some criteria or guidelines - what are they? It is the same with answers like “the administrations takes (hazing, teaching evaluations, etc) very seriously”. State that is good to hear what are some examples of what they have done over the last few years? If told “a policy has been enacted” ask what has been its impact. I think arch should be considered at best an experiment that failed and at worst something that never should have been attempted for many reasons. Losing the best time for a co-op/internship is one of them. . However, I have not seen any data/results to the contrary. The tute should have the opportunity to present its success if it is successful. The only thing that is irrelevant is how it helps RPI’s bottom line and financial viability.
Here is the link to ask questions of housing
@StudentsRst, @sunnyschool Thanks for your candor. My daughter is deciding between Pitt, UMass, Bucknell and RPI for biomed or Chem-e. Reading the negative comments surrounding the ARCH program has given us a lot to think about.
Since only roughly 1/3 of the campus is Greek and RPI has not yet decided if Greek Housing can be used for ARCH; RPI should just be open and honest.
They should say - we have a program where students live on-campus for their first 5 semesters (this means paying room and board). The benefits outweigh the cost for the following reasons: (RPI Insert Here). The only exception is for students who join Greek Organizations - they can spend semester s 2 and 3 in Greek Housing.
They should also say half of you will be on campus as follows: FR Fall, FR Spring, Summer Off, SO Fall, So Spring, So/Jr Summer (3 consecutive terms). Half of you will stay on campus for the Jr Fall term (4 consecutive terms on campus).
This is ARCH combined with CLASS
what is CLASS?
CLASS is the program that requires students to live on campus during their sophomore year.
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.
From: http://catalog.rpi.edu/content.php?catoid=18&navoid=433#student_living_learning
All Second Year students are required to live and dine on campus. The exception is those with an approved Greek Commons Application.
From: https://www.rpi.edu/dept/res-life/forms/UpperclassmenRoom-BoardRates2018-19.pdf
But now with the summer ARCH, students are required to live on campus for basically the first semester of the Junior year as well. That’s just nuts!