Worcester Polytechnic Institute - WPI

Founded in 1865 in Worcester, Mass., WPI is one of the nation's first engineering and technology universities. Today, WPI is a midsize research university centered on engineering, science, technology, and mathematics, with strong academic programs in the arts and humanities, the social sciences, and business. The university's 14 academic departments offer more than 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.WPI's undergrad schedule is also unusual compared to most universities. Instead of a normal semester, WPI has 7-week terms, labeled A-D, with an optional E-term in the summer. A-term typically begins on the second to last Thursday in August, while D-term is usually scheduled to end on the first Tuesday of May. Each term is claimed to be roughly equivalent to a third of a year at another university. Thus, students are able to complete a year's worth of Chemistry, Physics, and Math in only a semester and a half. This faster pace allows for more study
WPI offers a variety of majors in engineering, science, management, liberal arts, and social science at the undergraduate and graduate level. It is most well known for its engineering disciplines and is one of the top-ranked schools to attend for engineering in North America. Each WPI undergraduate must complete at least two significant projects, one in the major field of study and one that addresses an open-ended problem at the intersection of science, technology, and society. Through these projects, which are often sponsored by major corporations, government agencies, and non-profit organizations and professional societies around the world, students demonstrate their ability to apply what they learn in the classroom to real-world problems. 
 WPI is ranked #60 among  universities and the acceptance rate is around 50%.  It is worth noting that the application deadline is Feb 01 not Jan 01. WPI is also test optional.