Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Located in Worcester, MA; Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) was founded in 1865 as Worcester County Free Institute of Industrial Science.  It is the third oldest private independent technological university in the U.S.  With internships, co-ops and a vigorous career development center, over 90% of graduates have jobs lined up upon graduation.  Keep in mind, more than half of all WPI students are majoring in some type of Engineering.  So it comes as no surprise that the men to women ratio is skewed 4:1. 

WPI is a world renowned engineering school.  Fans of the Segway PT will be pleased to know Dean Kamen attended WPI (but never graduated).  What sets WPI aside from the other world renowned engineering schools is its founding motto of Theory and Practice.  Students must complete three projects, one in each of their sophmore, junior, and senior year.  A Humanities Project must encompass a Humanities concern in their sophmore year.  An Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP) in the junior year is WPI’s most distinctive academic requirement, and is unique in higher education.  Each student’s IQP must relate technology and science to society or human needs.  Many of the projects are sponsored by external agencies and done in teams of 2-4 students.  The Major Qualifying Project (MQP) where all students must complete in their senior year has many of the students completing their projects abroad.  By the time students complete their bachelors degree they already have real world work experience.  

WPI also has a unique academic system, instead of the traditional two semesters, it has a quarter system.  Each of the four terms is seven weeks long and each student takes three courses each term, with some taking four.  With this quickened pace, an exam occurs every few weeks for each class, so it keeps you constantly on your toes.  The grading system is similarly unique.  There are only four grades available: A, B, C, and NR for No Record.  This is to promote team building, since students are no longer competing with each other over modifiers such as plus and minuses.  Any grade less than a C are an automatic NR, where students may elect to take the course over again.  There is no record of the first attempt on the transcript.

Admittedly, there is much less press on WPI then it’s peer engineering schools of MIT, RPI, and Columbia University.  It is located close enough to the bigger cities of Boston (less than one hour away) and New York City (two hours away), but housing is only guaranteed for freshmen.  Most upper classmen live off campus.  WPI also did alway with open lawn space.  Evidently, engineers tend to hole up in their dorm rooms playing computer games rather than spend time outdoors.   At any liberal arts and science colleges you would expect to find dozens of students outside taking advantage of good weather.  On the day of our visit it was warm and sunny.  We counted two students out on the small lawn adjacent to the Admissions Office. 

Students who applied to WPI also looked at MIT, Cal Tech, and Columbia University.  For more information on Worcester Polytechnic Institute, visit http://www.wpi.edu/

Worcester Polytechnic Institute is located at 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA  01609 (508)831-5000