If you can make the trip during the Spring Semester obviously he will have a better chance to meet other students and professors. You might consider going during E-days which is April 10th through the 13th. Its Mines student run spring festival and it’s a lot of fun. Check it on their website. You can probably line up some meetings with a professor or a program director because they cancel class on that Friday for the students to participate.
1 Like
While 300 sunny days may not be true, my son traded Colorado sunshine for upstate NY weather for college. He’d assure you that the weather in Colorado is far superior - although he also has to deal with lake effect, so perhaps RPI isn’t as bad! I think there’s a slight regional bias in how well known these schools are (having lived on both coasts), but all are respected enough that the difference is negligible, and he should go for fit.
Good luck on the search!
Three of my sorority sisters from CU married Mines boys. It is not unusual at all (or to just go to parties there, which I’ll admit to doing a few times)
1 Like
Ah, RPI. As you may have guessed, I’m a long ago grad. In the late 80’s and early 90’s it was easily considered a peer of Georgia Tech, CMU, U Mich and the like. WPI and NU were safeties. Unfortunately, the institute’s ranking dropped precipitously over the last 20’years due to an incompetent and autocratic president. That affected the applicant pool and RPI is now a WPI peer in the rankings and perhaps an NU safety.
However, the fundamental education remained rigorous and of the highest quality. The results are clearly evident in the workplace and graduate schools. This will read as harsh and arrogant but my biased opinion is that RPI alumni on the whole outperform and outwork those from the other schools on this thread.
Thr good news is that RPI has a new president who seems to be making the right moves to reestablish the ‘tute’s prestige among the college applicant/highly-involved-parent population.
Other factors: Troy is cold, gray and dreary in the winter. No other way to spin it. Great time to study. However, decent Vermont skiing isn’t that far.
Greek system is still a major presence, which could be good or bad depending on your perspective.
The male:female ratio is still > 1 although not the 5:1 when I attended.
To somewhat of my chagrin both of our kids are diehard humanities majors so no engineering for them. However, I suggest RPI to their STEM friends.
5 Likes
Back when I attended RPI we could get humanities credits at Russell Sage. Of
course, my fellow engineers and Arch-e’s enjoyed the more militant feminist professors. it was a nice change of pace. w
To what extent do you think that the deterioration of the city of Troy contributed to the decline of RPI?
1 Like
I hope this doesn’t sound too snarky - is Troy really worse now than it was in the 1980s? My (much) older brother graduated from RPI in the early 80s. Troy was pretty run down back then and there was a very good reason that the RPI students referred to the locals as Troylets. Lol. From what I have heard there has been quite a bit of urban renewal, but I haven’t been there in years. FWIW, my brother always talks about how well respected RPI is in industry even though it may not be well known to the average person on the street. He began his career at the old Bell Labs working side by side with Nobel prize winners. The last time he visited us, he expressed a similarly high regard of the Colorado School of Mines. My son’s girlfriend graduated from Mines in 2022. The consensus seemed to be that they are very similar academically, but Mines wins out for the location.
3 Likes
Troy’s rise and fall cycles aren’t firmly coupled to those of RPI. I attended when RPI was well regarded all around, yet Troy was a dump and getting worse. The city was much improved, at least cosmetically, in the 2000’s while the institute suffered poor leadership.
1 Like
Troy has been “up and coming” for decades. Although it is better now than the late 80’s and early 90’s. It obviously will never be Boston, Berkeley, Colorado, or Austin.
That said, if you intend to be a dedicated, career engineer (rather than a “slide rule snapping salesman” as my grandfather used to say) RPI’s boot camp like approach provides the best preparation.
2 Likes
Interesting to see that 3 years after her retirement RPI alums are still complaining about Dr. Jackson. One of the things for which she caught a lot of heat was The Arch. I actually think that is one of the best things about RPI. The few students I know who went to RPI had no problem with it, yet her critics have called it a “scam” among other things. Things can get pretty heated.
I know nothing about Dr. Jackson (but just read a few webpages now), but for an unpopular president, she lasted a heck of a long time (23 years?).
1 Like
She deftly maneuvered herself politically to maintain her position. For much of her tenure she was the most highly paid university president in the country. Dr Jackson had solid academic credentials but that doesn’t necessarily translate to executive leadership.
However, I still maintain that RPI’s technical education is superior. If your child really wants to be an actual engineer and has thick skin, the institute will provide outstanding preparation. It is not for everyone.
3 Likes
It’s a “fit school” like so many others. But agree with you- exceptional education.
As a double couple alumni from RPI graduating late 90’s early 00’s I recommend the school highly. There was no arch program back then.
2 Likes
I think all three of these schools provide an excellent education, so it’s not just that. It’s more really the vibe of the place to see what fits your kid better. Companies that hire engineers know all of these, and respect all of them. They each offer something unique and different and those things are all beneficial in different ways.
7 Likes