<p>I'm a rising senior considering applying to Rice. I visited last spring, but I'd like to hear more about whether it has an intellectual atmosphere. Obviously the kids are some of the brightest around, considering the acceptance rate, average GPA, SAT scores, etc, but that doesn't answer my question. I'm from the East Coast and I'm wondering what the transition would be like to Texas.</p>
<p>Well, one of the concepts that Rice likes to emphasizes is that students should never stop learning, inside or outside of the classroom. They try their best to accept students from a broad range of cultural/economic/ethnic backgrounds so that they can impart their “unique life experiences” to one another. This has always been an encouragement of intellectualism and open-mindedness, at least in my opinion.</p>
<p>I’m not quite certain what you’re trying to imply about transitioning from the East Coast to Texas, would you care to clarify that for me?</p>
<p>When you’re surrounded by that many smart people, it’s difficult to imagine that you’re not in an intellectual atmosphere. Every time I leave Rice I am struck by how…different it is from the real world. Some people will argue that this is a bad thing and that Rice shelters you, but I greatly enjoyed being in a place where a discussion of Lady Gaga would be informed by a postmodernist discourse, for example. My friends and I who have recently graduated and are now in various “real-world” positions —<em>except for those of us in grad school —</em>talk a lot about how we never realized how “weird” we really are. Trust me, it is a good thing.</p>
<p>You don’t want to come to Texas. We all chew tobacco and torture puppies.</p>
<p>Don’t believe for a minute that there are any intellectuals here. You really need to stay on the east coast for that environment. You have a lock on it…</p>
<p>I had a 4 hour conversation about the global economic marketplace with another freshman last night. I’d say that probably at least half of the people I’ve met from Rice were “highly interesting”. This is one person’s opinion though, so take it with a grain of salt. </p>
<p>I am also from the East Coast, and have found the Texans I’ve met to be pretty affable individuals.</p>
<p>Rice is a very intellectual place, and the residential college system really promotes this intellectualism. I had discussions regarding affirmitive action, alternative energy, the BP oil spill, and other topics during my first year at Rice. A lot of the other top universities have very smart, talented students, but the student bodies do not tend to be intellectual. Rice isn’t as intellectual as UChicago, but I would say more than many other top 20 universities.</p>
<p>I hail from Cincinnati, Ohio, and I didn’t find the transition to Houston tough at all. After all, Houston is a very cosmopolitan city since it is the 4th largest city in America (and it may soon surpass Chicago). If you have a problem with friendly, laid back people, then you are in for a culture shock :)</p>
<p>I understand that the East Coast comment sounded a little pretentious or close-minded, but I’m just referring to the fact that I do live in a specific bubble of liberalism and intellectualism. It may not be good, but I like it and I wouldn’t like to go to a college that was very different from that.</p>
<p>Most of your comments were very useful though, thank you all. Another way of asking my question would be, “Would it be very easy for a nerd to find other nerds at Rice?” Actually, that’s a slightly different question, but I’d still like the answer. Thanks again.</p>
<p>Rice is a bubble. It is intellectual, for sure. This can be a good and bad thing</p>
<p>Rice students like to argue and discuss facts at a very high level. This is good because we do not have too much Sean Hannity-like factless arguments floating around (This is not a comment about liberal vs. conservative, merely that Hannity makes sweeping statements with no fact to back them up)</p>
<p>On the other hand, someone practical like me can end up boxed in. Sometimes I do not care about all the reasons why something is not possible, merely that it isnt. While I am focused on moving forward, some people tend to get caught up in intellectualizing a simple and obvious thing that requires a quick solution</p>
<p>Regarding your last question, .the answer is yes. It is easy to find people to talk to about absolutely anything</p>
<p>I think I had a conversation about artificial intelligence or philosophy of mind nearly every night with my roommate last semester, so there’s definitely an intellectual feeling.</p>
<p>That said, there was also beer pong going on outside my door most nights as well.</p>
<p>Basically, you won’t have any trouble at all finding an intellectual bubble to sit in, but you can also get out of it as well, if you want to.</p>
<p>I went to a charter high school that was very “intellectual”, but it was a place where you had to have a certain group of friends to be judged as being a “cool intellectual.” Otherwise you were just a nerd. At Rice, basically everyone is a cool intellectual. Even the “nerds” have a ton of friends and are accepted (and even celebrated!) in the residential college. I would say the residential college system and lack of Greek life creates an environment that is very intellectual, where being passionate about what you believe in is “cool.” </p>
<p>It’s not at all uncommon to talk about topics brought up in class at the dinner table, to debate politics just because, or talk excitedly about the research you’re doing. That is why I love Rice so much.</p>
<p>Seconding what college316 says. I am passionate about type. In most of the world, talking about your passions if they are anything other than sports, current mainstream cinema, or top 40 radio is considered a social faux pas. Not at Rice. I’ve had friends who have been genuinely interested in hearing what I have to say about a certain typeface, or who ask follow-up questions if I make an off-handed comment about a design I see somewhere. Everyone is constantly learning from each other.</p>
<p>Basically what NYSkins is saying is that Rice is filled with obnoxious hipsters so you’d all better stock up on skinny jeans and work on your ironic mustaches.</p>
<p>Exactly. I’m smoking a hand-rolled cigarette and drinking a PBR as I’m typing this very post. [twirls ironic mustache]</p>