<p>I'm in the search of a myriad of opinions.
Rice vs Northwestern.</p>
<p>Here are my pro's and con's. </p>
<p>Rice
Pros:
-Phenomenal students (friendliness, support)
-Unbeatable Residential College System
-Texas Medical Center - ideal spot for internships/opportunities
-Attended a tour and campus overnight (great experience)
Cons:
-Very humid/hot
-Very far from home (17 hour drive)</p>
<p>Northwestern
Pros:
-6.5 hour drive from home (close to home)
-12 miles from Chicago (Houston is great too, but Chicago excites me)
-Higher academically ranked
-Two my my mother's closets friends have attended
Cons:
-Cold climate (more enjoyable than hot/humid in my opinion)
-Never had a registered campus tour so no prior knowledge</p>
<p>It would be great if prospective students, experienced students, alumni, fathers/mothers, etc all share their opinions about these two schools no matter how much knowledge you have on them! I would LOVE to ED Rice, but Northwestern still has a place in my heart. </p>
<p>Note: I plan on doing premed and studying in the school of natural sciences for both schools.
Note: Rice vs Northwestern for me basically comes down to location, climate, campus beauty, and student life. Climate and location are not so good in my perspective at Rice, but their student body was absolutely amazing as well as the beauty of their school. I heard the NU student body is not as friendly as Rice's, but it still can't go wrong. How chill is pre-med at NU vs Rice (kind of a stupid question since both schools are VERY prestigious in medicine...) </p>
<p>Thanks a lot y'all. Take care! </p>
<p>Flip a coin and if it lands on Northwestern and you are disappointed, go with Rice. I’m not being flippant, it is a way to discern what’s really is down inside of you.</p>
<p>Talk carefully with your parents regarding the distance to Rice. A 17 hour drive is pretty tough (effectively a 2 day trip) which means that you and your parents will probably be making that trip only twice a school year: at the beginning and end, unless they choose to fly.</p>
<p>Too bad you can not visit Northwestern. Perhaps you could talk to your Mom’s friends to get some inside information. </p>
<p>Good luck to you. Both Rice and Northwestern are fantastic schools with excellent, even rising reputations. </p>
<p>Why would you drive 17 hours instead of fly? </p>
<p>Well for your initial trip you usually haul all your stuff to set up your room. But you are right, I’ve made an assumption–it is not absolutely necessary. There are alternatives such as shipping boxes and / or just carrying a couple of big suitcases. </p>
<p>People go across the country for college all the time, and both Rice and Northwestern are in big cities with airports. </p>
<p>My kid goes to school 1000 miles away and we’ve never driven, only flown. Frankly I’d probably fly a 6.5 hour trip too. </p>
<p>But yeah, seriously, flip a coin. If you want to flip again, well, there’s your answer. No bad choice. </p>
<p>Btw, your mom’s friends having gone to NU really isn’t a “pro.” </p>
<p>Yeah, 6.5 hours isn’t “close”–to me that’s right on the edge of flying distance.</p>
<p>They’re both great schools. But you’re not really comparing apples to apples since you care a lot about campus culture and haven’t visited NU. Maybe you shouldn’t do ED.</p>
<p>@kaukauna, Thank you so much. </p>
<p>@Pizzagirl, my driving 17 hours was just the relative distance comparison between Houston and Evanston. Of course, the transportation is going to be more a if I reside in Houston, thus another factor. My mom’s friends having went to NU gives me some additional insight on it being a good school. </p>
<p>@sally305, very true. I guess 6.5hours is pretty far away, but a factor is a price for travel. </p>
<p>Update: I have chosen to apply early for RICE UNIVERSITY! </p>
<p>Factors:
- I never got the ED agreement in time from my counselor for Northwestern.
- Rice is awesome - Residential colleges. Absence of winter!
- I will have to deal with the distance.
</p>
<p>Good luck. </p>
<p>Since you mentioned the cost of travel being an issue, just make sure you feel you can afford your ED school. IMO ED is appropriate when finances are not an issue, or when the family is able to absorb. </p>
<p>Don’t know where you live, but it may be cheaper to fly than to drive 17 hours (and back, don’t forget), with the cost of gas and hotel rooms along the way, not to mention parent lost time from work. </p>
<p>I have a Daughter at NU and a niece at Rice. Each loves the school they go to, and both are excellent academically. You had no wrong choice. Goodluck with your ED app at Rice.</p>