<p>I applied ED to rice and got in but i have become so jaded in my decision, partially due to everyone else discussing their options for school.</p>
<p>-I plan to go into Mech E, Math, or physics, hopefully work my way into nanoscience and towards a gradschool/phd at a top 10 school in my field.
-I want to get involved in cutting edge research in those fields
-My second choice probably would have been Northwestern (Only concern there really was the cold weather)
-I liked the overall feel of Rice's campus and student body (I have spent time in the dorms and such) but I feel like I could have chosen to go to a school more tailored to my specific interests, not knocking on Rice or anything. </p>
<p>I really feel like I should not have applied early decision but its too late for that now. Any help you could provide in calming my nerves would be greatly appreciated cause I am seriously considering transferring if i don't like Rice.</p>
<p>You’re worried that Rice isn’t involved in cutting-edge nanoscience research? That couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m not sure what to tell you, since you seem to like the student body and the campus. Stop worrying so much.</p>
<p>I am more worried towards the difference in rankings between my choices (overall rank and ranks of their engineering and such) and the differences in the quality of research going on at the schools</p>
<p>How so? Rice is excellent in engineering and hard science fields, and there’s certainly a lot of exciting research going on here. If you’re worried about grad school placement, don’t be. I know plenty of people who move on from Rice to outstanding graduate programs, and your interests are probably going to change over the next four years anyway.</p>
<p>Gomp, what you’re experiencing is a case of buyer’s remorse. You’re questioning whether you made the right decision once you got what you wanted – ED. You mention comparing Rice to your other “choices.” Guess what? They’re not relevant anymore. Stop second-guessing this. Rice is the same school that you fell in love with and wanted to apply to ED. It has spectacular opportunities in nanoscience research. Just go with an open mind and put your whole spirit into it. That’s what’s best for you in the long run.</p>
<p>It may be time for me to leave this CC board. After the 100,000th kid writes that he/she wants to go to a top-10 grad school, and is worried about the prestige or lack thereof of Rice or *fill-in-the-blank-university, I think I’ve finally just had enough.
There is topnotch research going on at hundreds of schools; state schools, private schools, LAC’s and at Rice. Life isn’t ranked, research isn’t ranked, and I wish to *od that USNWR had never ranked schools. Twenty years ago there was no “ranking” - and the world turned just fine. You are a 17-year-old kid who will hopefully grow and change and discover that the world is a more nuanced place than it looks to you now. If you don’t want to go to Rice, pull out and let some waitlisted kid who wants to attend do so. But I strongly suggest you stop planning your life so far in advance. That kind of tunnel vision can really inhibit the kind of growth that all kids need to experience.</p>
<p>^^^ Loved your post, anxiousmom! It does get tiring, doesn’t it, that students think the world bows to the rankings of USNWR? School, as life, is what you make of it. No matter where you go, the opportunities are only what you make of them. You have more control of your destiny than merely the school that gives you your diploma.</p>
<p>Getting into a “top-10 grad school” isn’t really a sensible goal anyway. For one thing, there’s not really a single widely-accepted ranking of graduate schools, which makes sense because there are too many specialties out there to make for very convenient ranking. And if you’re going for a Ph.D., I’ve been told that the work you produce is much more important than the program you’re coming from.</p>
<p>anxiousmom, Dorian_mode, and blackeyedsusan have excellent points. Don’t worry… I had buyer’s remorse myself (applied RD but had second thoughts about turning down some peer schools) and it has gone away since then. I have fallen in love with this place. Yes, it took me a while to get adjusted to Rice, but that’s cuz I kept thinking about the peer schools I turned down. Take blackeyedsusan’s advice and forget about the other schools and focus on Rice. Take advantage of every opportunity at Rice, and you will do great things in life. Don’t worry about prestige/ranking… Rice is an excellent school that can prepare you well for whatever you want to study.</p>
<p>Plus, Rice is one of the best schools for nanoscience. As you probably know, the buckyball (C60, the 3rd form of carbon) was invented at Rice. Dr. James Tour, an organic chemist specializing in nanoscience, has been recognized nationally and internationally for his nanoscience work. If you want to study nanoscience, I can think of very few universities that offer better nanoscience research opportunities than Rice.</p>
<p>thanks for all the great post. @anxiousmom, I can’t pull out even if i wanted to. i have been committed since late december. This is why i am so nervous about my decision, because i essentially have no options. I know I made the right choice, its just hard to see through the rankings and all the different paths i could take</p>
<p>Let me make this easy for you…quit worrying, go to Rice, and most of all look back at this post next year at this time. There’s a 95% chance you’ll laugh at the thought of transferring out of Rice after experiencing all they have to offer. And yes, I’m prejudiced due to my son being at Rice…Physics…after turning down several more “prestigious” institutions. He says it’s the best decision he ever made.</p>
<p>Forget the rankings (although Rice is second to none in applied nano). Look instead at the substance of the teaching and research in the field that interests you. Go to the Bioengineering site at Rice at check out the research interests of the faculty. The nanoscience research at Rice is groundbreaking.</p>
<p>The above link was Rice research by the way (with collaboration with other institutions). James Tour, who helped develop this nanodragster, is also teaching my Organic Chemistry next semester at Rice.</p>
<p>Gomp31…good heavens. Lighten up. You have a chair in one of the greatest colleges on Planet Earth. People just as bright as you are --ended up on the waitlist at Rice. Some would argue that Rice’s unique college culture makes it remarkable and incomparable…and that is the best way to think about any top 20 college. They are all remarkable institutions with specific history. Rice reminds me of Duke in this respect…Robber Baron (shipping) magnate leaves fortune…and a city and its leaders after much drama (great story!)…bring brilliance out of the endowment into fruition, enabling a young institution to set out to do great things and to set ridiculously high goals. Rice is unencumbered by some of the traditional East Coast “thing”…like Duke…it is very daring and young at heart and innovative. Rice is at the forefront of many fields, not behind movements.<br>
I realize college yakking is at a peak right now…so is pine pollen up my way. You are NOT attending a college where everyone wishes they are “someplace else”…you are IN on of the most desirable seats, and not having to go to a safety college. I think you ought to shift to studying the curriculum and the history of those residential colleges. You are going to have a blast.</p>
<p>Slik nik…I remember you were a bit like this a year ago…good of you to come on the thread to say you are so “over it.”
My son’s also attended colleges built on a personal fortune…I find each of these institutions to be fascinating in its own way.</p>
<p>And if I find out that either one of you jokers who doesn’t realize you won the lottery is also on merit money well then, “I swan!” :)</p>
<p>So, you are aware that Rice is probably one of the BEST universities to go to for nanoscience? Ever heard of the Richard E. Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology? Yeah, its at Rice and was pretty much the first nanotechnology center in the world. </p>
<p>Also, rankings mean nothing. Real life example: I am an Eletrical Engineering major at Rice, my older brother is an Electrical Engineering major at UT-Austin. UT-Austin is ranked higher than Rice in Electrical Engineering. However, I can say for sure that Rice’s Electrical Engineering is much much better (UT’s is still good though). </p>
<p>Also, important people (graduate schools, companies, etc.) know Rice is ridiculously awesome. So, unless you really really really really really care about the opinion of some random hobo down the street (who may have heard of MIT and Stanford but not Rice), prestige should never be a factor in your decision. </p>
<p>Also, Rice has beer bike, which is greater than anything any school can offer. </p>
<p>In conclusion, quit worrying so much and just enjoy life. Anyways, congrats on being admitted to Rice and I hope to see you next year.</p>