Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

It is very difficult to get into Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The acceptance rate at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is 64%. Out of 16,854 applications received in 2023, 10,832 students were offered admission.

If you are thinking about applying to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the regular decision application deadline is January 15 and the fee for the application is $70.

Students who submit their applications to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for fall semester should receive an admissions decision no later than March 11.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Admissions Stats at a Glance

The following is an overiew of some of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's admissions stats.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 2023	Admissions Statistics
Mean Unweighted GPA	3.9
Admitted Students in Top 10% of Graduating Class	54%
Mean SAT Score	1393
Admissions Test Policy	Test Optional
Applicants Who Submit SATs	52%
Applicants Who Submit ACTs	15%
Waitlist	Yes

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Application Deadlines

These are the application deadlines for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Application Type	Offered	Application Deadline	Notification Deadline
Early Decision I	Yes	November 1	December 11
Early Decision II	Yes	December 15	January 15
Early Action	Yes	December 1	January 29
Regular Decision	Yes	1 15	March 11

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Applying Early to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?

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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute offers early decision and also offers early action. Early decision is binding, which means you must attend if you are admitted, while early action allows you to apply early without committing.

🗓️ Early Decision I applications are due by November 1 EDI applicants should receive a decision by December 11.

🗓️ Early Decision II applications are due December 15. ED II Applicants will recieve their decision before January 15.

🗓️ The Early Action deadline is December 1. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will release EA admissions decisions no later than January 29.

The early decision acceptance rate at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is 70%, compared to an overall acceptance rate of 64%.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute accepts around 96% of early action applicants and 64% all applicants for all deadlines. Last year, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute admitted 413 of the 588 students who applied early decision. In 2022, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute admitted 658 of the 687 who applied early action.

Some students apply early in hopes that it will increase their chances of being offering admission. When you apply early, your application is considered before all the regular decision applicants apply. Applying early may increase your chance of being admitted, since it is a way to show your interest in a school.

➡️ Discover a list of some selective colleges that accept significantly more applicants during early decision or early action than during regular admission.

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More on Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Admissions

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How To Get Into Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

RPI is a very difficult school to get into. RPI evaluates applicants carefully based on multiple criteria to decide who to admit, and who to deny or waitlist.

In 2022, RPI accepted 64% of all applicants, about 10,832 from the 16,854 applicants.

Schools that are very difficult to get into, like RPI, accept fewer than 60% of all applicants. At least 50% of all admitted students have GPAs in the top 10% of their high school class and scored over 1230 on the SAT and over 26 on the ACT.

Transferring to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Transfer student admissions is very difficult.

For Students Waitlisted to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has not reported data for waitlisted and admitted students.

What's Most Important for Getting Into Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?

Colleges consider a range of factors when choosing who to admit for their next incoming class. Each college decides which factors are they consider most important when choose which applicants to admit, and which to deny. When assembling your list of schools to apply to, you may want to consider your strengths and any possible weaknesses in your application, and choose schools that put the most emphasis on the admissions factors where you stand out.

Admissions Factors at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Curious about the factors that are considered by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute during the admissions process? Take a look at the list below to see which factors are most important during the admissions process.

Admissions Factor	Level
Class Rank	Very Important
Academic GPA	Very Important
Rigor of Secondary School Record	Very Important
Character/Personal Qualities	Important
Application Essay	Important
Extracurricular Activities	Important
Recommendation(s)	Important
Alumni/ae Relations	Considered
Racial/Ethnic Status	Considered
Standardized Test Scores	Considered
Talent/Ability	Considered
Volunteer Work	Considered
Work Experience	Considered
Level of Applicant's Interest	Considered
First Generation	Considered

Make sure to check with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for more information on admission factors.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 2022-2023 Application Requirements

To apply to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, all applicants must submit the following items. Check with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's admissions department to confirm all application materials and requirements.

Area	Required	Recommended	Required for Some	Details (If Any)
Written Essay or Personal Statement	–	–	√	–
Minimum High School GPA (On 4.0 Scale)	–	3	–	–
Interview	–	–	√	–
Other Requirements	–	–	√	portfolio for electronic arts
Letter(s) of Recommendation	–	1	–	–
Transcript(S) of College Record	–	–	–	–
Transcript of High School Record	–	–	√	–
Statement of Good Standing From Prior Institution(S)	–	–	–	–

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GPA and Testing

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What GPA Do I Need To Get Into Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?

Students admitted to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have an average unweighted GPA of 3.9. At Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 54% of students ranked in the top 10% of their graduating class in high school, 87% were in the top 25% and 97% were in the top 50%.

GPAs of Admitted Students

At Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, student GPAs fall in the following ranges.

GPA	Percent of Students
4.0 GPA	32.19%
3.75 and 3.99	38.29%
3.50 and 3.74	20%
3.25 and 3.49	5.72%
3.00 and 3.24	2.51%
2.50 and 2.9	1%
2.00 and 2.49	–

This chart depicts the percentage of all enrolled, degree-seeking, first-time, first year (freshmen) students who had high school grade point average within the given ranges.

Note: Some schools choose not release this information. If you have any questions regarding missing numbers, be sure to reach out to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute directly.

About GPAs

Your high school grade point average (GPA) is a number that reflects your high school academic performance. A weighted GPA or an unweighted GPA are the two possible GPA scores considered by colleges.

An unweighted GPA is an average of your scores from each class on a four-point scale. Unweighted GPAs range from 4.0 to under 1.0. A weighted GPA considers your average grade and the difficulty of your classes. A weighted GPA boosts your average by adding extra points for honors or Advanced Placement courses.

Standardized Test Scores

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is test optional. Test optional schools allow students to choose if they want to submit ACT or SAT scores with their applications or not.

In 2022, 52% of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's first-year students submitted their SAT scores with their application. 15% of admitted applicants sent ACT scores.

What is a Good SAT Score for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?

To be competitive with other Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute applicants, you should strive to earn between 1380 and 1500 (or higher!) on the SAT. At Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 25% of admitted students scored higher than 1500 and 25% of scored lower than 1380, but the majority of students scored somewhere in between these two numbers.The mean composite SAT score for a Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute student is 1393.

On the SAT Math Section, 25% of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute students scored 780 or higher and 75% of students scored 660 or higher. On the SAT Critical Reading section (formerly called the Verbal section), 25% of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute students scored 740 or higher, and 75% scored a 660 or higher.

To be most competitive at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, you should strive to earn between 30 and 34 on the ACT.

An ACT score of 34 means you fall in the 75th percentile for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's admitted students. One out of every four students scored above a 34, and three out of four students scored lower than 34 on the ACT.

A 30 on the ACT is the 25th percentile for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute students. Only one out of every four students scored below 30.

More Information on Transferring to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

For transfer students, it is very difficult to get admitted to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Transfer students can enroll in Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute during the following terms:

• Fall Term

• Winter Term

• Spring Term

• Winter Term

• Summer Term

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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Admissions FAQs

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Can I defer my acceptance to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?

✅ Yes, admitted students can defer their admission to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Does Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute accept transfer credits?

✅ Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute accepts eligible transfer credits from accredited institutions.

Does Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute accept Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) credits?

✅ Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute accepts International Baccalaureate credits (IB) credits.

Do I have to submit test scores to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?

❌ No, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is test optional, so it's up to you if you want to submit test scores or not. If you have higher than average scores, you should strongly consider submitting them. If your scores are average or below average, you it might make sense to leave them out of your application.

What is Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's acceptance rate?

✅ The acceptance rate for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is 64%.

What is the early decision acceptance rate at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?

✅ Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's early decision acceptance rate was 70% in 2021.

What is the early action acceptance rate at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?

✅ The early action acceptance rate at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute was 96% in 2021.

Want To Learn More About Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?

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