<p>Any idea about the benefits and drawbacks of giving up Rice for Haverford? I have a hard time choosing between the two.</p>
<p>For starters, Philadelphia has a lot to offer.</p>
<p>Have you visited both schools?</p>
<p>I visited neither of them, for I’m an international student. Why is Philly a good place to start?</p>
<p>Philly is a major US city (although Houston is the #4 sized city in the US and I believe (check this) that Rice is right next to a nice big park in Houston). I actually view this city thing differently than many posters. I think the campus experience is more important than the surrouding city. I’ve lived in Philadelphia for grad school and it was fine, but I’m not a real city person so it did not make my experience better. I guess the question to ask is how much a city is important to you. However, really both of these schools offer a city experience, and I don’t see Philly as better than Houston.</p>