Where to Find Admissions, Student Experience, and Research Information on the RPI Website

Updated

The RPI homepage (rpi.edu) puts the three sections you're most likely to need—Admissions, Student Experience, and Research—in the main navigation, so you can reach any of them in one click from the top of the page. Use this guide if you're a prospective student, a family member, or a researcher trying to get to the right part of the site without hunting through menus.

Main Navigation: The Fastest Route

The site's main navigation is the primary way the homepage organizes information for different visitors. The three links relevant here are:

Section Who it's for What you'll find there
Admissions Prospective undergraduates, transfers, and graduate applicants Application information and the path to enrolling
Student Experience Admitted and current students, plus families comparing schools Campus life and what studying at RPI is actually like
Research Prospective graduate students, faculty, and research partners The university's research enterprise and areas of strength

If you only remember one thing: start at the top navigation bar, not the body of the homepage. The homepage content is built around storytelling and news, while the navigation is built for getting to a specific destination.

What the Homepage Itself Tells You

Even before you click through, the homepage surfaces claims that are useful context for each section:

  • "We think big. We build bigger." — the framing statement for RPI's innovation identity, which sets the tone for the Research section.
  • "1st University with an IBM Quantum System One on Campus" — a research distinction worth following up in the Research section.
  • "Top 15 College for Launching Your Career" and "Top 100 Patent-Producing University" — outcomes-oriented claims that pair naturally with Admissions and Research content.
  • "70%+ Undergraduates Participate in Research" — the single most useful number for prospective students weighing RPI, and a reason to check both Admissions and Research.

These are the university's own stated highlights. Treat them as pointers to what each section will emphasize, not as independently verified rankings.

Featured Stories: Where Current News Lives

Below the main navigation, the homepage runs a Featured Series: The Bar Raisers and profile pieces such as Unexpected Paths: Moussa Ngom and Engineering With Empathy: Raquel Velho. A Featured News area carries items like a national quantum computing leader joining RPI, the university advancing a community childcare center, and local high school students visiting for National Manufacturing Day, with a View More News link to the full news stream.

Use these if you want a feel for the institution's current priorities. They are not a substitute for the Admissions or Research sections when you need concrete application or program details.

A Practical Path Depending on Your Goal

  • Applying as an undergraduate: Go to Admissions first, then cross-reference Student Experience to judge fit, and skim Research only if undergraduate research participation matters to your decision (the homepage cites 70%+ participation).
  • Looking for a graduate program or lab: Start with Research, then use Admissions for application mechanics.
  • Comparing RPI to other schools: Read Student Experience and the featured profiles for culture, and note the homepage's outcome claims so you can check them against each school's own published data.

Common Sticking Points

  • The homepage is story-driven, so specific program pages, deadlines, and requirements are not on it—follow the navigation links rather than scrolling.
  • The featured series and news rotate; a story you saw earlier may move to the news archive behind View More News.
  • The site does not publish pricing or login details on the homepage, so don't assume cost or access terms from what you see there—confirm them within the Admissions section.