<p>I am an accepted student planning on studying chemical engineering. However, I'm torn between Rice and Tulane. I would really appreciate it if anyone could give me any input on a couple of questions.</p>
<p>I have heard from several sources that chemical engineering is notoriously one of the most difficult majors at Rice. Will I find myself living in the quiet study section of the library or will I be able a life beyond textbooks and the chem lab? </p>
<p>Secondly, is there a certain profile of students that major in chemical engineering? Is it more male-dominated or is there a good amount of female students that major in chem e? In short, is the group of students studying chem e diverse?</p>
<p>Also, I'm really interested in becoming actively involved in research. Is it very competitive to partake in research being done at Rice? Are there research opportunities available in collaboration with the Texas Medical Center?</p>
<p>Any insights to any of these questions would be immensely appreciated.</p>
<p>First off, at Rice there’s not much difference between the “hardest” majors and the “easiest” ones. The difference is that some give you a constant stream of work, while the others come in week-long binges. CHBE (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, pronounced “chubby”) is one of the former.</p>
<p>You also won’t find yourself in the quiet section of the library, because the CHBEs generally get together for study groups. From what I’ve seen, it’s a pretty decent balance of the genders, probably leaning a little more toward males. Even with all the studying, though, most of the CHBEs that I knew at Rice still had fairly robust social lives.</p>
<p>As for the research, I don’t have any first-hand experience, being a liberal arts major, but nearly all of my S/E friends were involved in some sort of research, so you get the impression that opportunities are abundant.</p>
<p>NYSkins makes some excellent points. I have a couple to add from the perspective of a ChemE major.</p>
<p>ChemE is a fairly work intensive major with a lot of requirements and credits. As a result, a large part of your classes are predefined by the major, leaving little room for electives. For example, out of the 132 credits needed to graduate, almost 100 are in major classes. </p>
<p>ChemE’s also work in groups as NYSkins says. The problem sets are often very difficult and require teamwork. Early on, professors will warn you not to try to play hero and do the work solo, as you will likely fail.</p>
<p>Research is very easy to get involved with. Find the professor who is working on something you are interested in and go talk to them. They will find a place for you. You can do research for credit towards your ChemE major as well.</p>