For this reason, most of the things that I was talking about with recruiters didn’t relate to engineering at all. Instead, I found myself talking about my experiences being a leader in student government and in my fraternity. Conversation topics also included the unique aspects of being at RPI within the capital region. It is easy to forget about all of the minute details that make this such an amazing place to go to school. Small details like hanging out in downtown Troy, being involved in clubs and organizations, or even going to RPI hockey games make great conversation topics that allow you to connect with recruiters on a more personal level and set you apart from the rest of the candidates they talk to in a given day—especially those at other schools. Finally, a topic that many people were interested in was the grand opening of the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (it’s hard to miss something that big on a weekend like this). I was even lucky enough to run into a recruiter for a second time down at EMPAC, while waiting in line for an exhibit.

The point that I am trying to make here is to take full advantage of everything available to you at RPI. This is an exciting time to be going to school here; with an ever-changing campus, there are more things being offered to us than ever before in Rensselaer’s history. Things like EMPAC, the East Campus Athletic Village, and the Rensselaer Union give us students—who are already getting a world-class education in technical fields—exposure to a wide range of experiences and opportunities that make us more well-rounded people. Learning from my experience talking to recruiters and working at my internships, being multi-faceted is what makes Rensselaer graduates so successful.