<p>I'm using Rice's online application (not the online common app). The information on Part II online is the same as the paper Part II and the same as the common app supplement, except for the "box". Does that mean online applicants don't have to submit anything for the box? I'm having a hard enough time trying to write the Rice essay and now I'm worried that I did something wrong because there's no box! Help!!!!</p>
<p>EDIT: Here's [thread=255187]another[/thread] thread on this.</p>
<p>Yeah, I saw that thread, but I read the website and the online application instructions, and couldn't find anywhere that said anything about mailing in the box. It only said that the common app supplement and the Rice paper app Part II had to be mailed in. Besides, how could I just mail in the box alone? The rest of the questions on the supplement would have already been answered online.</p>
<p>I'm gonna call Rice and ask on Monday, but if anyone else has applied online, or has already asked Rice this question, could you please reply here?</p>
<p>if u call can u plz post it here? thx greaver :)</p>
<p>When I applied online last year, I mailed in a separate form with my signature and "the box." I assume that's how they do it this year, as well.</p>
<p>I did common app. They didn't allow me to do the supplement online, so i printed it out. Mail it.</p>
<p>Dorian_Mode, you solved the mystery, thanks. I knew there was a signature page to print, but I didn't know it had the box on it. I hadn't printed it out yet because I wasn't done with the rest of the application. After your post I went and printed it out and there it was - the box! Thank you!</p>
<p>^^lol....</p>
<p>Dorian Mode, do you mind telling me how Rice is like? That is....academic, social and political life at Rice?</p>
<p>maddy, to answer your question...</p>
<p>I think that everything great about Rice links back to the college system. I'll try to show that in my explanations.</p>
<p>Academic: Rice is probably a lot like any other research universities. You're going to have to take some big intro classes, and then you can take the smaller seminars. A lot of the classes are great, some are amazing, and some suck. Same with the profs. You have a fair bit of choice in your schedule, but sometimes there aren't enough sections of classes offered to give you sufficient freedom; you'll find that you won't be able to take all of the classes you want because some of them conflict.
One of the great things about the college system is that you know a lot of upperclassmen, so you have friends from whom you can ask advice. I needed a Division I class first semester (you have to take 12 hours in each of three divisions), so one of my friends recommended her favorite class from freshman year. I'm really enjoying that class.
The workload is tough; Rice students study a lot. You always know when there's an Orgo test, because everyone panics. But you have a group of people living with you who have already taken these classes, because you live with upperclassmen (again with the college system).</p>
<p>Social: Rice has a very active social life. We have a very lax alcohol policy, so there is a lot of drinking on the weekends. That's not to say, however, that you won't fit in if you're a non-drinker, or that you should be afraid of Rice as a party school. I didn't drink at all in high school, and I didn't want to go to a "party school." Now I'm really glad that I wound up at a school with a social life like Rice's.
The college system also actively contributes to social life. You'll get to know the rest of your class (as well as a handful of upperclassmen) during Orientation Week, and you'll be good friends with a diverse group of people.</p>
<p>Political: This is the one area I'm not entirely happy with. I'm very opinionated, but it seems that most Rice students are politically apathetic. The campus (like any other) leans left, but most students declare themselves "moderate," say that they hate partisan politics, and don't take a definitive stance on any issue.
There was one student who ran in the state house election as a Libertarian. He only received 2 percent of the vote, but it brought out a good deal of political awareness here.
You will find that, for the most part, people who are passionate about politics are also well-informed. That is one thing I do very much like about the political scene at Rice.</p>
<p>I'd also recommend reading the Thresher (student paper) online at <a href="http://www.ricethresher.org%5B/url%5D">www.ricethresher.org</a>. The opinion section is probably one of the best ways to learn about the political scene at Rice. There's currently a big debate between some Turkish students who deny the Armenian genocide and some Armenian and otherwise informed students who actually agree with historical fact.
Some of the articles and letters will also give you perspective on the social and academic life at Rice.
NOTE: I'm the features editor, so this is a shameless plug.</p>