RPI worth the debt?

dadinator
Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:32:34 +0000

I’m glad evertything has gone so well!

My S is just heading back to start his sophmore year. I had a discussion with another parent whose S is going to a highly ranked, flagship state school. The difference in the two schools was rather startling - the flagship school had virtually no orientation program at all (I think the kids had a barbacue one afternoon and then a free movie that night), the class selection process for freshman was a feeding frezny, there was no one to talk to for help in courses, housing , etc.

It made me appreciate the level of service at RPI (that I had been sort of taking for granted).

One other point, though - the kids that I have spoken to do not seem to have a very high opinion of Dr. Jackson - they had a joke that the only times you see her are at freshman orientation and then at graduation. They are all very negative about her elevated salary and her being on so many outslde Boards of Directors. Oh, and they don’t like the fact that a new 19,500 square foot house is being build for her at a cost of $3.5 million.

All in all, as a parent, I have been very pleased with my S’s choice of RPI.