You must first be enrolled in RPI STEP before you begin to participate in RPI STEP.
The following requirements must be met to participate:
- You must be a resident of the State of New York for at least one year, enrolled in middle or high school (grades 7-12) at a local secondary school.
- You must exhibit potential for college level study if provided academic support services.
- You must be deemed either economically disadvantaged in accordance with the criteria provided by the New York State Education Department, and/or in need of or would greatly benefit from academic enrichment or support in the STEM areas.
- You may only be enrolled in one college STEP program.
Your application is evaluated for eligibility as part of the review process. Please see the most recent income eligibility guidelines from NYSED.
RPI STEP Orientation, Application and Selection Process:
The RPI STEP application process starts each year in the spring.
ORIENTATION: RPI STEP will host information sessions in partner schools and on the RPI campus in the early spring for interested applicants and their parents. If you are interested in applying, you should attend an information session prior to completing the application process. If you are seeking information at other times of the year, schedule a meeting with the STEP Pre-College Advisor before starting the application process.
APPLICATION: You, along with your parent(s)/guardian(s) must submit the following to the RPI STEP Director on or before May 1, so that the admissions team can evaluate your potential for admission in the program:
- The complete 2025-2030 RPI STEP application (pages 3-6) and
- Your essay of 250 words, indicating:
- what excites you about STEM (science, technology, engineering and/or math) fields, and
- who or what inspired you to be interested in STEM fields.
Once applications are received, RPI STEP will reach out to the “Recommendation Contacts” you listed on page 5 of the application. The RPI STEP staff will contact your guidance counselor and math or science teacher to complete the recommendation forms and submit your most recent grades or school transcript and verify your eligibility to participate. Only complete applications will be reviewed.
SELECTION: In addition to the student eligibility criteria above, admission to RPI STEP is dependent on your academic performance, the strength of the letters of recommendation, and your potential for success as a participant in the program. If you meet the admission requirements, you will receive written notice by the end of May that you are accepted into RPI STEP and that you will be entitled to participate in RPI STEP at the beginning of the summer that year.
Download and print the RPI STEP application for more information.
If you have any questions about the program or difficulty accessing the application, contact the program office at 518-276-3098, or e-mail RPI STEP.
Once you are admitted to the program, you are entitled to continue until you graduate from high school as long as you live in the area, meet the annual obligations, and have the desire to continue. You are required to participate in at least two programs offered each year, between July 1 and June 30. You will be required to complete the RPI STEP Student Information Update Form before mid-September. The form will be mailed to your home and e-mailed to parents/guardians, and will require updates on your school, grade, Free/Reduced lunch status, career aspirations, and the completion of a short survey. Additionally, RPI STEP is required to request student grades and test scores from your school each year; we may request your help in securing these grades from your school.
RPI STEP Opportunities
RPI STEP offers a variety of STEM enrichment, academic, personal development and college preparation programs for every stage of your academic career in middle and high school. All programs are provided free-of-charge. Due to limited space, some programs may have special participation requirements or may be by invitation only.
Program offerings as of Summer 2025 are noted below, and are subject to change over time.
If you are entering the 7th, 8th, 9th or 10th grade, you are eligible to participate in a project-based day programs, typically one or two weeks in length. Summer 2025 included Roots & Shoots, VEX Robotics, Computer programming and Scientific Research!
As a student entering the 11th or 12th grade in the fall, you are eligible to participate in Summer Path to Success, focusing on career-readiness skills (resume-building, presentation-making and delivery, constructive criticism, mock interviews).
If you want to refresh your math skills and be ready for your fall math class, you can take a preparation course in Pre-Algebra, Geometry, Algebra 2 and Pre-Calculus. It doesn't matter what grade you are in to take advantage of these math classes. The same goes for entry level and advanced coding classes for interested students. All are week-long, half-day classes.
All summer programs include lunch in the dining hall each day (at no cost to you).
Here is a list of Saturday programming you can participate in this year.
VEX Robotics: You can join the VEX Robotics program and become a member of a team of students tasked with designing and building a robot to play against other teams in a game-based engineering challenge. Besides getting to design and build your own robot, you will learn lifelong skills in teamwork, leadership, communications, and more. You will attend local competitions, and hope to return to the Northern New York Championship in 2026!
Future Cities Competition: If you are in the 7th and 8th grade, you will work with teachers, scientists and engineers to compete in the Future Cities Competition and design cities that solve problems facing the community. You will participate in this program throughout the fall and compete with your team of students in the Albany regional competition in January, 2026!
Introduction to Scientific Research: As a student in the 10th and 11th grade, you will get the opportunity to develop a strong understanding of how to conduct effective scientific research in various content areas. You will then be able to employ your knowledge to research areas of personal interest and present your research at the STEP Research Symposium in May. Should you fulfill the program requirements and have an interest, you will be able to apply for research opportunities with RPI faculty.
Introduction to Engineering Design: If you are an 9th, 10th and 11th grade student and think of yourself as a problem solver who likes hands-on activities this program is for you. You will learn about the engineering design process in this interactive program! Included in the possible design challenges you will experience are mousetrap cars, bridge building, trebuchets and rocket launching and catching!
RPI STEP Leadership Club House: Are you in middle or high school and interested in learning strategies that will help you be your most successful you? The Club House provides a safe space where you will engage in fun and thoughtful exercises guided by the STEP Program Assistants. You will learn strategies that will support your social and emotional well-being and life skills for resilience so that you will be more successful in your classes at school and more prepared for success in college and in your future career.
Standardized Test Preparation: If you are an 11th or 12th grade student looking to do your best on the SAT and other tests to improve your opportunities for college, this program will not only help you make your best effort when you apply for colleges but it will prepare you with valuable critical thinking skills to perform on Regents and Advanced Placement Tests and to navigate complex everyday problems. Even though some colleges have moved away from requiring that you submit your SAT scores for admission, if you submit your scores to showcase your abilities, especially if they are above average for the schools you are interested in, they will be noticed! There is much for you to gain in participating in this program!
Path to Success-College Readiness: This program features a series of workshops across the Fall and Spring, which are focused on demystifying the college application process and encouraging college readiness. As an 11th or 12th grade student, you are invited to attend these workshops, and several opportunities also encourage parents to attend. You will hear from Admissions and Financial Aid Professionals, connect with current college students, and have opportunities to ask questions about different aspects of the college application and decision processes. You will learn about topics such as navigating applications, writing a great college essay, steps to complete financial aid forms, how to find the "right" college, and more will be covered throughout the year.
Intro to Programming: Are you interested in learning more about computer programming, and even artificial intelligence? RPI's Coding&&Community Club, a diverse group of college students who are passionate about and experienced in computer programming, facilitate interactive sessions to introduce you to the Python and JAVA programming languages so that you will have basic computer literacy skills needed for college and for the workforce of the future! It's never too late to start this program - it's open to 7th through 12th grade students!
Architecture: The RPI chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architecture Students (NOMAS) will provide another series of classes that introduce you to considerations for designing the built-world and what the life of an architect is like. You will learn about the human and environmental concerns involved in designing and building dwellings, recreational areas, landscapes and communities. In this hands-on experience you will visit a regional site each fall and spring that showcases architecture and design. Students in grades 7-12 may participate in this program.
Homework Help: Would you like help with your homework, to get ahead in school, or a chance at mastery of a topic? Our talented RPI student staff and mentors are available to help you with homework, prepare for tests, and review content.
... and more!
Details on our winter break and spring break programs are announced in January. In general, you should be looking out for exciting information on ...
Path to Success, SAT Preparation, and College Visits for the older students and field trips to STEM industry sites or relevant museums for students in grades 7-8!
Please note that all expenses (transportation, accommodations, meals) are covered by RPI STEP's grant funding. Also, we do sometimes ask for parent chaperones, in which case we cover all cost for chaperones as well.
Stay tuned for information on program announcements on future program speakers! The list below includes speakers students have met in the past!
2022 Caylin Moore, Author, Rhodes Scholar and Aspiring Professor (virtual)
2021 Dr. Bernard Harris, Medical Doctor, First African American to Walk in Space, Entrepreneur and President of the National Math and Science Initiative (virtual)
2017 Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, President, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute: "A Place for All People: Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson's Reflections on The National Museum of African American History and Culture"
2016 Chris Emdin, Ph.D.: "Hip Hop Remix of Science Education"
2015 Dr. Sampson Davis: "Living and Dying in the Brick City: Stories from the Front Lines of an Inner-City E.R."
2014 James McLurkin, Ph.D.: "Dances with Robots"
2013 David Pogue: "Disruptive Tech: What's New, What's Coming & How It Will Change Everything" (what every middle & high school student should know to optimize their success in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)
2012 Dr. Calvin Mackie, Ph.D.: "The Whole Individual: How to be Motivated & Critical-Thinking in Striving to Reach Goals"