Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Alexa Flash Briefing

There are over 4,000 colleges and universities in the U.S. And while the media tends to focus on just a handful of schools, we at College Coach encourage students to think outside the box during their college selection process and explore a wide range of colleges, including this week’s School Spotlight, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. What do the inventor of the Ferris Wheel and the digital camera have in common? They both attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Situated on the Hudson River just outside the state capital of Albany, Rensselaer is a techie heaven. The university’s 6,600 undergrads can choose from an amazing array of STEM majors – such as aeronautical engineering, business analytics, and computer science – but the humanities, arts, and social sciences are alive and well, too. The popular Games & Simulation Arts & Sciences major, with courses like History and Culture of Games and Experimental Game Design, is perfect for students interested in interactive digital media. And even philosophy majors learn to appreciate the sciences here, with unique classes such as Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence and Minds and Machines. On Rensselaer’s 275-acre campus, there are over 250 organizations for students to get involved in, including Design Built Fly (the university’s remote control aircraft club), Rensselaer Cheerleaders, and the 8th Street Swing Band, not to mention 23 varsity athletic teams! Fun fact: high achieving math and science students may be awarded the prestigious Rensselaer Medal by their high schools, guaranteeing them a $100,000 scholarship if they matriculate at Rensselaer.