Tag Archive for 'college admissions'

I typed this post up on my MacBook Pro in the back seat of a car on the way home from RPI; it’s fresh from my head and notes. I had a fun day, it’s a great school, I grabbed much more than a course guide, and I took plenty of photos and notes to share. Today, I share my notes.

After arriving in Troy, my parents and I found our glorious destination of a welcome parking lot where we were shuttled to the main facility for the Summer Visiting day. There, my parents and I were given the option to eat luxurious food. We chose turkey wraps, which my parents loved and I merely tolerated.

Then, my family and other families were greeted by the Dean of Admissions and Aid at RPI. He was a really nice guy, funny and genuine, too. He offered advice about getting admitted to RPI and other ‘selective schools’, defined as schools with an admission rate under 50%.

He started with the notion that admission is a game of chance, and not to take it personally in case of rejection. He joked that he could kill everyone in the Freshman class, replace them with those who were turned down, and no one would notice. He explained that RPI does a holistic review for the admissions process including high school transcript, SAT scores, a recommendation letter, and extracurricular activities. The Dean said that every piece counts, but clearly stated that the high school transcript is the most important component at RPI. “What you took, and how you did,” he put it. Here’s the rest of his talk, broken down by category: Continue reading ‘Lessons from RPI’