<p>Any alumni interiewers out there? I put in a request for an alumni interview, but never heard anything back via email or anything. I am starting to worry, bc when I requested the interview online we were in the middle of a tornado and power outages in my area, so I know things were skittish here and there, but I thought everything went through fine. I didn't want to bother them with a duplicate request so I decided to wait, but now I think that was a mistake.</p>
<p>Is there an alumni office I should call? I called the admissions office once before (not about this) and they didn't seem to want to help me very much (maybe a bad day on their part...), so if there's a way to NOT call the receptionist, I would be so happy.</p>
<p>Also, does anyone know how to find the name of the area admission officer for a region? I looked all over the website, but couldn't find it.</p>
<p>Unfortunately the admissions office at Rice doesn’t have the greatest reputation for, well, many things. I can’t figure out if they are really that incompetent or simply understaffed. Either way, it doesn’t bode well for applicants.</p>
<p>My son requested an interview back well before the deadline. He received an email back saying that he would hear from the alumni office, and that if he wasn’t contacted in three weeks to call their office (they gave him the number to call.) Three weeks went by with no interview scheduled so he called the special number and got voice mail. He left a message and never heard back. He called the regular admissions office again, explained his problem, they put him on hold and transferred him to…the same voice mail.</p>
<p>There have been other issues with their admissions office. It’s become kind of a running joke at our house.</p>
<p>Im sorry that you have had issue with them. From what I have heard, they have a good reputation, they have been helpful whenever I have or someone I know has contacted them. </p>
<p>If you have an issue, just ask to speak to the director of admissions. I would recommend emailing them your comments as well. If they know that there is a problem I hope they will try to fix it.</p>
<p>“Thank you for requesting an interview with a Rice alumni volunteer!
Your request has been received and will be sent to an interviewer in your area.”
Did you ever get that email (right after you requested an interview)? If you did, then it definitely went through.</p>
<p>One of my friends got an interview 3 days after requesting (though it was pretty early in the application ‘season’). For me, I called back after 3 weeks since I hadn’t heard anything at the number they gave me, left a voicemail, and they followed up immediately. We were missing each other, so they said in a voicemail I had been assigned to an interviewer to call back if I didn’t hear anything in a week- heard back in a little less than that.</p>
<p>Even though around CC Rice has been heard to have a “iffy” admissions staff, I have always been impressed by them- at an info session, in a follow-up email I sent one of the speakers, etc. Don’t let this deter you- although maybe it would be better for me ;)</p>
<p>I requested before December 1 and got an email a few days ago. There was a mix up/problem with the person who was supposed to interview me. I would just wait another week or so and then call (unless you never got the first email which said your request was received).</p>
<p>A couple of my kids have applied to Rice over the years. They’ve all been accepted, but none has attended (couldn’t afford it, even with very generous scholarships).</p>
<p>One of my sons is applying in this application cycle (RD). At this point, we’ve learned not to expect much out of the Rice admissions staff. We don’t ask questions anymore.</p>
<p>When the first son applied, we were mystified and sometimes annoyed by the apparent confusion and lack of communication over there. Other schools responded rather immediately to every question or application supplement submitted. Not Rice.</p>
<p>We heard and read from several others over the years that THAT is Rice Admissions … they had a reputation for that sort of scattered, uncommunicative, disorganized thing. But lots of people assured us along the way, including many others who had similar ungratifying experiences with admissions, that once you’re an admitted student at Rice, people at Rice will bend over backwards for you – that there’s little red tape and great “customer service.” So, we felt more comfortable.</p>
<p>This time around, with this son, our expecations are peacefully low for the Admissions Office. He’s filled all of his mandatory squares … and whatever happens, happens. :)</p>
<p>This is very frustrating. Probably most so because I did not have the foggiest idea about this. I wonder how aware the admissions head/dean of undergraduates are about this.</p>
<p>I would definitely recommend dropping them a note about this (after the process is all said and done).</p>
<p>I’ll chime in here as the parent of a Rice senior. When he was going through the application process, Rice Admissions was the absolute worst of all of the schools to which he applied. Maybe we were spoiled by the ease with which we could communicate with other colleges’ admissions officers, but at Rice e-mails were never answered, calls weren’t returned – it often took at least three tries before getting an answer to a simple question.</p>
<p>Since he’s been a student, dealing with the university has been great. I’ve had to contact the cashier’s office a few times and they have been wonderful, even to the extent of answering e-mails outside of office hours. Other departments have been similarly responsive.</p>
<p>I don’t know what it is about Admissions but it’s too bad they don’t realize how parents can be turned off to a school by stuff like this. :(</p>
<p>^That’s EXACTLY the sort of feedback we’ve heard over the years. Rice Admissions … not so hot. Rice University in general … awesome.
You’ve just got to get through the frustrating admissions process, and then it’s supposedly great on the other side! :)</p>
<p>Ditto with our experiences… Kids have had great and personal experience at Rice university; admissions experience was not good at all. Once admitted, your student will have no more contact with the admissions department. Thank goodness!</p>
Thank goodness!</p>