<p>Hey guys, I think it's time to make a consolidated thread for those applying to Rice this fall. We can discuss the application and just generally be nervous about our chances.</p>
<p>Post your name and home state, as well as any questions about the application(s) that you may have, and we will try our best to answer them. </p>
<p>1.) JimmyEatWorld711, KS</p>
<p>My question - would I screw up the paperwork process if I sent in App Part 1, then sent in the Common App + Supplement instead of Part 2?</p>
<p>I think that it is a great idea to have one consolidated thread for everyone applying early decision. I would think that it would be much better to either stick to their application or to stick to the common application. Have you started on it yet? I really need to do it quickly but I have been super busy with classes at my school. Also can you take the ACT on OCT 22 and still have it count towards ED? Do you have to also send your old scores until the new ones arrive?</p>
<p>since you know that you'll take a new ACT, just send in the old score, and if I remember correctly, there is a box for you to fill out the tests/dates you've taken then fill in the date of the new test and put a note that says the test result would come afterward. About the app. if you're not so sure about common vs. Rice app. then contact the admission office and ask them, so that they can't reject you later because you didn't fill out some stupid box.
Good luck.</p>
<p>I have several questions now that I have actually started on the application.
1. I have decided to use the common application because they allow you to create your own topic choice for the essay. I already have what I think is an excellent essay and I do not want to adapt it to the Rice prompt. Do you think that it is O.K. to do your own topic choice or will they frown on that?
2. How long is too long for the essay? I have five double spaced pages and I have already cut out everything that I did not view as important. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>I think it's definitely okay to use the "create your own essay" prompt - if it wasn't, Rice would specifically tell you not to use the common app. </p></li>
<li><p>Doesn't the common app itself say something about word limits? I thought it was 500 words for the main essay, although I could be confusing that with another essay prompt</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Hi everyone, I am also applying to Rice, but not ED, ID. I am not completly sure if Rice is my first choice, or if i will even be accepted.
2. Thelove8, Texas. I already sent in the part 1 of the rice ap but am working on the essay. Good luck everyone.</p>
<p>Hey! I'm a freshman at Rice right now and would love to answer your questions. I applied Interim Decision, am from Connecticut, and am a pre-med cog sci major. Ask away!</p>
<p>O.K. I heard that hazing in some of the colleges was really extreme and I was wondering how bad it really was or at least for your specific dorm anway. Also how friendly is the campus? the administrators? Finally how high were your stats esp. test scores?</p>
<p>Hazing was a huge issue (hospitilization, police arresting students...you get the picture) with the Lacrosse team least school year, but I've never heard of any hazing at the colleges...that's why we had o-week (freshman orientation).</p>
<p>The campus is friendly. I haven't met any of those stuck up kids who look down their noses at you...these kinds of snobbish geniuses are places like Harvard.</p>
<p>You'll rarely deal with the admin. If you do, it's pretty much what you expect. They aren't your friends. They're just the admin. Your college will have "residents" and "masters" who are supposed to be admin, but they are actually your friends. Registration for me was a pain because first semester freshmen register last, but I eventually got everything worked out after the first week.</p>
<p>Stats: My test scores and GPA were high, but test scores don't matter as much as you might think. Focus on EC's, especially the in-depth ones with lots of effort and time committment. If you care enough about college, your test scores are probably good enough to get you into any college...it's the other stuff that really matters now.</p>
<p>Remember, getting into a college is a minor blip. It's what you do once you're in that really counts. The admissions process tends to obscure the true nature of college by completely occupying the minds of high schoolers.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for your help. I am just really worried about getting in since I only have a 27 ACT which is about 5 points below their average. I am applying ED though and just hope that not to many people from Alaska apply.</p>
<p>Just like cave_dweller, I haven't had any experiences with hazing here. I think part of that is because of the residential college system as opposed to the greek life...there's no need to rush, no initiation, etc. Part of what I love about Rice is how all the students intermingle so much - definitely not like high school. When we first go here, seniors sat down with us at lunch to learn names and welcome us...stuff like that. It was a great experience!</p>
<p>My stats were medium to high but by no means amazing. I would say that extracurriculars are really importan, as is the essay (and that mystery box!).</p>
<p>If you don't mind sharing, what did you current Rice students put in the box?</p>
<p>Also, I got the feeling from taking a tour that Rice students were generally athletic kids or at least kids who enjoy playing sports recreationally...how true is this? Are intramurals and such really popular during the school year?</p>
<p>Oh, btw, are you Rice students still in Houston right now? Didn't they order an evacuation of the city? Either way, stay safe.</p>
<p>I really hate sports and have never played them. My passion has always been community service is this going to hurt my chances? I would also love to know what people put in the boxes. I was going to draw an outline of my state imposed over an ocean. The ocean and Alaska will always be important to me even though I don't want to stay here for school. Do you guys think this is way to over the top and corny?</p>
<p>1) What did current Rice students put in the box? People put many, many random things - some of my friends put a picture of a scan of their brain, a recipe for cookies, a drawn picture, an unfoldable origami book (architecture major), and photographs. I ended up using the Brady Bunch scheme (the grid of faces where everybody is looking at somebody else) and doing that with my family - I took pictures and then photoshop-ed them together. Don't kill yourself over the box too much - just make it YOU. (But whatever you do, don't tape grains of Rice to it...that's been done way too many times.)</p>
<p>2) While athletics are a part of Rice life (just like they are at any college), I've never gotten the impression that to be happy at Rice, you have to play sports. There are certainly people I've met here who don't have any interest in sports, and they're not out of the loop or anything. Sports are generally just a big thing if you make them one for you and enjoy them - if not, no problem. People will generally go and support the Rice teams or their residential college's team, which extends the sports atmosphere to everybody sometimes. But point being, you don't have to be on the field to have fun.</p>
<p>About the hurricane, about half of the campus is still here. I feel like
Rice has handled this situation extremely well - I feel very safe here, and chose not to go home (which would have required me flying). So, we'll see how it goes! Thanks for your concern.</p>
<p>I'm very confused about applications. I originally started on Common Ap, and clicked the link to what I assumed was the supplement. It was actually Part 1, which has since been submitted. Do I now have to forgo the Common Ap and do Rice Part II? I'm so confused... Thanks!</p>
<p>If you submit the Common Application, then you must submit the Rice Freshmen Common Application Supplement. If you use the Rice application, you just need to do Part I and Part II of it.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot twinklestar!
I just freaked out after I realized what I did, but its not that big of a deal. Rice asks for at least one teacher rec--do you guys think its best to have two?</p>