RCNJ

An article in the April 20, 2006 edition of The Wall Street Journal touts Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the Rensselaer Medal scholarship as an excellent merit-based award that middle and upper-income families can use to get their children good educations at a substantial discount to the Ivy League. According to the article:

At some schools that are well-regarded, though not Ivy League, the discounts can be hefty. At Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, in Troy, N.Y., which costs about $40,000 a year, about a quarter of last fall's freshman class of 1,250 received merit scholarships averaging about $15,000 each.

Offers such as Rensselaer's have "great appeal to the many families that are not eligible for need-based aid -- the only kind offered by Ivy League colleges -- but are squeezed by current prices."

The Rensselaer Medal has been awarded for more than 85 years to "promising secondary school juniors who have distinguished themselves in mathematics and science.... {Its goals are} to recognize the superlative academic achievement of young men and women, and to motivate students toward careers in science, engineering, and technology."

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Posted by Dave Aiello at 10:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Albany Times Union reports that Rensselaer held its honors convocation on Sunday at the Alumni Sports and Recreation Center in Troy. At this event, over 300 students were awarded the Rensselaer Medal, a recognition of excellence in science and mathematics during their junior years in high school. According to the article:

For more than 85 years, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, in conjunction with high schools around the world, has awarded the Rensselaer Medal to high school juniors who have distinguished themselves in math and science.

The Rensselaer Medal carries with it a $15,000 annual scholarship. The scholarship is guaranteed for a maximum of four years to each medalist who is accepted by and enrolls at RPI.

RPI President Shirley Ann Jackson, who was a Rensselaer Medal winner herself, said the program is a wonderful way for RPI to "identify talented students who excel in science and math." Conversely, for students and their parents, the scholarship that accompanies the medal "enables young persons to avail themselves" of the educational opportunities offered at RPI. The yearly scholarship was increased from $10,000 to $15,000 in 2002.

A number of other awards and recognitions took place at the convocation, including the Founders Award, to 68 students for "creativity, leadership, discovery, and the values of pride and responsibility", and an honorary doctorate to New York State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno.

Faculty recognitions included:

• Dr. Georges Belfort for his induction to the National Academy of Engineering,
  
• Dr. Igor Vamos for winning a Guggenheim Fellowship,
  
• Dr. Robert Linhardt for assuming the Ann and John H. Broadbent Jr. ’59 Senior Constellation Chair in Biocatalysis and Metabolic Engineering, and
  
• Jong-Shi Pang for assuming the Margaret A. Darrin Distinguished Professor in Applied Mathematics.
  

Posted by Dave Aiello at 5:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)