I've been a fan of Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts for some time and was pleased to spend the morning there today with two wonderful colleagues. I just have to say that the three of us had the impression that the students here are happy. There was a strong sense of a vibrant, active student body. The campus center was buzzing with activity, including an employer recruiting for internships and jobs. Each year in fact, over 400 companies visit and recruit on campus. There are paid summer internships and co-ops starting in the first year. In fact, the Princeton Review rates WPI 5th in the country for career services. WPI is all about project-based learning. For students who have not been exposed to that type of educational environment before, WPI offers a Great Problems Seminar, which is optional for all freshmen, to acclimate them to working in teams and applying their knowledge. What you might not know is that they have a non-punitive grading policy. Students receive an A, B, C or "no record" for every class, which encourages students to dive in and try something new. WPI is test-blind which means that they don't consider test scores, and there's no application fee. With merit scholarships up to $25,000 WPI is a great option for STEM students.