Undergraduate applications jump almost 50 percent in one year

Troy, N.Y. — More than 10,000 high school students have filed applications to attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, setting a record with an increase of almost 50 percent over the previous year, according to numbers released today by Rensselaer’s Office of Enrollment Management.

“We couldn’t be more excited to see such a broad spectrum of amazing applicants from across the country and around the world,” said James G. Nondorf, vice president for enrollment and dean of undergraduate and graduate admissions. “Prospective students and their parents are clearly recognizing the outstanding education Rensselaer has to offer.” 

As of today, Rensselaer’s Office of Enrollment Management has received 10,100 total applications. This record number is a more than 46 percent increase over the previous year and represents a record growth of 81 percent in just two years. Of particular interest are the following figures:

• Over the past two years, applications from female students have risen 96 percent and applications from historically underrepresented students have increased 147 percent.
• Applications from international students have increased 145 percent from two years ago.
• The number of applications for students interested in science and biotechnology increased 64 percent, while applications from students interested in the arts, humanities, and social sciences rose 122 percent from 2005.

Rensselaer continues to reach out to the world’s best and brightest, Nondorf said. For example, Rensselaer President Shirley Ann Jackson recently joined U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Dina Habib Powell, and a delegation of 11 other United States university and college presidents on a trip to Japan, Korea, and China to promote U.S. higher education in Asia. The delegation met with key government officials, university leaders, students, business leaders, and others during the trip.

Students are showing heightened interest in “hot” new areas of Rensselaer’s expanding curriculum, including biotechnology, game studies, and the arts, according to Nondorf. New facilities and initiatives have fueled this increased interest outside traditional strengths in areas such as engineering. Rensselaer recently opened a new Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies; and the upcoming Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC) is drawing the attention of artists and scientists from around the world. 

In addition to the promise of EMPAC, new programs also have generated growing interest in the arts at Rensselaer. The Institute recently added a bachelor of science degree in Design, Innovation, and Society, while also launching a new game studies minor — an interdisciplinary program shared by the arts and cognitive science departments that combines classes in game design with a range of courses in the arts, such as digital imaging, animation, computer music, and performance art.

Contact: Jason Gorss
Phone: (518) 276-6098
E-mail: gorssj@rpi.edu