<p>Yes, they were organized in busing people from the garage to venue. But after a 3 1/2 hour drive, we were offered freezing muffins served outside. Of course, they didn’t have to offer anything, but not for nothing, we’ve had some really nice spreads (at other admitted student days. Inside the venue, I think it was a gym, there were not enough seats for everyone. About 100 people were standing in back and sides. The President, Dr. Jackson spoke, as well as the V.P. But they were so unengaging, boring, uninspired, almost monotone in their delivery. They sounded canned and read from a script. Geez, couldn’t they have been more enthusiastic? After a 3 1/2 hour drive, in the early dawn, I don’t blame my son for falling asleep. I looked around, and many other students looked glazed over. Dr. Jackson may have an impressive C.V, but charisma and enthusiasm was definitely lacking. Definitely not a good impression.</p>
<p>The campus is nice, but the engineering buildings looked depressing, (cinderblock/cement creations). Troy, the city was definitely depressed and forlorn looking. Many hobos walking around. Drove around Troy and did not find anything stopping for, sorry…</p>
<p>Correct me if I’m wrong, but they seem to have many profs, who went through undergrad, masters and doctorate programs here and stayed to teach. Is that good? Don’t you want profs from other schools/experiences? Also, noticed in school paper, that RPI has special ESL classes for the employees. Do they mean for their profs? I did see somewhere on CC, that a student says some of the profs are foreigners and students had trouble understanding them. The article in the RPI paper said the classes were for students and employees. I think they’re trying to disguise this, when the classes are actually for the profs. If students had trouble with English, they wouldn’t have gotten good SAT scores to be admitted to RPI. </p>
<p>Anyway, my impressions of RPI, is that is a good engineering school, with a good rep, that is very well equipped, but it didn’t seem very comfortable or inspiring to live there. The dorms were okay, the lounges were a couple of wooden pieces of furniture and a small table. The frat house across from the Student Union seemed like they had nothing to do but hang outside and scream for people to honk their horns, and drink each time someone did… In someways, the school looked like a state school. It reminded me of UMass or UMaryland. </p>
<p>Research projects are apparently abundant, you look online and seek the ones that interest you and approach the professor. BTW, we saw the curriculum for engineering students, and I did not see Biology listed, although Chemistry was, so I don’t know if that info on Biology is correct.</p>
<p>My son was admitted, but not totally sold on RPI. Awaiting final FA info. Appealed first award letter.</p>