<p>I heard about this a few weeks ago, and am surprised that no one has started a thread about this yet (so I did). To my dismay, starting with this year's applicants, Rice will no longer offer the Interim Decision option!!!!! Early and Regular decision only! They sure were real quiet about this!</p>
<p>BTW, this is NOT a rumor! It is posted on the Rice website!</p>
<p>Yeah, I can't say I think it's the best for the students, but I can understand why the adcoms are doing it.</p>
<p>...why are they doing it?</p>
<p>There was a thread on it, but it died out.</p>
<p>I applied Interim decision, and it kind of made me anxious and relieved that I would be finding out my results earlier than many of the RD colleges. It is too soon to say whether or not this is a good move or not. WashU only has ED and RD and they seem to be faring well. Also, Rice is now requiring the Common Application and a Rice Supplement, rather than offering the option of the Rice App or the Common App. I looked at the supplement, and it is the exact same as the Rice App, meaning that this year's applicants will be basically doing both applications together. I think the extra work on the application is a good move on Rice's part, because it might weed out the people who are applying only because of the Common app and the students who are truly interested in the school.</p>
<p>The only purpose of ID is to give you an early answer...but not early enough to keep you from applying to other colleges. So really, there's no point to it.</p>
<p>
[quote]
So really, there's no point to it.
[/quote]
There is absolutely a point to it! If I hadn't gotten into Rice several months before I heard from other colleges, I don't think I would have even considered it over my other schools. As it was, I had time to do more research on Rice and to get excited about the very real possibilty of attending. Not only that, but ID was a factor in my even applying... having an acceptance early is very, very nice. </p>
<p>So, I'm very grateful for ID... I'm now a very happy, very proud member of the Rice class of '11. And it's disappointing that it is no longer an option for future applicants.</p>
<p>It is disappointing, especially since Rice wants to increase the student body. Doing so without lowering the acceptance rate requires more apps.</p>
<p>I think you mean without raising the acceptance rate. I also think that it is a good thing for the same reasons thesiren pointed out, less people applying just becaus all they have to do is send their commonapp to one more school. Do you think that between them increasing the class size and requiring both apps the admission rate will go up some?</p>