 An expert swimmer, Blotnick first attended the University of Miami, but he later transferred to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for math.After receiving his BS degree, he attended the University of California, Berkeley, and then Princeton University, where he received his MA in math and physics, with honors.His interest in mathematical models in sociology took him to Columbia University where a survey was being conducted, funded by the National Science Foundation and he joined a team of researchers.