Please find answers to frequently asked questions for prospective students below. If you have any other questions, please feel free to reach out to us at admissions@rpi.edu or finaid@rpi.edu.
We are currently offering in-person tours to prospective students. Tour Registration Page
While there is flexibility to change your major once you are here, you are encouraged to be as specific as you can when you choose a major (or school) on your application. If you are interested in the Architecture, Electronic Arts, Music, or Games and Simulation Arts and Sciences program, we recommend that you apply directly to that program. Students interested in the Accelerated Physician-Scientist (B.S./M.D.) Program must apply directly to that program.
You can major in almost anything at Rensselaer while preparing yourself for medical school, but most students who want to pursue medical school choose something in our School of Science (often biology or chemistry). Interested students may enlist the assistance of the Pre-Health Committee, a group of professors who will guide students interested in medical school (or other health professions) through their four years, making sure they are putting themselves in the best position possible when it comes time to apply to the professional school of their choice. Questions about the advising process may be addressed to prehealth@rpi.edu.
Yes, the application process for the B.S./M.D. program is very different than for our general programs. Please be sure to review the FAQs specific to this program below, and the information for Physician-Scientist Program (B.S./M.D.) Applicants.
No, we do not offer interviews as a part of the application process.
However, applicants are welcome to record a GLIMPSE video. Glimpse is an opportunity to share a 60-90 second video helping us to get to know you better. For more information about Glimpse please visit the Glimpse website. Currently, Glimpse is only available for U.S. students attending high school in the United States. For consideration in Rensselaer’s admissions process, Glimpse videos must be submitted by 11/15 for Early Decision I, 12/15 for Early Action, 1/10 for Early Decision II, and 1/29 for Regular Decision.
For international applicants, Rensselaer will also consider interviews from InitialView. InitialView materials provide applicants with an opportunity to talk about their background, experience, and interests in the context of an unscripted, informal conversation. Applicants interested in an InitialView interview are encouraged to make a reservation.
Yes, all first and second-year students are required to live on campus and participate in a meal plan. Living on campus is a critical component of the CLASS (Clustered Learning, Advocacy, and Support for Students) experience. It provides students with the opportunity to live, learn, and experience Rensselaer and the local Troy area with members of their cohort.
Students with extenuating financial or medical/health-related circumstances can request a housing waiver; however, waivers are only granted for extreme and extenuating circumstances. Signing a lease off-campus, living locally, or roommate concerns will not typically result in a housing waiver.
Dining Services at Rensselaer takes great pride in serving the needs of all of our students. We meet one-on-one with any student with individual dining needs to ensure their dining experience is safe, delicious, and social. For more information or to contact our Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, visit the Dining Services website.
Rensselaer welcomes students of all identities, abilities, and backgrounds, and aims to provide an equitable and inclusive experience in higher education both in our campus community, and within the classrooms.
We have a variety of support services on campus to help your transition to college life and to help maintain your long-term success as well. Some examples include Disability Student Services and the First Year Experience Office within the Office of Student Success. We also offer 1:1 and group tutoring, mentoring, and advising services in the Advising, Learning, and Assistance Center. If you want to receive accommodations of any kind due to a diagnosis that impacts your college experience, you will work directly with the Disabilities Student Services office to determine your eligibility for specific accommodations based on your needs. They assist with housing accommodations, classroom accommodations, and even connect students with various social support groups and organizations both at Rensselaer and off-campus.
For more information and examples of the common types of accommodations that students on campus receive, please visit:
Questions? Email one of our Accessibility and Neurodiversity Liaisons in the undergraduate admissions office:
There are plenty of ways to express demonstrated interest without leaving your house!
We look forward to connecting with you!
Yes! We do allow students to defer their start at Rensselaer for one or two semesters. Please note that we only defer enrollment, not admission, so you will need to place your $500 enrollment deposit before your defer request will be reviewed.
Students who wish to defer their enrollment may take courses on a non-matriculated basis at another institution. If you matriculate elsewhere, or take 12 or more transferrable credits, you will need to re-apply as a transfer student.
It is recommended that students studying the following majors NOT request a deferral to the spring semester due to the layout of the course curriculum:
Please email us at admissions@rpi.edu with any questions about our deferral policy.
In the past, a student’s race/ethnicity has been just one aspect of a holistic review process at Rensselaer. Moving forward, in accordance with the recent U.S. Supreme Court Decision SFFA v. Harvard and SFFA v. UNC (2023), Rensselaer will be suppressing all student race/ethnicity data (collected in the recruitment and application phases) during the application review process.