Troy, N.Y. — The incoming Class of 2011 at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute promises to be an exceptional group, with the average SAT score up almost 20 points from the previous year, and more than 65 percent of the students coming from the top 10 percent of their high school classes. The high-achieving group also includes a significant increase in the number of women, the national and international profile of the student body, and those who are interested in new areas of Rensselaer’s expanding curriculum.

Competition was tight for the approximately 1,300 spots in the incoming class, with more than 10,100 students filing applications this year. This record number is a nearly 50 percent increase over the previous year and represents a growth of 82 percent in just two years, according to the Office of Enrollment Management.

“Members of the Class of 2011 clearly see what Rensselaer is doing to provide a stellar education for our students seeking an opportunity to learn and grow into world leaders in their chosen fields,” said James Nondorf, vice president for enrollment and dean of undergraduate and graduate admissions.

The Class of 2011 includes more than 400 women — nearly one third of the class, and an increase of 12 percent from the previous year. Over the past two years, applications from female students have nearly doubled, which Nondorf attributed in part to a growing number of outreach programs and academic awards created for academically talented women.

For example, Rensselaer’s “Design Your Future Day” event engages girls in activities to inform and excite them about careers in engineering, science, architecture, and technology. The annual program is held for 11th grade girls from across New York state and New England. And Rensselaer’s Severino Center for Technological Entrepreneurship established the Paul and Kathleen Severino Future Leader Award, which will be given annually to female high school juniors and seniors in recognition of their academic excellence in mathematics and science, and leadership, service, and devotion to their respective schools and communities.

“Our freshman class adds to the rich tapestry that has been a hallmark of Rensselaer’s 183-year history,” Nondorf said. “The Rensselaer community embraces the talents, achievements, curiosity, and imagination of our incoming first-year students, and all of us will benefit from the energy that they will bring to the campus.” 

Students will be coming to Rensselaer from all across the country and abroad including the Bahamas, China, Denmark, Ecuador, India, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. They are also showing heightened interest in new areas of Rensselaer’s expanding curriculum, including biotechnology, game studies, management, information technology, and the arts, according to Nondorf. 

More than 35 percent of the incoming class plans to enroll in areas that are outside of the Institute’s traditional strength in engineering. For example: 

• The number of applicants seeking careers in the sciences and biotechnology has risen by more than 50 percent since 2005, while students interested in pursuing information technology increased 109 percent from the previous year.
• The number of students planning to enroll in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences increased 32 percent.
• The number of students interested in pursuing a management degree from the Lally School of Management & Technology increased 16 percent.

New facilities and initiatives have fueled this increased interest, according to Nondorf. Rensselaer recently opened a new Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, and last year Rensselaer announced the establishment of the Computational Center for Nanotechnology Innovations (CCNI) — a $100 million partnership to create the world’s most powerful university-based supercomputing center. 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 undergraduate degree program in Games and Simulation Arts and Sciences (GSAS). The major — which builds off the success of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences’ highly popular game studies minor, created in 2004 — will equip graduates with a suite of integrated skills necessary for leaders in the game development industry.

The interdisciplinary program shared by the arts and cognitive science departments combines classes in game design with a range of courses in the arts, such as digital imaging, animation, computer music, and performance art. 

Nondorf also noted that the 2007 BusinessWeek rankings of undergraduate business programs attracted many students to consider studying management at Rensselaer. The Lally School of Management & Technology was one of nine new schools to be named to the latest list of top 50 undergraduate business programs, making its debut at number 40. Magazine staffers also asked 80,000 business majors at 123 schools to rank their programs on a scale of one to five in different academic categories. Rensselaer’s Lally School of Management & Technology came in at number two in the nation in the area of corporate strategy.

Members of the Class of 2011 will participate in student orientation programs that begin in July. The first-year students will move into residence halls and begin a weeklong program of welcoming events and team-building adventures, known as “Navigating Rensselaer and Beyond” in late August. The events are designed to help ease the transition to college life by connecting new students to each other and to resources available on campus and in the local community.

Contact: Jessica Otitigbe
Phone: (518) 276-6050
E-mail: otitij@rpi.edu