How to improve my chances?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Rice University
1

Hey y’all! I am looking for any recommendations or tips that people may have to help improve my overall chances of getting in. Thanks for all the suggestions!

So, I’m applying to transfer into Rice as a junior. I applied ED to Rice as a freshman, but didn’t get in. Rice is my top choice once again, so I’m trying my best to submit the strongest application possible.

Here’s my information:

Current School: Top 5 LAC (Amherst, Williams, Bowdoin, Pomona, Middlebury)

Where I Live: NYC

Major: Philosophy major, but I’m trying to do a philosophy and Spanish double major (if possible)

College GPA: 3.55 (But, I’m predicting a 3.6 by the time fall semester is over)

Extracurriculars: 2 fellowships, 2 internships, 2 part-time jobs (25 hours a week), 4 college activities on campus

High School: GPA: 93/100 (weighted GPA), SAT: 1360, SAT II: Spanish, 800

I’m looking to transfer into Rice because I need a bigger school that offers for class options for my major. Plus, I really value the diverse student body at Rice. As a high school senior, I did an overnight visit, an interview, and even applied ED to show how much this school means to me.

I know Rice only accepts around 20-50 transfers each year. Do you guys think I have a shot? How can I make my application stronger?

Thanks for everything!

2

Ordinarily, someone who didn’t get into Rice as a freshman but wanted to transfer would do an honest self-assessment to figure out what Rice didn’t like the first time and then spend their freshman and sophomore years shoring up those areas. Looking at the information you provided, the main issue seem to be your high school GPA/SAT scores which would put you comfortably in the bottom 10 percent of Rice’s student body. Therefore the best way to strengthen your application this time around is to prove that data is obsolete by getting as close to a 4.0 as you can in college while taking the most rigorous possible schedule. Doing that will cause Rice to revise its opinion of you in a way that strengthens your prospects. Best wishes and good luck!

3

You have done very well at a highly selective LAC. That should be a strong arrow in your quiver. You have good reasons for wanting to transfer to Rice. Read through some transfer threads like this one from past years to get a sense of what type of students are admitted. Good Luck to you. http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/rice-university/2129023-rice-fall-2019-transfer-thread.html