Applying Early Decision to RIT

Unsure about where to attend college with looming deadlines and a plethora of choices? No worries! Your feelings are normal as scores of teenagers like yourself decide on their desired career path. College admissions have multiple deadlines depending on how committed you are to attending a school, and RIT is no exception. I applied to RIT through the Early Decision program because of their generous scholarships, thriving co-op program, bustling career fairs, and a campus culture that accommodated shy nerds like myself. I have summarized RIT’s deadlines and provided basic notes about them in the table below:

*If you determine RIT is not financially feasible, you can request to be released from the early decision obligation. RIT usually grants these requests as long as they’re not made in bad faith    

Applying early decision is a binding act. If you are accepted, you must accept the offer and withdraw all pending applications to other higher education institutions. Early decision offers are not legally binding and can be withdrawn under highly specific circumstances, such as demonstrating that you cannot afford tuition after reviewing your financial aid package. 

I can attest to a plethora of advantages for applying ahead of the curve, which included but were not limited to:

• Received my generous financial aid package before deciding to fully commit. Having the security of knowing that I could afford attending the school helped solidify the confidence in my decision to attend
• I was less stressed about college admissions during my senior year of high school. Having to commit to RIT before January 15th allowed me to spend the remaining months of the year concentrating on finishing strong with stellar grades
• Related to the timing piece, I could secure rentals like a storage unit or UHaul before there was a large rush later in the year for college students
• I had more time to connect with incoming students and formed friendships before I even arrived in Rochester
• Priority dorm selection when applying for housing

All these advantages compounded to reduce my anxiety about the transition from high school to college. I was never worried about my next steps after receiving my high school diploma. My excitement was uncontainable as someone who desired to revitalize myself socially in an environment with people more similar to myself. 

The level of commitment early decision commands can make prospective students apprehensive about their choice. It requires abundant courage to determine how you want to shape your life, and then execute on those ideas. You don’t have to possess boundless ambition to apply to RIT — in fact, you can apply early decision without selecting a major. RIT has multiple undeclared pathways called explorations that you can select such as art, business, engineering, photographic arts, and more. Depending on the program, you are given between two and four semesters (one to two years) to choose a major that aligns with your career interests. Once you select your major, you will still complete the program within a total of four years, so you will not be losing any time compared to already declared students.

Not all majors are completed in a standard four years. My major as a civil engineering technology student requires 5 years to complete instead of the standard 4, but I would be entering the workforce with over a year worth of internship experience. I recognized the combination of higher education and work experience would be a valuable asset at the start of my career. I knew having the professional work experience before accepting my full-time offer would bolster my resume against other civil engineering candidates from colleges that don’t require co-ops. The benefits of RIT’s co-op program don’t end with simply the jobs; I feel more confident walking into interviews since I’ve completed a multitude of them to gather the experience I possess today. I have also learned how to network with industry professionals, to the point where I’ve garnered interviews from solely having a genuine conversation with them!

When I toured RIT’s campus, I knew that it was going to become my home for the next five years. I am an introvert to my core. I desired an environment where I could socialize but not be judged for having a weak social battery. This campus has an abundance of niche clubs and unique crafts events for shy nerds like myself to dive into, free of contemptuous eyes. There is no requirement for you to be anything other than your authentic self. If you’re closer to the athletic type, the campus has you covered as well! RIT has a two-story gym equipped with every machine you could ever need, both an indoor and outdoor track field, and multiple indoor gym courts for volleyball, basketball, badminton, dodgeball, et cetera.

Applying early decision was one of the best decisions I ever made in my college applications process after touring RIT. If you participate in a tour and leave RIT with the same comforting feeling of belonging and acceptance, make sure you apply by the aforementioned early decision deadline. You will not regret your choice committing to a school that prides itself on providing opportunities for a diverse student body to grow in whatever ways they may need.