@Slydog This isn’t about differing opinions. It is clear that visiting is considered by admissions and by the merit committee since it helps give an idea of your interest in the school. People shouldn’t get mad when facts conflict with their opinionated beliefs. This isn’t an echo chamber, College Confidential is here to give prospective students clear-cut facts and perspectives. If people get annoyed, that’s their own prerogative.
So, again, the fact is: Interest is considered in your application to RPI as “important” in the admissions process. Many universities do not consider interest greatly, including many Ivies and peer institutions- RPI does. According to the common data set, interest is weighted equally as important as ECs and recommendation letters. Interest can be shown not only through visiting, but also other components of your application, which are all weighted holistically. If you live 1000 miles away, obviously your application will matter more than if you visited, but if you are local and don’t visit - it will be seen and considered in the admissions process. But, again, it is not a requirement and that might not even matter, since, again, the application is holistic and your essay/other things can show interest.
This is a fact, and can be confirmed through the Common Data Set as well as other official documentation available through RPI. But, again, it’s all hollistic - if you’re really phenomenal and fit RPI, they’ll forgo your interest level. Also, that article is an opinions piece - it says nothing quantitatively about students not going on tours. There were a record number of tours this year and the year before, as well as applications.
Source: http://provost.rpi.edu/sites/default/files/CDS_2016-17%20Final%20Version.pdf#overlay-context=institutional-research/common-datasets (check page 6 - if you don’t like my answer, email admissions@rpi.edu and you’ll get the same response)
Also, the tour number information can be seen in the Class of 2020 post on InsideRensselaer from last year.