Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Summary

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, or RPI, is a nonsectarian, coeducational private research university in Troy, New York, a city close to the state capital Albany. RPI’s mission has slowly evolved over the years while retaining its focus on the scientific and technological roots upon which the school was founded. The school attracted students from New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. In its early years, the Rensselaer School had greater semblance of a graduate school than of a college. During this period, the Rensselaer School, renamed the Rensselaer Institute in 1832, was a small but vital center for technological research. In 1850 he reorganized the school into a three year polytechnic institute with six technical schools. RPI enjoyed a period of academic and resource expansion under the leadership of President Palmer Ricketts. Born in 1856 in Elkton, Maryland Ricketts came to RPI in 1871 as a student. He also expanded the university’s resources and developed RPI into a true polytechnic institute by increasing the number of degrees offered from two to a dozen; In addition to new academic buildings, the growing student body also needed a large dedicated building for the Student Union which was finished in 1967. It was at this point that the J-building, which had previously been used for storage, became the home for the RPI incubator program, the first such program sponsored solely by a university. Shortly after this, RPI decided to invest $3 million dollars in pavement, water and power on around 1,200 acres of land it owned 5 miles south of campus. Now known as the Rensselaer Technology Park, companies can rent out the land, and if they want, collaborate with RPI students and researchers. This is one of the reasons legislation was passed to grant RPI $30 million dollars to build the George M. In 1999, RPI gained attention when it was one of the first larger universities to implement a mandatory laptop program. However, the program has persisted, and remains an integral part of life at RPI, with about 25% of the courses requiring that a student bring their laptop to class. Having nearly two centuries of history and a high tech future in store, the Princeton Review remarks, ““Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is simultaneously the oldest technological school in the country and the most modern school of technology in the U.S. It’s like George Jetson meets Archimedes.” Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has five schools: Architecture, Engineering, Humanities & The School of Engineering is the largest by enrollment, followed by the School of Science, the School of Management, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the School of Architecture. There also exists an interdisciplinary program in Information Technology that began in the late 1990s, programs in prehealth and prelaw, Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) for students desiring commissions as officers in the armed forces, a program in Cooperative Education (Co-Op), and domestic and international exchange programs. In 2004, Forbes ranked RPI #1 for having the “most connected campus.” The Newsweek/Kaplan 2007 Educational College Guide proclaimed Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute one of the 25 “New Ivies”, an elite group of 25 schools that provide an education equivalent to schools in the Ivy League. Its goal is to achieve greater prominence for RPI as a technological research university. Various aspects of the plan include bringing in a larger graduate student population and new research faculty, and increasing participation in undergraduate research, international exchange programs, and “living and learning communities.” So far, there have been a number of significant changes under the plan: new research infrastructure such as the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies was built to support new programs, and application and enrollment numbers have increased. Well known faculty include: RPI is also the professional home of David Musser, one of the primary persons behind the C++ Standard Template Library. RPI ranks among the top 50 national universities in the United States according to US News & Four of the graduate engineering programs are ranked in the top 20 (electrical engineering, materials science and engineering, industrial engineering and mechanical engineering), eight of 11 are ranked in the top 25, and all are ranked in the top 30 in the nation. RPI also has a strong and growing electronic arts program. RPI has established six areas of research as institute priorities: biotechnology, energy security, information technology, nanotechnology, microelectronics, and modeling and simulation. Off campus, there is the RPI Technology Park, which is home to over 50 technologically oriented companies. Some notable research centers operated by RPI are the Terahertz Research Center,Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Nanotechnology Center, New York State Center for Polymer Synthesis, Darrin Fresh Water Institute, and the NASA center for Studies of the Origin of Life. RPI conducts nuclear research at the 60MeV Gaerttner Linear Accelerator (LINAC) Laboratory. Other important research facilities include the geotechnical centrifuge, used for civil engineering simulations, and RPI’s array of six subsonic, supersonic and hypersonic wind tunnels. In May 2006, RPI announced a partnership with IBM and New York State to create the Computational Center for Nanotechnology Innovations, a supercomputing center to be used for nanotechnology research. RPI’s 275-acre landscaped campus sits upon a hill overlooking historic Troy, New York and the Hudson River. One building from this period that remains part of the RPI campus is the Winslow Chemical Laboratory, a building on the National Register of Historic Places. Buildings constructed during this period include the Carnegie Building (1906), Walker Laboratory (1907), Russell Sage Laboratory (1909), Pittsburgh Building (1912), Quadrangle Dormitories (1916–1927), Troy Building (1925), Amos Eaton Hall(1928), Greene Building (1931) and Ricketts Building (1935). The modern campus features more modernly styled structures such as the Jonsson-Rowland Science Center (J-ROWL)(1961), Materials Research Center (MRC)(1965), Rensselaer Union (1967), Cogswell Laboratory (1971), Darrin Communications Center(DCC)(1973), Jonsson Engineering Center(JEC)(1977), Low Center for Industrial Innovation(CII) (1987), a public school building which was converted into Academy Hall (1990), and the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies (2004). RPI also runs a campus in Hartford, Connecticut, a distance learning center in Groton, Connecticut, and a navy-based nuclear training facility in Malta, New York. These centers are used by graduates and working professionals and are managed by the Hartford branch of RPI, Rensselaer at Hartford. In the 2006–2007 academic year, RPI’s enrollment included 5,142 resident undergraduate, 1,131 resident graduate, 707 graduate students on the Hartford campus, and 189 distance students. Depending on how you define the rules, the RPI hockey team may have the longest winning streak on record for a division I team; Continuing into the 1985-86 season, RPI continued undefeated over 38 games, including 2 wins over Toronto. In hockey the school’s biggest rival has always been the upstate engineering school Clarkson University. The oldest college football rivalry in the state is between RPI and Union College. The students of RPI have created and participate in a variety of student-run clubs and organizations funded by the Student Union. In 2006, for instance, the Princeton Review ranked RPI second for “more to do on campus”. This distinctive red shingled building had been a USO hall for the US Army before being purchased by RPI. Notable among them are: Another notable aspect of student life at RPI is the first-year experience or FYE program. Freshman begin their stay at RPI with a week called “Navigating Rensselaer and Beyond” or NRB week. Several notable 19th century civil engineers graduated from RPI. Many RPI graduates have gone on to change the world with their inventions. Famous among these people are: In addition to NVIDIA, RPI graduates have also gone on to found or co-found major companies such as John Wiley and Sons, Texas Instruments, Fairchild Semiconductor, MapInfo, Adelphia Communications, Level 3 Communications and Bugle Boy. Several RPI graduates have played a part in the US space program; Technology • Computational Center for Nanotechnology Student Life People • Fraternities and Sororities • Grand Marshals • RPI Pep Band • RPI Songs • WRPI • RPI TV Buildings Amos Eaton Hall • Carnegie Building • Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies • Chapel + Cultural Center at Rensselaer • EMPAC • Folsom Library • Greene Building • Hirsch Observatory • Houston Field House • Jonsson Engineering Center • Low Center for Industrial Innovation

Summary content courtesy of Wikipedia.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Academics

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is unique in its study options. For one thing, the university has a Accelerated Program, Cross-Registration, Distance Learning, Double Major, Dual Enrollment of High School Students, ESL, Honors Program, Independent Study, Internships, Liberal Arts/Career Combination, ROTC, Air Force, ROTC, Army, ROTC, Navy, Student-Designed Major, Study Abroad and Visiting/Exchange Student Program. Again, when any student is looking for some counseling or other types of support, Alcohol/Substance Abuse Counseling, Campus Ministries/Chaplain, Career Counseling, Economically Disadvantaged Student Services, Employment Service, Financial Aid Counseling, Freshman Orientation Program, Health Services, Legal Services, Minority Student Services, Personal Counseling, Placement Service and Women’s Services can help. There’s never a reason to feel alone in your studies either, since there are academic support services like Extensive Undergraduate Evening or Early Morning Classes, Learning Center, Pre-Admission Summer Program, Reduced Course Load, Study Skills Assistance, Tutoring and Writing Center. The university has disability services as well, so be sure to inquire about them if needed.

The following are the types of degrees and majors offered at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Foreign Language and Literature:

German

Multiple or Interdisciplinary:

Biological/Physical Sciences, technology & society

Health and Clinical Sciences:

Predentistry, Premedicine

Communications & Journalism:

Communications/Rhetoric, Digital Communications/Multimedia

Physical Sciences:

Chemistry, Geology, HydrologyWater Resources, Physics

Education:

Mathematics Education, Science Teacher Education

Philosphy and Religion:

Philosophy

Business, Management, & Marketing:

Business Administration/Management

School of Visual and Performing Arts:

Fine/Studio Arts

Biological and Biomedical Sciences:

Biochemistry, Biology, Biophysics

Social Sciences:

Economics

Psychology:

Psychology – General

Computer Science:

Computer Science, Computer/Information Sciences – General, Information Technology

Mathematics:

Mathematics – General

Popular majors:

fifty percent engineering, nineteen percent computer and information sciences, nine percent business per marketing, five percent communications per journalism

The cost per credit hour (overall) was $905 Cost & Savings Calculator Financial Aid International students eligible for non-need-based aid last fall. In addition, for international students, the application fee is 70. Are you an international student? The Fall application deadline for international students is the 1st of January.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Admissions

Admission policy is currently Percent applicants admitted: 78%. Remember that this can change at any time. Transfer student are not ignored. For example, there were two hundred and seventy-eight total number of transfer students who applied and one hundred and sixty-seven total number of transfer students who were admitted. This school requires an application fee consisting of seventy dollars regular application fee, seventy dollars out-of-state application fee, Reduced fee (not specified) online application fee and point zero .

If you wish to apply early, your application will be do no later than the 15th of November, of which you should hear back from the university no later than the 31st of December. For all student applicants, the Fall application deadline is the 1st of January. It is also very important to submit financial aid applications as quickly as possible, and make sure they are in by the 15th of February. Will you make it in time? Make sure to know when all the due dates and deadlines take place. SAT and ACT score reports are due the 31st of January and the SAT subject section score is due the 31st of December. Regardless of which application you submit, this school will notify you by the 31st of March. The regular application is due the 1st of January. Transfer students must apply no later than the Rolling admission, with priority applications due on the 1st of June.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Athletics

The following sports can be found here:

• Men’s NCAA Division III, Men’s Intercollegiate, Men’s Intramural and Women’s Intramural Baseball
• Men’s NCAA Division III, Women’s NCAA Division III, Men’s Intercollegiate, Women’s Intercollegiate, Men’s Intramural and Women’s Intramural Basketball
• Men’s NCAA Division III, Women’s NCAA Division III, Men’s Intercollegiate and Women’s Intercollegiate Cross_country
• Men’s NCAA Division III and Men’s Intercollegiate Football
• Men’s NCAA Division III, Men’s Intercollegiate, Men’s Intramural and Women’s Intramural Golf
• Men’s Intramural, Women’s Intramural, Men’s Club and Women’s Club Racquetball
• Men’s NCAA Division III, Women’s NCAA Division III, Men’s Intercollegiate, Women’s Intercollegiate, Men’s Intramural and Women’s Intramural Soccer
• Women’s NCAA Division III, Women’s Intercollegiate, Men’s Intramural and Women’s Intramural Softball
• Men’s Intramural, Women’s Intramural, Men’s Club and Women’s Club Table_tennis
• Men’s Intercollegiate, Women’s Intercollegiate, Men’s Intramural and Women’s Intramural Track_and_field
• Men’s NCAA Division III and Women’s NCAA Division III Track_indoor
• Men’s NCAA Division III and Women’s NCAA Division III Track_outdoor
• Men’s Intramural, Women’s Intramural, Men’s Club and Women’s Club Volleyball
• Men’s Club Wrestling

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Financial Aid

Financial aid distribution is at seventy-one percent scholarships per grants and twenty-nine percent loans per jobs. Financial aid forms are FAFSA and State aid form. In the same way, need based financial aid distribution is determined through Academics, Alumni Affiliation, Art, Leadership, Minority Status and Music/Drama. Financial aid for students is readily accessible at this school. If you are not a need based student, non-need distribution for financial aid is determined by Academics, Alumni Affiliation, Art, Athletics, Leadership, Minority Status, Music/Drama and ROTC.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Students

The school’s size is approximately four thousand, nine hundred and twenty-one degree-seeking undergrads, one thousand, two hundred and forty first-time degree-seeking freshmen and two thousand, two hundred and ninety graduate enrollment. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute offers Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral degrees. Furthermore, it is part of an Suburban setting, Small city (50,000 – 249,999) and Residential campus. Furthermore, the student body consists of forty-two percent in-state students, fifty-eight percent out-of-state students, twenty-three percent women, seventy-seven percent men, one percent american indian per alaskan native, ten percent asian per pacific islander, four percent black per non-hispanic, five percent hispanic, seventy-five percent white per non-hispanic, two percent non-resident alien, three percent race per ethnicity unreported, sixty-one percent in top 10th of graduating class, ninety-five percent in top quarter of graduating class and ninety-nine percent in top half of graduating class. The university is a Private, University, Four-year, Coed, where 78 percent of the applicants were admitted, Regionally accredited and College Board member.

This school features the Suburban setting, Small city (50,000 – 249,999) and Residential campus. Besides, the university has many unique facilites such as center for terahertz research, nanoscale science and engineering center, linear accelerator laboratory, observatory, incubator center, fresh water institute, lighting research center, social and behavioral research laboratory, center for biotechnology and interdisciplinary studies. After all, the school is located 10 miles from Albany, 150 miles from New York City.