<p>I'm a rising senior that is considering applying to Rice (assuming that I can get over the fact it's in Houston...btw does anyone have comments on location?). I would probably apply to the School of Engineering or the School of Architecture. However, I saw that for architecture they want a portfolio supplement of creative work. The only art class in which I produced creative work in high school was ceramics, and it sounds like they want a varied portfolio. Does anyone have any personal stories/advice for me on this? I thought it was unusual for schools to require undergraduate applicants to provide a portfolio for something like this, and Rice is one of the only schools I have looked at that requires it.</p>
<p>From what I understand from my Archi friends, Rice is just looking for a portfolio that demonstrates your creativity--not your ability to shade or your understanding of architecture. I can't really say much else, since I'm not an Archi.</p>
<p>As for Houston, I think that Houston is more of an asset to Rice than a detriment. Houston is the most obese city in the country for a reason--we have some of the best off-campus dining of any school in the country. Sure, it's not a great colege town like Athens or Boulder, but there are all sorts of valuable resources for students to take advantage of. The location within Houston is also really nice--about 10 minutes outside of downtown, next to the Texas Medical Center and the Rice Village, which is a sidewalk shopping and dining area.</p>
<p>I'm not an Archi, so I'm not really sure on the details of the admissions process. I do know that Rice has the #2 ranked undergraduate architecture program in the country, that it's a five year program, and that it's really tough to get in.</p>
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[quote=<a href="http://www.media.rice.edu/media/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=9180%5D%5BLars">http://www.media.rice.edu/media/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=9180]
[Lars</a> Lerup, Dean of Rice’s School of Architecture] attributes Rice’s consistently high ranking to several factors, including a very careful and specialized admissions system that enables Rice to compete with top-ranked schools for the best students.</p>
<p>Associate Dean and Professor of Architecture John Casbarian added, "We interview practically all undergraduate applicants, and the 24 that we admit have demonstrated creativity, knowledge of the field and academic excellence."
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