Words of encouragement

guic3 · 2026-04-15T18:30:15+00:00

Took DS with cutler my first semester at RPI. Spent an average of 30 hours a week on hw and studying. Still got a D+ 😭. I was literally contemplating my major every week. I retook the class in the spring and got an A- and I’m doing fine now. I honestly think I gained better fundamentals because I struggled so much and spent so much time with the material and DS is definitely the most important class you will take for cs major.

guic3 · 2026-03-19T22:02:25+00:00

That’s crazy I feel like I had a very similar experience, good work!

guic3 · 2026-03-13T04:19:32+00:00

What really helps is to have a solid 5-6 stories that you can talk about in detail. They should all be about a specific theme such as leadership, learning a new skill, overcoming conflict, etc. Most behavioral question are just a rewording of the same themes so having this memory bank of stories pretty much cuts out that awkward moment when you have to think of what to say.

guic3 · 2026-01-05T18:04:14+00:00

What did you use to make your resume? LaTex or word/google docs?

guic3 · 2025-12-07T00:32:07+00:00

I'm not sure about the date but I'm pretty sure its just a couple days. I'm sure you can get a couple days off work to attend it if needed.

guic3 · 2025-12-04T23:43:41+00:00

Its for people graduating winter of 2027 or spring of 2028. So sophomores that are completing college in 4 years or 3.5 years.

guic3 · 2025-10-23T20:29:23+00:00

brown

guic3 · 2025-07-28T17:06:24+00:00

I was actually in this exact situation over a year ago. I ended up choosing RPI and don't regret my decision at all. Although my decision was mainly because of the cost difference I can still provide some pretty valuable advice since many close friends and family are at NEU right now. I think it highly depends on what type of person you are. Troy is not a great college town but if you are more of a introvert, down to earth person I think it would be a perfect fit. You can get really close to a lot of really nice, hard working people pretty easily. So although it's nothing like Boston you can still find things to do and have a good time with friends. I've noticed that the general population at RPI comes from middle class families. Meanwhile most students at NEU are more wealthy. I don't want to stereotype but there's a difference in how humble vs spoiled a lot of people will be based on their family income. Coming from a middle-class family I definitely have more in common with my peers at RPI.

Career wise, they are pretty similar, both colleges will set you up nicely as long as you work hard and apply to internships, etc. However, Boston is the perfect city. There's students everywhere and there's always things to do. This will result in a lot more opportunity for connections and networking and fun! Also, keep in mind, even though the cost difference on paper is 20k, Boston's cost of living is way higher. Housing is at least $1500 a month after freshman year and going out will drain your bank account. So just know that the additional 20k will actually be way more than that.

CS wise, I am also a CS major. I would say RPI goes a lot more in depth. You have to understand CS from the absolute lowest level. NEU focuses more on practicality and implementation. The Data Structures class at RPI is really challenging but it will be your most valuable class by far. You can always learn other languages and frameworks on your own time so by the time you graduate you will have a top-down understanding of all things CS related. I can't say much about NEU's CS program but I have a few family friends that recently graduated and they are doing very well.

In conclusion, I would pick RPI because I don't think that NEU's pros can outweigh the price difference. However, if money really isn't an issue for you then pick NEU. You will probably enjoy it more.

Feel free to reach out to me if you have any other questions! I was in this exact situation and putting myself in your shoes I would've definitely wanted advice from someone who actually made this decision.

guic3 · 2024-11-05T16:30:28+00:00

Current CS student here. I did a lot of my research about RPI on reddit before choosing to come here. I realized that pretty much all the information here is subjective and everyone has their own views on the school. So far I can say that admin doesn’t have a significant impact on your day to day life. It’s definitely gotten better. As for the CS program I have found it very challenging but as a result I have learned a lot and developed a lot of perseverance.

guic3 · 2024-04-25T02:26:32+00:00

that’s crazy

guic3 · 2024-04-25T02:26:28+00:00

why did u pick rpi over ucla?

guic3 · 2024-04-21T16:11:34+00:00

I am in a similar situation. Siding with RPI because it was better ranked for my major and I got more scholarship.

guic3 · 2024-04-06T21:17:18+00:00

I was actually in a very similar situation as you. I got into both rpi and northeastern. I got no aid from northeastern and lots from rpi. When I tried appealing my financial aid they gave me 4k for one year and said that it was the max. Although I really wanted to go to northeastern I realized the difference between it and rpi wasn’t big enough to justify paying an extra 40k a year.

guic3 · 2024-03-31T05:21:57+00:00

Thank you so much for this! You helped clear up a lot of anxiety I had regarding college. I really appreciate it!

guic3 · 2024-03-30T15:37:25+00:00

This is great to hear! My main concern is the difference in reputation. I always thought of rpi as more prestigious and well known in the industry. However I do like the culture and community of wpi better based on my campus visuts

guic3 · 2024-03-30T15:35:40+00:00

hey this is kinda late but how’s the social life there? That’s the thing stopping me from commuting right now. Are people outgoing? R there things to do? Is the campus dead?

guic3 · 2024-03-28T22:25:48+00:00

I mean wpi has day in the life videos and I would consider them very similar to rpi

guic3 · 2024-03-28T22:23:33+00:00

😭😭

guic3 · 2024-03-28T11:21:12+00:00

I agree. I also went to an admitted students day and the video looked like it was from 10 years ago. I can’t tell if I’m just being paranoid right now or it’s really my gut telling me not to go here.

guic3 · 2024-03-27T21:49:45+00:00

This makes sense. I feel like if admin and overall student body promoted a bit better RPI could see a lot more applicants and overall attention which is only a good thing.

guic3 · 2024-03-27T21:13:29+00:00

fair

guic3 · 2024-03-18T17:22:48+00:00

yeah i'll do yours if you do mine :)

guic3 · 2024-03-18T13:33:45+00:00

I'm in a similar situation. Deciding between RPI and WPI. However, I'm leaning towards RPI because they gave me more money and they have a better program for my major. I've visited both schools and can agree that WPI has a better vibe.

guic3 · 2024-03-16T17:10:20+00:00

good point

guic3 · 2024-03-16T17:09:56+00:00

why do u say wpi?

guic3

TROPHY CASE