I’ve heard that Rice gives generous merit aid, and am wondering if I have a decent chance at it. As for standardized testing, I got a 1590 on my SAT, and an 800/750 on my two subject tests. My GPA is 4.03 (due to APs/honors). Rice sounds great, and I think it’s my top choice. Would I be able to get merit aid? If so, do they give more of it to Early Applicants or Regular Applicants?
I think the package will be similar. Did you run the net price calculator?
I applied regular and got a considerable amount of merit aid. As far as I can tell, it doesn’t really matter if you apply early or regular. The scholarships are not really dependent on scores/numbers, as just about everyone who gets into Rice has those. When giving scholarships, Rice is usually wants to see something special. In my scholarship letter, they cited to my research experience as the primary reason they were giving me scholarships. You can see some of what else they are looking for from their website:
-political and community service leaders
-math/science competition winners
-creative and performance artists
-entrepreneurs
-scholar-athletes
-exceptional writers