What is it? I’ll tell you what I told my mom when we left the Union after my visit: interest. Rensselaer students are both interesting and interested—a powerful combination.

Whether you realize or not, you made it through the admissions vetting process because there’s something that uniquely defines you. It’s the one constant that unites us. Having a long high-school resume, after all, isn’t really about being well-rounded; it’s about being polyhedric, with all kinds of different angles. Whether you’re a political activist who develops space shuttle experiments for NASA in your spare time, a star athlete who speaks fluent Swahili, a punk rocker who puts on concerts to raise funds to fight slavery in the Sudan, or a golfer who writes classical music, you’ll fit right in. Not, of course, because there’s anyone else quite like you. You’ll find that having something in common with another person, like putting a man on the moon, comes down to “intangibles.” All of us are too many things at once to be defined by any ready categorization (even “nerd”).

At Rensselaer, you never have to apologize for your passions. Intensity is the name of the game; though their outward personae run the gamut from chilled out to hyped up, Rensselaer students all have fire in their bellies. What’s your obsession? Camping? Community service? The can-can? Over and over again, you’ll say to yourself, “I thought she was such a quiet, unassuming person. Until—” Until you found out she could talk for hours about cytology. Until you found out he was determined to become the next world champion in crossword puzzles. Until you discovered he was starting his second business. Until you saw her name in a prominent scientific journal.

Which brings me to my next point. As my kindergarten teacher taught me, everyone is interesting in his or her own way. (I even met a few interesting people at MIT.) Having an active, outward-reaching curiosity is what really makes the difference. Take every opportunity you are given to meet new people. Rensselaer is a level playing field for everyone. You could almost call it a blank slate—you’re free to stick to your strengths or reinvent yourself. Or both, if you prefer.

I recall it all being a little overwhelming, to tell the truth. Think you’re pretty smart? Rensselaer will humble you. But even if you’re as intimidated as I was at first, you’ll realize you can more than hold your own. From section to lab to meaning-of-life debates in the wee hours, you’ll have something to say—because someone will want to hear it. Nearly 5,000 of the world’s best and brightest are about to become your interlocutors, your friends to lean on, your biggest fans, your testing ground for crazy theories—your classmates. Our appetites, for knowledge and insight and friendship alike, are insatiable. I’m a big fan of ingenuity and innovation, and I admit that every once in a while I get burned out. I start to feel like the envelope has reached its limit. Without fail, Rensselaer will prove me wrong. Someone, a professor or a friend or a classmate, will say something that triggers a new way of thought and discovery. My advice: Check your paradigm at the door.

For the next four years, you won’t know what to write down when a form asks for your permanent street address and phone number. “Do you want my phone number here, or my parents’ phone number in Montana, or my phone number in California for the summer, or my phone number in Switzerland next semester?” Rensselaer won’t let you feel completely settled—in your physical surroundings (get ready to pack everything up again at the end of the year), in your opinions (get ready to have them challenged and re-challenged), in your identity (get ready to enter a world without context, where who you are is who you decide to be). If you still aren’t sure who your new best friends are going to be after the first two weeks, don’t worry. Remember, everyone is dying to get to know you, so long as you’re willing to return the favor. That goes for all four years.

Q.E.D., Rensselaer students are a pretty phenomenal bunch, and you’re one of them. A Rensselaer education is expensive, but rest assured, you’ll get your money’s worth. It’s just one thing about Rensselaer.