<p>would you say that rice is harsh on grading, easy, or for the most part fair (handing out a fair amount of As to the kids that study but are not necessarily geniuses)?</p>
<p>i am planning to transfer to rice for many reasons, but im also a premed student and it's imperative i do well. would you say the average premed there has enough time to commit to clubs and activities? i dont want to limit myself to only academics/volunteering.</p>
<p>some input please. it would be GREATLY appreciated.</p>
<p>Study, seek all the available assistance Rice offers (of which there is much), go to class, do the homework, get to know your professors and their TA's. You'll definitely have to earn the grades, but isn't that why you're coming to Rice?</p>
<p>That being said, from D's experience, "yes", you'll have plenty of time to be involved in EC's, get a part-time job for spending $$, and still have an active social life.</p>
<p>While Rice is a <em>great</em> university that wants its students to succeed, it all begins and ends with you!</p>
<p>thank you for such an informative answer. may i ask what year your daughter is in? how does she like the school and how does she compare it among the others of the same caliber?</p>
<p>It's really hard for a Rice student to compare it to other universities unless they transferred. Most of us probably couldn't say anything more than "Rice is awesome, and, while those other schools are probably pretty cool, there's no place I'd rather be." That's what I'd say, at least.</p>
<p>I have had only one (academic) class at Rice that I would call an easy A. You still couldn't get away with not doing the work, but it was a Postmodernism class, so all of the papers were essentially exercises in BS, but I guess that was more the nature of the class than the professor.</p>
<p>On the flip side, I haven't encountered any artificial grade deflation at Rice. You should never get a C that you don't deserve, and if you put in enough effort in any given class you can get an A.</p>
<p>As for extracurriculars, I do about a dozen different things at my college which add up to 20+ hours per week and give tours, but I still have the time to go out with friends and make decent grades.</p>
<p>hokie10 - D's a junior pre-med biochem major, but came in with lots of AP credit so she skipped the intro science classes and most distribution requirements. However, the few academic classes she took (especially art history) were very demanding.</p>
<p>I’d say B’s (3.0) and B+'s (3.33) are the “standard” grades at Rice, although A-'s (3.67) and B-'s (2.67) are fairly common. You’re gonna have to work for an A (4.0), and A+'s (4.33) are very rare. At the same time, though, like NYSkins says, you won’t get a C unless you really deserve it, and I don’t know anyone who has ended the semester with a D or an F, although it probably happens occasionally.</p>
<p>And yes, it is possible to fail a class (and I know people who have), but you have to pretty much give up on that class and stop going and doing assignments halfway through the semester. It’s easier to get an F than a D.</p>
<p>Thanks, anxiousmom, I’m asking for my son. I’ve been looking at the gpa requirement of the scholarships he received. At UT, it is 3.5. I was surprised that it was lower at Rice, but I think differences in grading practices and the grading scale account for this.</p>
<p>I know that the gpa needed to keep some scholarships offered at schools is crazy high. If I remember correctly, one school offered DS a scholarship that needed a 3.75 to keep! As an engineering major, that just seemed crazy. :eek: I’d be surprised if any of the Rice kids lose their scholarships due to average gpa’s below 2.8, but if you are concerned you could ask the financial aid or admissions office. I believe the average gpa at rice is above 3.0…</p>
<p>An A+ rewards a really strong performance – extremely high test scores, paper grades, solid class participation. To qualify for the President’s Honor Roll, last term, you needed to have at least a 3.843 average – 30% of the student body made the list.
A+'s aren’t beyond reach. </p>
<p>I am planning to major in Biology opting to pursue my MD degree at Baylor. I have over 15 AP classes. Since I will be a pre-med student and required to MCAT, I may repeat basic Biology (since I took in 9th grade) and take some Physics and Chem intro classes as well. How is the grading for intro Bio, Chem, and Phyiscs classes? Are they typically bell shaped? Should I AP out of Chem and Physics since I have scored 5’s in AP Chem and AP Physics B?</p>
<p>Can any pre-med student from Rice offer me some tips? Thank you so much.</p>
<p>These questions are best discussed once you are oncampus for O-week. Now chill out, and go enjoy the rest of your senior year of high school!!! ;)</p>