Welcome Families
Family Weekend Registration is now OPEN! The following Family Weekend schedule of events are included in regular registration, some events require additional ticketing which you can find in the pre-registration form. Enjoy our 'choose your own adventure' format with or without your student as time allows!
Friday, October 27th
You'll need to stop at the Family Weekend Welcome Center to pick up your packet and spirit wear. We will have refreshments to get your day started on the right foot, too!
Have a sibling in the college search or just want a more in depth look from a student ambassadors point of view? Schedule a tour
We are pleased to offer you a chance to experience what it's like to be a Rensselaer student! The classes listed here will be open for you to visit on Friday. While these are mostly formal instructional periods, all are welcome to attend. Classroom space is limited.
The Office of International Programs, (OIP) would like to invite students and their families to come and learn about study abroad opportunities available at Rensselaer.
join John Kolb, Vice President for Information Services and Technology and Rensselaer alumnus, as he discusses the history and traditions of Rensselaer.
Come hear from staff in the Center for Career and Professional Development on how to use opportunities, resources, and programs available to students to assist in securing an opportunity. Topics covered include: hiring statistics, CCPD digital and in person resources, navigating career management platform, and an overview of todays job market and hiring trends. Can’t make the session? Connect with the CCPD at ccpd@rpi.edu .
Many of our upper-class and graduate students decide to live off campus during their RPI Experience. Come learn more about the support and resource provided by the Off-Campus Commons and meet some of the landlords that work to support that transition to off campus housing.
Burnout is quite the buzzword these days, and for good reason. If it feels like everyone is burned out, is there any way to beat it? There is! Join us for this workshop, which dives into the physiology of the stress cycle, the role stress plays in burnout, and evidence-based ways to reduce and prevent burnout in your day-to-day life.
The new School of Science HUB is located in in Empire State Hall. Come check out the new space where the Science Hub advisors are available to assist students!
Hear from current student leaders on the best ways to navigate your Rensselaer journey. This is an installment suitable for all cohorts but a follow up from our orientation panel from August.
Join members of our parent council for a thoughtful discussion on how to best support your student throughout all aspects of the Rensselaer experience. Questions are welcome.
Join staff from The Arch for a presentation on program expectations and guidelines. As part of The Arch, you will spend the summer after your sophomore year on campus separate from the rest of the student body, providing added opportunities to further develop relationships with one another and with staff and faculty members. Staff will be available to answer questions about what to expect and how to best leverage The Arch to meet your academic and career goals.
This weekend is intended to welcome the family and friends of Cadets at DET550! Family members will learn more about the training that is conducted at the detachment, and will be able to speak to Cadre and Cadets about their experiences. Events will include group leadership projects, drill demonstrations, and the Oath of Enlistment for contracting Cadets.
Join the Undergraduate Class Councils for a night of fright and fun! Carve a pumpkin, create a creature, enjoy some fall treats and much more!
Cheer on the Engineers! Tickets can be purchased in pre-registration or on site.
Admission is $3 cash or venmo.
Experience Rensselaer through a real ghost storyteller. Tickets available in pre-registration.
Bring your family to the Clubhouse Pub for a fun night of trivia: 10 general questions, two music rounds, a speed round, and a final question. Prizes awarded to the top three teams. Space is limited to 18 teams. Be sure to sign up early.
An evening of performance conducted by The Rusty Pipes, a co-ed acapella group at RPI. A cafe-style show will be performed with a brief intermission in which a dessert auction will take place featuring some of Troy's local businesses.
See RPI's improv troupe perform a fall variety show.
Saturday, October 28th
You'll need to stop at the Family Weekend Welcome Center to pick up your packet and spirit wear. We will have refreshments to get your day started on the right foot, too!
Join President Schmidt for a presentation on Rensselaer's progress and accomplishments as he welcomes you to campus for Family Weekend 2023.
Visit the largest farmer's market in the region and one of Troy's pride points, our farmer's market!
An annual event to celebrate the outstanding academic accomplishments of our students and faculty, including the Rensselaer Medalists, the Founders Award of Excellence, 4.0 achievers, and Graduate Fellow Recipients.
The Rensselaer Union's 33rd annual International Festival will feature multicultural food and performances by clubs and organizations that celebrates the many cultures present at RPI.
The Forge, RPI’s student-run makerspace, Take a walk through our space that’s home to dozens of 3d printers and other machines, and talk with our trained staff about any questions you might have - about manufacturing, RPI, or anything else about student life on campus!
Who was the longest tenured Chairman of the Federal Reserve? Which nation has the highest GDP per capita? If you know the answers or want to find out over lunch, join the Economics Department for an economic trivia contest while enjoying your lunch.
Cheer on the Engineers and celebrate our seniors!
Enjoy fall activities, vendors, music and more while cheering on athletic events at ECAV!
As part of Fall Fest- the Interfraternity Council, IFC Block Party will showcase various activities hosted or co-hosted by IFC fraternities. Limited food and games will be provided along the sports complex, creating a vibrant fair-like atmosphere.
Cheer on the Engineers against Ithaca College.
Pre-registration is not required for this event.
Household Playoffs is a highly interactive program put on by Leadership Educators Advising Peers (LEAP) to incorporate communication and team building elements into a hands-on, active, and fun bonding session for families. This event is limited to the first 30 participants.
Halloween costumes are encouraged with prizes for best costume! Cheer on the Engineers and skate with the team following the game. Free skate rentals will be available!
Cheer on the Engineers!
The Office of Student Success cordially invites you to a Meet and Greet event. This interactive event seeks to bring all Bridge cohorts together. This is a great opportunity to meet and socialize with other Bridge scholars, learn about exciting opportunities, and interact with the Student Success staff.
Come to an evening supporting Engineers Without Borders global projects, featuring project representatives, cultural speakers from ASA, SHPE and AL, Ugandan and Panamanian food, and performances by CJE, WJO and Astrotot. Help us reach our goal of $5,000 to build infrastructure in underprivileged communities!
The Rensselaer Music Association present their fall performances.
Family Weekend Wine and Cheese Reception - All are welcome to join us at the C+CC for for wine and cheese after the 5 p.m. mass.
Get your tickets during pre-registration. Funds support children's cancer research.
Admission is $3 cash or venmo at the door.
Bring your family to the Clubhouse Pub for a fun night of trivia: 10 general questions, two music rounds, a speed round, and a final question. Prizes awarded to the top three teams. Space is limited to 18 teams. Be sure to sign up early.
The 70-member Rensselaer Orchestra and the Rensselaer Concert Choir will join forces to present expressive and enthralling works by Debussy, inti figgis-vizueta, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, and Inocente Carreño.
Observe the Stars, the Planets, and More and The Hirsch Observatory which has been serving students, researchers, and the public since 1942.
This cabaret aims to explore multiple perspectives of life in America. From the good, to the bad, to the noteworthy, and the forgotten. Stories of perseverance and hope, tales of strength and diversity, and the moments where everything seems to fall apart. Life in America can be this wide variety of events and more, and we intend to showcase the people and their stories.
Join Rensselaer's five a cappella groups for a night of great music and fun! This will be an in-person performance that you can invite your family to stream and enjoy along with you! Refreshments will also be available.
Sunday, October 29th
Join us for Sunday mass followed by coffee hour.
Join us for a celebration of student leadership hosted by our student government leaders. Tickets can be reserved in the pre-registration form.
Join here when it's time.