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Campus Life

Freshman Applications Jump 100 Percent in
Three Years

More than 11,000 high school students filed applications to attend Rensselaer this fall, according to the Institute's Office of Admissions. The record number of applications for 2008 is up 10 percent from the previous year, and it is more than double the number received just three years ago in 2005.

“We could not be more pleased to see such a broad spectrum of talented applicants from across the country and around the world,” says James Nondorf, vice president for enrollment and dean of undergraduate and graduate admissions. “Over the past several years, we have seen an expansion of the national and international profile of the student body, as well as a significant increase in applications from women, underrepresented minorities, and those who are interested in new areas of Rensselaer’s expanding curriculum.”

Rensselaer Admissions received 11,200 total applications. This record number is a more than 10 percent increase over the previous year and represents a growth of 100 percent since 2005, when the Institute received just over 5,500 applications.

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Freshman Applications Jump 100 Percent in Three Years
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The Class of 2011, which started classes in fall 2007, had an average SAT score up almost 20 points from the previous year, and more than 65 percent of the students came from the top 10 percent of their high school classes.
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Over the last three years, applications from female and underrepresented minority students have increased by 300 and 650 percent, respectively, and international student applications to Rensselaer have increased by more than 1,100 percent.

Additionally, applications from students interested in science and biotechnology have increased by more than 250 percent, and applicants interested in the arts, humanities, and social sciences have grown by over 900 percent.

The academic quality of applicants also continues to rise. The Class of 2011, which started classes in fall 2007, had an average SAT score up almost 20 points from the previous year, and more than 65 percent of the students came from the top 10 percent of their high school classes.

And applicants have been showing a greater interest in opportunities for undergraduate research, Nondorf says. A growing number of students have been involved with research projects in high school, and they see Rensselaer as a place to continue pursuing discovery with faculty who are at the top of their fields. Expanding participation in undergraduate research is a key part of The Undergraduate Plan, which calls for challenging, engaging, and highly relevant academic programs that combine theory with experiential learning.

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Rensselaer (ISSN 0898-1442) is published in Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter by the Office of Strategic Communications and External Relations, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180-3590. Opinions expressed in these pages do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors or the policies of the Institute. ©2008 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.