My Chances for Rice! Please reply!! :)

Colleges and Universities A-Z Rice University
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<p>Hi there! I'm new to this site, but I would be SO grateful if some of you could give your opinions on my chances of getting in to Rice, which is at the very top of my list!</p>

<p>I'm currently a junior, and have not taken the ACT or SAT yet, but I'm registered for April (next Saturday!!!) and May, respectively. I took the PSAT and got a selection index of 205 (I expected higher) and 97th percentile.
GPA W: 5.4 (6.0 scale)
GPA UW: 4.0</p>

<p>I'm a white, liberal, female atheist in Texas. I go to one of the largest and most academically rigorous public highschools in TX, and I'm currently third in my class of over 1000 students. I take all honors courses and so far have taken 3 AP classes (4 next yr). I'll be taking Calculus as my math for senior yr. Also, I'm in Spanish 4 AP (Spanish 5 next yr)... not a native speaker.</p>

<p>I'm kinda bummed that Rice might be harder on me b/c I'm in state, but I go to a really recognized hs, so maybe it's a plus b/c they know how hard I work?</p>

<p>ECs:
-Have been practicing martial arts for over 8 yrs; I'm about 5 months away from my black belt. I won both a gold and a silver medal at the World Championships (of my martial art) for my division. I also won a bronze at the Texas Championships.
-National Honor Society, National Spanish Honor Society, Spanish Club
-In addition to volunteer hrs req'd by NHS, I volunteer 4 hrs every Sunday at a local hospital (a Memorial Hermann branch, for those of you from TX), and this summer it will be 8 hrs every Sunday. I've already logged 120 hrs, since August.</p>

<p>Also, I will possibly be starting a club next yr for secular students at my highschool... I have to first consider whether or not my grades will be affected by super-religious teachers. The emphasis for the club will be on volunteer work, as well as a general feeling of acceptance.</p>

<p>I hope this is enough info for you guys to "chance" me on... </p>

<p>Advice is also greatly appreciated!</p>

<p>THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!</p>

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<p>Why do I think you go to Plano? It might be the 1000+ student thing that caught my eye.</p>

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<p>nope! sorry! :)</p>

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<p>One thing I can say: they are better than mine.</p>

<p>Your PSAT scores could be better but honestly they aren't nearly as important as the rest on your list. Where, exactley are you in Texas? #3 in the class is extremely impressive, but it depends on where you live. If I moved to say, Paradise I would instantly be valedictorian. Your sport and NHS will be impressive on applications.</p>

<p>If you get in a good essay and letter of recomendation you should be a shoo in.</p>

<p>On a side note, you sound like the type of person I would get along with (politically, intellectually and religiously anyway)</p>

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<p>Well, my hs is extremely competitive... let's say that it's about 45 min NW of Houston... in a large affluent suburb... although we're not all affluent! lol</p>

<p>Seriously, the top 10 ppl in my class are all about .01-.001 GPA pts away from eachother. Talk about pressure!!</p>

<p>Thanks for the positive feedback!</p>

<p>Btw: your PSAT score, your NASA thing, and you Math Sci club all really improve your chances! Plus, if you don't apply, you def. won't get in!
Hey, maybe we'll see eachother there! ;) lol. I'm hoping there are others like us (religiously, esp) at Rice!</p>

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<p>Btw, I got in with lower stats. How are your essays? I think that really clinched it for me.</p>

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<p>hmm... you mean my essay writing abilities? Or should I have already started my application essays?! lol (I'm a junior)</p>

<p>Well, I'd like to think I'm a fairly good writer!</p>

<p>Hope it gets me in! Congrats on getting accepted! Are you going to attend next yr, or are you already there? Or, did you decide to go somewhere else?</p>

<p>Thanks again for the comments!! Very appreciated.</p>

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<p>I'm still trying to decide. </p>

<p>The Rice app apparently had no limitations on word-count. This helped me out a lot.</p>

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<p>To both reid2575 and theotherguy: When writing that supplemental essay, remember to write why Rice attracts you (Does it offer something another college lacks?) and how you could contribute to the Rice community. I think most applicants only focus on why Rice is a good fit for them, rather than also explaining how he/she could contribute to campus life.</p>

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<p>Sounds like you go to TWHS. However it could be almost any suburban Texas high school with 1000 students in a class. Yes, you can get into Rice. When my d and I did the tour, we were told that 20-25% of students were from the Houston area. I really didn't get the impression that they expect much more from in state students than OOS. Understand that your essays are important so take them very seriously put passion into them. My advice to all Juniors would be to start your essays over the summer. Next year will be more stressful than you expect. Juniors seem to believe that Senior teachers will expect less of them but that has not been my d's experience. You will still be very pushed for time and riding the emotional roller coaster of acceptances and rejections.</p>