Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Top Questions

I would tell parents and prospective students to examine all possible options. I would suggest for the individual to try spending a weekend at the school with current students in order to better get a grasp on the social atmosphere in addition to the academic load. Speaking to the students is the real way to decide if the school is for you. As cliche as it is, getting involved once there is the only way to make your experience worthwhile. No one wants to be a bump on a log!

Visit the school and talk to students that attend the shool

Look primarily at the academic side of things - reputation, career placement, etc. It is also important the first year to find a few activities to participate in so that one doesn't go insane from being buried in a book 24/7.

Students, make sure you go to school for yourself, not for your parents. Do not chose a major or a school based on what your parents think is right for you. College is for you, for your future, which they may or may not have a part of. Parents, let your children do as they wish. If you force them to do something they don't want to, both of you will regret it.

Go where you feel you will be the most happy because if you are happy and positive, you will be successful as an undergrad.

Finding the right college is about being completely honest with yourself. You need to determine the environment where you do your best work, and try to find a college that facilitates your learning style. The best place to start is to characterize your high school experience. What did you like or dislike about your high school experience? What would you change about your school if you had the chance? When you think about your high school experience, you can often find what you are looking for in a college. When you get to college, the most important thing to remember is that opportunity will not come to you. You are responsible for you own destiny, and have to seek opportunities. That said, once you put in a little bit of effort, the school will pay you back tenfold. Further, if you want to do an activity or would like to see something about campus changed, make an effort to do it. Most schools are very supportive to student initiative, and one person can make a difference. Finally, if you want something changed about the school, join the student government and make a difference. Remember, college is whatever you make it!

I would recommend that they start looking early and have some sort of ideal in mind. Visit as many campuses as necessary and try to talk with faculty and students when you are there. Academics are important but the location is just as important. Research your top pick school, there is a lot of information out there so don?t rely on one opinion. Take advantage of open houses but try to visit when there is not so much propaganda around as well. Switching you major is usually not difficult within in the first year so if you are unsure of your study path take a variety of classes or enroll in a general major. Having fun is important but all that freedom can come between your studies and your waistline so be aware of your progressions. Most of all it's not the end of the world if you pick somewhere you thought you liked but change your mind, transferring is always an option.

The first step to finding the right school of architecture for you is deciding whether or not you want to be a practicing, liscened architectural designer. If that's your goal, then go online and find the list of schools with accredited architecture programs in the U.S. In order to become liscened you must have a degree from one of these accredited schools. From there, I narrowed down my choices quickly by considering the geographic locations of the schools on the list. Then it was simply a matter of visiting the ones I was interested in, gathering information, and going with my gut feeling. After you've made your decision, I have two major pieces of advice for an incoming architecture student. Firstly, make sure you get involved with something outside of the school of architecture. Make a time committment to something you enjoy doing--this forces you to get away from your work and have some fun--something that's extremely important for you to have. My second pieces of advice is to enjoy the time you're "stuck" working in studio for long hours. Get to know your peers, and those friendships will become priceless.

Visiting schools helps the decision process. When you visit a school, make sure to eat on campus, see the dorms, and interact with the students. This will help you see how you fit with the school and the students. Similar people chose similar schools, so if you fit in well with the students and they like the school, most likely you will like the school as well. Seeing how you like the school first hand is probably the most important thing in the decision process.

In order to make the most of your college experience and find the right school for you, you need to find a place where you are completely comfortable with the surrounding seeing as you will be spending a good portion of your life there. But at the same time, you also need to find a school that may be slightly above your reach so that you have something to actually reach for. By pushing yourself to reach the standards of that school, it makes you, in turn, a better person. One can only get better by associating himself with things better than him. A college like this will make you work hard and stride toward becoming the best. If there is nothing to strive for, there is nothing to work for and you can not increase yourself to reach your ultimate potential. College is one of the places that will have the biggest impact on your life. If you are comfortable on the campus, on more than one occasion, and its a place that will make you work toward your goal, you will find yourself in a place you can call home.

Realistically weigh out the student's motivations, dreams, and academics capabilities to seek the best reputable college accordingly within reach. Obtain information (visiting the campus, taking a tour, and asking questions to real students is probably the most effective) and knowledge about the subject school(s) regarding: the workload; the level of academic challenge; facilities; availability of extracurricular activities; the student body, diversity, and social life; faculties; atmosphere; housing; the surrounding area; job prospects and career development services; etc.... and compare with the student's expectations and preferences. Cost should not be an initial item of concern, given the student truly wants to attend the school in analysis-- most of the time the student's motivation and academic capabilities will yield an appropriate level of Financial Assistance from the school. Only once the family obtains that information after submitting the application should the student and his family finalize their decisions on availability of family contributions, and the student's willingness (note not by blind ambition) to take on loans. Given that the student and his family approaches the college selection process logically with each involved member assuring each others' objective judgment, finding the perfect school is not an impossible task.

College is one of the greatest times in your life. It is extremely important that you are comfortable, happy, and enjoy whatever college you attend. The perfect fit exists, you just need to find it. When searching for colleges, look for opportunities to express yourself and explore new things. Other near-by colleges offer great ways to meet people and avoid stagnation. It is possible to focus so much on your home campus, you never realize that there are other ways of learning, studying, and enjoying yourself, some of which you might prefer to what you do now. An adventurous spirit and a commitment to exploration will show you a world of possibilities. Above all, know that the college years are years of opportunity. Anything and everything is possible. At college, you have access to resources the likes of which you may never encounter again. Colleges are filled with experts in any and every field of study, with funding ready for an interested student. Your peers are full of energy, and can help you fulfill any goal you set. If you have an interest, a desire, pursue it. Discover your world. Make things happen. You won't regret it.

Visit schools

Think about what YOU want to do - really analyze what makes you happy and what things make you tick. It's hard to switch around once you get stuck in a major and realize it's not right for you. Visit campuses and talk to students. Ask about all aspects of college life: alcohol, fraternities, professors, research, courses, majors, etc. You might be surprised about their answers. Most importantly, don't go to a school just for it's name. You will be paying a ton of money for a small piece of paper. Make sure it's not the name that defines that piece of paper, but what you learned and accomplished at that school. You can make what you will anywhere you go, with enough persistance. Oh, and when you visit, meet a few professors. The worst thing to run into at college is a crummy professor. Make sure you're willing to pay for, and spend time at the school of your choice. Good luck, and follow your heart.

See as many schools as possible. The less you visit, the more you limit yourself. Apply early and apply to as many schools as possible. When you visit a school, split from the guided tour and talk to students that are around. Go visit a fraternity or a sorority and ask questions. They will tell you the real story.

Go to all sorts of colleges and enjoy the tours. Try not to stress if your kids don't know what they want to do with the rest of their lives by the end of their senior year. Students: your friends love you for who you are. Just because you're in college now doesn't mean that you should become someone who you aren't. I've seen way too many kids destroy their lives and I've only been out of high school for a year and a half.

Apply to as many schools as you can without being overzealous or unreasonable -- five in my case. See which institutions accept you. Go take a campus tour of those places and keep track of which ones appeal to you and which don't. The reasons don't matter so much; if you like it, you like it. The bottom line is that it doesn't matter where you go. You're going to get an American education -- something people the world over envy -- and you'll have a great time while doing it. Sure, some schools are science or engineering schools, and some focus on liberal arts. I wanted to be a music major, but I fell in love with a science school. I started undeclared to buy time, and then declared biochemistry. I'm getting great grades in a field I love and plan to make a living with, all while music directing the best a cappella group on campus and keeping my first love as my primary extra-curricular. Do what feels right, and if it turns out that you could have made a better decision, transferring is always an option that does nothing but open more doors.

Choose based on the people there. If you're really smart and academically oriented, go to a tough school and you'll find like minded people. If you want to drink, have fun and learn later, go to a state school. How happy you are at a school is determined by the people there. How happy you are after the school is determined by how academically motivated the school was.

The best advice is to start early. Diversify and attempt to go to many colleges and see what your choices are. Write your college essay early and get it revised. Be prepared to ask teachers/professors for recommandations. Create a resume and get it revised. The most important thing is to know yourself. Understand yourself enough so that once you go to a college, you'll know whether or not you would want to stay there for the next four years of your life. Ask yourself questions. What do you want to do in the future? How would this particular college help me get to that goal? Most people tends to be undecisive on what they want to be in the future (I was) so the best advice I can give to that is to have some "idea" on where you would go. Technological field? Mathematics? Engineering? Biology? Psychology?.... For those who will be going to a college far from home, it's a good idea to use the last senior summer to relax and create memories with high school friends. Good luck.

It is easy to get caught up in all the facts and figures of a college search. Although it is necessary to know what you're getting yourself into for the next four years, and although it may just as well define which path you will take along your career, nothing stays still. Situations can always change, anytime and anywhere. Remember about all the experiences you have along the way that are so much more important than a few extra digits on the rankings. In the end, go with your gut feelings during those visits, and after interacting with students and faculty. As the Little Prince would put it: "certainly, for us who understand life, figures are a matter of indifference."

Make sure that you visit the college campus that you plan on applying to. Get a feel for the types of environments that you will live in. Talk to students and teachers. People told me that the hard part was getting into college. Not so. College has challenged me more than i have ever been challenged in my life and has molded me into the hard working person that i need to be to achieve in the real world. Never take courses lightly and take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself. These are the most important learning years of your life.

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When choosing a college for myself, my parents were extremely helpful with my decision. From the road trips, to the endless stream of wax-coated paper advertisements for colleges I had never heard of, my family helped me narrow my choices to a short list from which I could make my final decision. They put in their opinion, laid out all the facts on the table, but then they allowed me to make my mind up and choose where I would spend the next four years of my life. Parents: it may be tough knowing that your son or daughter will be leaving your home, but my advice would be to let them fly on their own. After getting to college, I was bombarded with new experiences, and I had a blast taking everything in. Freshman year was when I gained the connections to people that helped me gain so much. Becoming involved in activities, clubs, a fraternity, was the best decision of my college career. It was balancing these with my schoolwork that gave me a very well rounde personality. Students: Get involved! The people that you meet, the things you do, will be with you for a lifetime.

Visit as many as you can, Its all bout where you fee at home

Visit as many schools as you can. You'll know which ones "feel" right, so go with your gut and pick one of those schools. When you get here, try to meet as many people as possible. The friends you make freshman year are most likely to remain friends through all 4 years. Get involved on campus with any extracurriculars that pique your interest. Don't be afraid to try something new! Clubs are a great way to meet people. All these people you meet are potential work buddies. At RPI, one of the best ways to learn is to work on homework with other people. You learn by teaching a concept to someone else. If you're stuggling, don't be afraid to go to a professor's or TA's office hours. If you really like a class and the professor that teaches it, talk to the professor about working for or with them. Connections like that can result in internships on and off campus, and those people can give you great letters of recommendation if you want to go to grad school. Above all things, keep an open mind, and of course, have fun!

Visit campus. Talk to students, but don't believe the extreme best and the extreme worst things that you hear. Every school you visit will have kids who would be happy anywhere, and every school you visit will have kids who would be happy nowhere. Hang out on online message boards that students from the school frequent. Loiter in the library, dining hall, and common areas for a few hours if you can. Don't be deterred by a boring class, and don't be overly-attracted by a particularly exciting one, either: you will mostly find yourself in classes that are in between. Whatever you do, don't stress yourself out too badly. If you make your campus what you want to make it, you can be happy anywhere you wind up.

Make sure you get a feel from the students (NOT THE ADMISSIONS OFFICE NOR THE STUDENTS WHO WORK THERE) of what campus life, residence life and classes are like. Admissions offices generally put some pretty heavy spin on their description of life on campus and their academics. Try to get an opinion from several upper classmen and/or alumni before deciding on the college.

There is no single variable that will decide which college you will attend. College is a tremendous step in your life and there is no easy way to choose the college that is "right" for you. You have to find out what you are looking for in a college and then just search. There are a lot of automated systems to help you narrow it down, but you really have to visit the school itself (preferably when it is not dressed up for a visitor's weekend--you can learn more about the school on a normal day). You should talk to not just the admissions office, but to the students, faculty, and anyone else on campus to see what they think of it. The people on campus are the essence of a college and they know it better than any statistics. When you get to college, you have to make your own experience. You can't rely on your parents, teachers, or friends to tell you how to live at college. You have to get out and experience new things, see what opportunities you have, and most important of all, learn about yourself.

one love asalamalaka

After three years of college I have learned many things. It is important to throw yourself into college. Be open. Be honnest and be yourself. Forget any pre-conceived notions you had about everything and know that the best four years of you're life await you if you throw yourself into it. It's not going to be like anything you've experienced before. You'll cry, and you'll laugh so hard that you cry and in the end it will be worth it. Find a school that has what you're looking for and then remember that you will only get out of college what you put in. You'll find a family made of members of different creeds and colors, and they are the friendships you will take with you for the rest of your life. Dare to be yourself becasue some people forget that. Never be ashamed of who you are or where you've come from. Keep focused on your future while still enjoying the present. Its overwhelming but it can be summed up: study hard, work hard, play hard, and call home to your mother-she misses you.

Pick the school that feels the best to you. Location, financial aid, academics, and social life are all important, but ultimately it comes down to whether or not you feel comfortable and can see yourself going to a particular school. You're going to spend four years at this place and it's important to make sure you feel at ease on campus. As hard as it may be to trust your gut instinct, I would say that's the most reliable source of good information when making an important college selection.

Visit all the schools you are intersted and talk to the students there. They will give you the real story - just wander around and find different people. But make sure you talk to a few different, wouldn't want a skewed opinion!

there are a lot of good schools out there, dont get hung up trying to figure out which one is best. Just pick a few that you like and go where ever you get the most financial aid. also, when you go to schools and take tours, dont just listen to what the tour guide says, ask some other students whos job isnt to make the school sound great.

Even if you do not end up going to the school of your choice, for whatever reason, the proper attitude to have going in is to make the most of it. Starting from the very first day of orientation, have the mind-set that you are going to be outgoing and meet 10 people today, even if you are a little shy or introverted. I met 10 people during orientation, and then another 10 through move-in week, and before I knew it, I had an extensive network of friends from all different kinds of majors and students living in buildings all over campus. Tell yourself that everyone else is new, just like you, so this is the best and most crucial time to meet new classmates. Facebook is a great tool to keep track of/in touch with all your new friends. Make sure to get involved so you have a better chance of meeting older students and upperclassmen. Another useful tool for this and general networking is exploring greek life. Fraternities and sororities are a great resource-they provide leadership opportunity, community service opportunity, access to another whole social atmosphere, and even more networking and help for courses.

The better the school ranking, the more you should focus there, especially if it supplements your major. It does not matter if the social or philanthropic or other aspect is missing in the school, as long as it has a good academic and alumni record that shows results.

Go and visit the school. If you can see yourself on campus and taking classes there, or it just "feels right", then you know you have found your school. Once, you are at the school or your choice, GET INVOLVED!!! Join clubs, sports teams, or anything that interests you. It is a great way to get to know your fellow students, and to de-stress. Also, make new friends. Though it may feel awkward at first, everyone is feeling the awkwardness and wants to make friends too! Establishing a network of friends at school, especially if you are going away from home for the first time, is a good way to stay grounded and makes a great support system. Make your college a home away from home.

don't always go for the cheapest

I think the best thing to do is to really get out and check on any college that might even be a possibility. You never know when something might come up that could change your choice around completely. Also make sure the college will support your needs academically AND socially.

Searching for colleges is not like searching for a new pair of shoes. You need to love your college. You need to wear it all the time, day in and day out. Your college, unlike you shoes, cannot be thrown away when you don't want to look at it anymore. This is somewhere you are going to live and breathe for four years. Just because it's not Harvard or MIT does not mean that it's not a good school for you. A student should chose they school they want to go to, not the school that USA Today likes, or that your Guidance Counselor likes, the school the student likes. Parents may butt in occasionally with money comments and who can afford what, but in the end it should be the students decision. Don't listen to anyone but yourself. Do what you want - you only live once!

Finding the right college is all about finding the right environment to succeed. Friends, food, housing and access to activities you are passionate about is beyond important . It is imperative. Find a school that respects the teaching and learning process. A school that is a community first , second, third and never a cliche contradicion. A school that never justifies its decisions with the phrase "good business practice." A school that doesn't need ethics classes because being a good person is the best ethic. When you find this school observe how these factors affect its message, which affects its community, which affects the professors' attitudes towards teaching/mentoring and in turn affects the students. Don't worry, when you see it you'll know. The heart, the soul and the truth. PS Admissions can be like playing Russian Roulette. In the end, someone is always going to get shafted. Murphy's Law stiuplates that it will be you. Just relax and be open to travel all the roads of life. You will never see everything in the world, but you can at least slow down enough to realize you can still see.

They say with almost any decision that you should trust your gut feeling. No, not that feeling that you get after you eat too much Tex-Mex food, but your instinct. It takes instinct with a good amount of research to back it up. Check the numerous lists of colleges and their rankings. This is a good way to see how they stack up compared to similar colleges in categories such as academics, demographics, and even party life. So if you want a small school with class sizes around fifteen people, but is also known for its massive parties, I am sure the perfect school is out there for you.

Sit in on classes before making a choice. Definitely visit the campuses.

In order to find the best college, you need to be able to see the college as a current student sees the college. The closest way you can emulate their experience is reading through detailed reviews for as many colleges as you see fit, and finding the colleges that specialize in the particular field that you want to study. Having faculty that are truly engaged in your field can give you a great starting point to seeing how the real world works and how your area of study will fit into particular companies, and even into the big picture. Taking into consideration the college?s reputation and job placement for alumni is also extremely important, but not the only thing you should consider, because the degree can be compared to name brands: you can get the same quality with the ?knockoffs? but the name recognition of the big guns are still going to make a difference no matter how energetic your resume is. Once you narrow your selection down, paying visits to the colleges you have selected and talking to current students can be a level of insite beyond any only database.

I would suggest that you look at a large number of schools in all sorts of different areas. Look into an inner-city school and a school in the middle of nowhere and all those in between. Visit as many of these places that you can and then look at where you want to be living for 4 years of your life, because college becomes your home, and you need to be happy living there. Also make sure that you look for a school that you know will have things to do. Don't put too much emphasis on the reputation of the school either. If you know you will be happy there and do well for yourself in the future then you have probably chosen the right school.

Ask for information from students with different backgrounds, not just the ones who have been hired by the school to give you tours and host students when they visit. These students are usually hired or chosen by the school, and they are told what they can and cannot say about the school. Get the real scoop from the students who don't work for admissions.

Go for social life.

Honestly I think all students along with their parents should visit the campus. Trust me your instincts will tell you if this is the right school for you--it did for me. Luckily for me I decided to follow my instincts and I have not regretted my decision in choosing RPI as my school. I have met so many people here that have helped me academically. They helped me to adapt to the new environment. Although Hispanics and Blacks as well as women are the minorities here I don't feel pressured by it. I suggest that parents also look into affording the college. My school is very expensive, this year my school is 50,000, but through financial aid I have been able to push through. I have taken out loans but I am not extremely worried because I am confident that I will pay them off when I find a good career-job. I have made many contacts in many companies and the school also helps a lot through its professional clubs and career fairs. As for students I have one piece of advice you have to learn to "work hard in order to play hard"!

FIgure you what your child wants, before focusing on what you want for your child. It is important that they enjoy the school that they attend and they are studying what they are truly interested in. IF they're not serious about their school and if they do not like it, there is no way to help them and they will not do well. I would strongly suggest visiting schools before applying and researching sports, activities and clubs and fraternal life at the school.

Finding the right college the student will have a gut feeling when they visit the campus. This might sound like it's not the greatest advice beacuse the parents are paying the loans. From my experience its more important that you find lifetime friends on campus who will always be there. If you love the college you will do will. Everyone gets loans, so that inner gut feeling is correct. For making the most of your college experience mkae friends during orientation, as many as possible. They will come in handy when it comes to studying and getitng books. Also one must balance their studying and having fun. This should be done in the first few weeks as a freshman, since that is when you have the most free time and the work is laid back. Also you must come into college knowing that you will scarfice some fun events, parties, and that you must study. College is your first chance so make it right or it will come and bite you later on in life. My motto has been work hard so you have no regrets. Don't study 24/7 but have fun too, but not too much.