Admissions

Research the school and see if it's right for you. Come and take a tour; find out more about what Rensselaer has to offer!

It is not all-important to have a definitive major. Even if you do not come into Rensselaer with a clear idea of a major, there is a program for undeclared majors that allows exploration, and you can graduate on-time.
Build a good work ethic now. Rensselaer's curriculum is rigorous, and it can be easy to fall behind. To prevent that from happening, develop good study habits that you can transfer to a college setting.

What I didn't know the spring of my senior year was that I wasn't just picking a university to spend a decent-sized chunk of my life at. No, I was doing much more than that. I was picking an Alma Mater to make my own, a mascot to represent me, a color scheme to dictate my wardrobe, a group of peers to call friends, and a campus and staff to be my pride and my home. If you're looking to RPI as your prospective university, prepare yourself. The academics get more like an Olympic event with each semester, be prepared to learn and study. The workload seems to never end or even diminish, it actually piles on with every week, be prepared to master time management. The weather can get as severe as over a foot of snow, or a week of rain but it can also be a beautiful sunny day with everyone outdoors playing volleyball, barbecues, and study groups on the lawns, be prepared for all weather(believe me I'm from south Florida, the first winter was harsh). But also be prepared to be social, to put yourself out there a little even if it's a bit out of your comfort zone. There are a lot of great people here but some are just too shy to approach you, get involved with groups that share your interests, meet the people on your floor, go to the activities fair and you won't regret the fun people you'll meet. College is what you make it no matter where you go.

Always be prepared for class. Learn how to manage your time very wisely so as to not fall behind in your coursework and to stay relatively stress free.

Before you apply you'll want to make sure you visit the campus and get a feel for things. When I visited other schools I knew from the moment I stepped on campus if it was right for me or not.
Be involved in extracurriculars and sports, try to get leadership positions to put on your application. That doesn't mean join stuff just for the hell of it though. Find something you like to do and excel at it.
Grades are important - don't let them slip in your junior and senior year.
If you want to be a student athlete, get your application and videos in as soon as you can. I made the mistake of applying to play on a team after I was accepted - bad move.
See if your school is involved in one of RPI's medal or scholarship programs. Also, check out the ROTC programs on campus if you're interested in the military at all.

Study for the SATs. It is a beatable test and with a good score you can get in many places. Also, challenge yourself and take some AP courses and see if you can get credit for any courses (you'll want to AP out of intro to bio if you can).

Rensselaer is not like high school. You can not just drift through the classes doing the basic amount of work and expect an A on the test. The curriculum is very challenging and can seem overwhelming at times. Take a lot of time to study and really understand the material and talk to the professors about anything you are struggling with. They are very willing to help. However, don't get to wrapped up in your studies. There are a lot of great activities to be a part of and lots of amazing clubs to join. Take some time really have fun and enjoy your time at Rensselaer.

You've probably heard this many times before, but know that college is VERY different from high school. I never really had to study in high school (even in AP courses), but once I got to college I realized that I actually had to put in some effort in order not to make mediocre grades. Don't let the ratio scare you off! For you girls and guys out there interested in RPI, please know it's not as bad as it looks on paper (usually)! Try to plan out your next four years early on to fit in any extra classes you want to take besides those required for your major (for example, fitting in a minor or dual major). Take AP classes/tests to get credit here! Especially AP Chem and AP Bio if your major only requires you to take the intro class to each! It's very, very useful to have those credits.

1. Study early, study often - this school is unforgiving for those who do not put in work for their grade. 2. Have a social life, no matter how small. Friends will help on those nights when you don't sleep studying for an exam, especially friends in your major, they will be right there with you. 3. Don't feel overwhelmed (or at least try) - this school has ridiculous amounts of work and reverse grade inflation, one can do well if they keep on top of things, get help when they need it, and keep trying. 4. The professors are people too, you can make friends with them, this may help your grade depending on the professor.

Recover your study skills from senioritis, because classes here will be much harder than they were in high school. The free time can be exciting at first, but you need to learn to manage it and keep a somewhat strict study regimen to survive.

Berate the financial aid department, especially before you enroll. Even if your financial aid package seems surprisingly (in a good way) large, you probably still have a surprisingly (in a bad way) large cost of attendance. There are plenty of students, though, who managed to get comped their laptops or other bonuses by convincing the Aid department that they need help affording their education here.

Seek out the culinary stylings of Tofu Tim.