Harvey Mudd vs Rice vs Princeton

Colleges and Universities A-Z Rice University
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<p>Well, those are my choices. Each is about the same money-wise, and their academic programs are great. I think I'll major in Physics, but I'm also interested in math, philosophy, economics, as well as most other liberal arts to a lesser degree.</p>

<p>My biggest concern is the social setting. I've visited Rice, and Harvey Mudd breifly, and will visit Princeton next week. I would like a setting where I can be around smart, down-to-earth people, a warm, close-knit community. Relationship-wise, I'm definately interested in long-term relationships, and I'd like a community where others have similar ideas.</p>

<p>Right now, I'm leaning toward Rice; at my visit, I really liked the atmosphere, and it didn't seem very "nerdy" at all, nerdy being in the sense of social skills and whatnot.</p>

<p>My visit to Harvey Mudd was short, and we didn't see interact with the students much. I did, however, get a feeling of extreme nerdiness there...is this justified?</p>

<p>As far as Princeton goes, I've had kind of a negative feeling from most P-ton people I've met, and they just seem a bit eliteist. Is this justified? How else is Princeton going to be very different from my other choices?</p>

<p>I'd appreciate as much information as I can get. Please tell me where you're coming from with any information; did you visit there, or go to school there? Have you heard this from other people or read it somewhere?</p>

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<p>Well, my brother is at Harvey Mudd now and I graduated from Rice last year, so I probably ought to step up and answer this one...!</p>

<p>Harvey Mudd is quite nerdy. I asked my brother to expound upon how nerdy Mudd actually is, and he replied, "We put our Christmas lights up in the shape of a space filling curve on the wall... Mudd is very nerdy."</p>

<p>As to your criteria for a college, the fact that you're interested in liberal arts as well, and that you want a setting where you can be around smart, down-to-earth people in a warm, close-knit community... Well, that's Rice. That's exactly what Rice is. I never met a dull or uninteresting person. It was always, "I'm an engineer who in my spare time tunes pianos" or "I'm a violin performance major who enjoys skydiving and belly dancing" or "I'm a computer science major who plays tuba and does amazing videography." The people are incredibly down-to-earth. There's a bumper sticker sold in the bookstore that says, "I GO TO RICE. I MUST BE SMART." that is intended to be placed upside-down on the bumper. Rice students wear their learning lightly and love life. As to the relationship thing... It's said that 80% of Rice grads marry Rice grads, so there's definitely a similar interest there. I've been dating my Rice boyfriend for four and a half years now. ;)</p>

<p>I know nothing about Princeton.</p>

<p>Good luck in your choice!
-Amy Barr
SRC '04, BSCE</p>

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<p>I don't know anything about Harvey Mudd, but I do agree with Aibarr that Rice students are laid back, down to earth, friendly, and inclusive. The student body is surely one of Rice's greatest assets. I also will support the idea that tons of rice alums are married to rice alums - I was at a lunch with alumni yesterday, and there were so many couples who met at rice and have been married. I'm just hping that I haven't met my future husband yet.
We have our nerdy moments - at lunch today, hung over guys were examining their arms, and realizing that in their drunkeness, they had written the fibbonnaci sequence up to 600 or so. One in roman numerals...it was strange.
Anyway, you sound like a nice guy - and girls here are desperate for those. I hope you come to Rice.</p>

<p>Princeton seemed a little elitist to me too when I visited. I hated the idea of eating clubs, especially compared to our residential colleges. I just can't imagine having to try out for a social group.</p>

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<p>I really appreciate it, Amy; your post helps a lot. I'd like to make a follow-up question, though.</p>

<p>If it would be too much to ask though, in what ways does your brother feel Harvey Mudd is "nerdy"? I know he may not be right there, but I don't mind people being serious about learning; in fact, I think I'd mesh better with something like that then "taking [my] learning lightly." I may just be asking an impossible question, or not really know what I'm asking, but is it the kind of nerdiness that makes people annoying, eccentric, disheveled, even a bit immature, or just mean that the people will talk about math alot?</p>

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<p>Princeton's grade inflation policies and weather is what made me choose Rice.</p>

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<p>My visit to Princeton made me think they were concerned with being elitist and their history; the tour I went on went only to the old, pretty brick buildings and none of the newer ones that dead famous people didn't visit. It also didn't talk much about academics except for the required major junior papers and the senior thesis.</p>

<p>Rice has always seemed nice, and the people I know there are smart people who have time for both work and play. One admits to cutting every one of his astronomy classes except one. :)</p>

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<p>Brian-</p>

<p>First, let me clarify something... There's a biiiig difference between "taking your learning lightly" and "wearing your learning lightly." Taking your learning lightly means you're blowing off your classes and you attend a party school, and that's not Rice's style... Wearing your learning lightly means you're uber-smart, and that you're up to your ears in your education, but that unlike what a lot of people have said about Princeton, someone who wears their learning lightly isn't elitist about it, and is more interested in learning about the world around them than proving that they know a lot about the world around them. Rice students wear their learning lightly.</p>

<p>OK, now that we've got that clarified... =)</p>

<p>There's definitely the eccentric and disheveled part about Mudd, the slight social awkwardness and a bit of social immaturity, that part's all true. Not everyone fits into that mold, but that's the prevalent nature of Mudd. Yeah, people talk about math a lot, and I think that Mudders and Owls are pretty comparable in how seriously they take their studies. Mudders enjoy good pranks, as well, and do odd things to blow off steam... controlled bonfires in the quad, beating used refrigerators to pieces with baseball bats, and other comparably bizarre things... Mudd seems a lot more 'random' than Rice in that regard. </p>

<p>I think the primary differences in the two schools can probably best be seen through the prevalent sense of humor of its students, though. Rice's sense of humor is probably best described as bad-assed with a glimmer of mischief, Mudd's sense of humor is probably best described as wacky and bizarrely brilliant.</p>

<p>They're two very unique schools that are pretty difficult to describe. There's a certain essence to both of them that's almost impossible to put into words, but hopefully I've conveyed enough info that you get the general idea of the differences... Let me know if you have any other questions regarding the two!</p>

<p>-Amy</p>

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<p>Bump (Bring Up My Post)</p>