**Official Rice University Fall 2017 Transfer Thread**

Colleges and Universities A-Z Rice University
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Oooh it’s that time again! Keeping the tradition alive, here’s the Fall 2017 thread for us hopeful transfers to this fantastic university! Let’s prepare ourselves while wishing the freshmen the best of luck as they receive their decisions.

Feel free to discuss your reasons for applying to Rice as well as general advice for anyone else applying. If you’d like to share your “stats”, you’re welcome to do so too. Below are some useful links and information to quench your research-needs and maybe wane off some of that anxiety you’re experiencing!(Or increase it, sorry.)

Rice University Registry of Common Data Sets: http://www.oir.rice.edu/Common_Data_Set/Common_Data_Set/
-A list of the common data sets of the current and previous years. Here you can find very useful information regarding admissions, financial aid and test scores! The acceptance rate for transfer students stands at roughly 14.5%. Meh.

Rice is commonly ranked at the top of lists that include “Best Student Quality of Life”, “Most Diverse Campus” and “Best College for Need Based Aid”.

So. Amazing quality of life, diverse student body, a fantastic financial aid program all bundled up on a gorgeous campus in a hella cool city?

Why are you applying again?

Good luck guys!

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Ah, and I made a CC account just to create this thread! Welcome, and best of luck to you in the next months! I’m finalizing my application- I hope to have it submitted by the end of my first week of classes. Care to share your current stats?

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I just made a CC account too! I’m hoping to send my completed application no later than Feb. 1st! I’m just waiting on rec letters haha! I’m a community college student and I’ll be done with my associates so I need to transfer lol I’m also from Texas! I heard that we should hear back from Rice the last week of April or first weeks of May so we’ll know before summer starts! Can’t wait to keep this thread going!

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So my reasons for applying is because when you major in Kinesiology, you can also do a concentration in health science which is what I wanna do! I also want to go for the mariachi because I’ve been an active member of a mariachi for 5 years but I recently stopped because I started college but I just want to transfer to a school where I can continue my passion for mariachi while also keeping up with academics. Plus, Rice is beautiful! I wish you guys the best of luck!

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Hi, would you guys please chance me?

I’m a 21 year old male attending a Texas CC (Houston, close to Rice). Intended Major is Philosophy with English minor, with the ultimate goal of attending a top-twenty law school.

BACKGROUND:

If you feel it would be helpful, please feel free to read my story on my profile page. Briefly put, I was homeless periodically since age 12 until 18. From about 18-20, I worked in the oilfield while dealing with my dad’s medical issues. At 20, just before my 21st birthday, I finally broke into the world of the academics by earning my GED (Honors).

ACT: 32

(Math brought me down, got nearly perfect scores in the other sections. In response to this, I’ve taken math in CC so I can score higher on the ACT math section. I have taken one math, gotten an A, and am about to take the second math. Since the ACT tests college readiness, and I have done college math now, I will do better. Just assume it will be a 34-36? I will retake it, and trust me, I will get a 34-36.)

GPA: 4.0

LOR: 4 letters, each powerful and unique.

One letter by my HS counselor who knew me back when I used to sleep in a van. Naturally, it is an emotionally charged letter with his full backing and support. Also, I forgot to add, I have three outstanding letters from my professors.

EC’s and awards:

Honors College member

Honors College Scholarship winner

Stayton Scholarship for Writing winner (published author in poetry and non-fiction)

Peer tutor for English/Composition and Rhetoric

Coauthor for my professor’s PhD dissertation,

***(Part of my professor’s dissertation deals with critiquing the English abilities of immigrants. Therefore, I am not a research collaborator, as I understand it, but a legitimate coauthor. This seems most obvious in that I have produced the entirety of chapter four of his book, which he proceeds to comment on in chapter 5, and which will soon be published at University of Houston-Downtown.)

Phi Theta Kappa member

Editor-in-chief of newspaper that spans the college system that I attend, (8 campuses in a major city)

Thanks for reading all of this. Please let me know what else I can do (and please move if I posted in the wrong place…)

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@YSMartinez I have no idea what your chance is but you sound like an excellent candidate. I wish you the best of luck and hope you get in!

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Thanks a ton!

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@YSMartinez Dude if you don’t get in I’m actually gonna be super confused. Anyways, with the research I’ve done on the school and reading previous threads, I’ve learned that Rice wants to accept people who stand out and you for sure stand out. My input is that your GPA and ACT are flawless. And the fact that you’re gonna get higher than a 32 is impressive. However, in my opinion, I think you have too many letters of recommendation. You’re obviously an amazing candidate and the application calls for 2 LOR. More than 2, and you’ll have the admissions panel reading all day. It’s preferred to keep it at 2 letters because they have to read so many applications, you know? But if you want to keep all of them, by all means it’s your application. I doubt it’ll weaken your chances, but you won’t gain much from having more than 2 letters. Also, essay writing is pretty big too! So as long as you talked more about “I’m passionate about Rice” “I would love to go here because…” and focus on your academics and what you would contribute, you’re all set. Something that gives me peace of mind is the order of importance. A UChicago admissions person listed this order:

  1. Strength of curriculum and grades - hard classes? You’re good!
  2. Essays- this gives admissions the chance to get to know you so pour out your heart and soul! (Shouldn’t be hard for you since you helped your professor on their dissertation! That says a lot about your writing!)
  3. Recommendations- I think you’re super good with this one!
  4. Extra curriculars- they want to see that you’re well rounded and not just a robot who does the same thing everyday so try to emphasize when you volunteer for different events
  5. Test scores- you’re right on!

Lastly, Rice values PTK students so your likelihood of getting in is higher! This is confirmed because a friend of mine emailed Rice admissions and they said most community college transfers were PTK. So goodluck!! You would be a great addition to Rice!!

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Sheerio, thanks a ton for your reply, it’s greatly appreciated.

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I’m following a couple of Transfer threads to the colleges I’m applying to and I have to say… I really don’t remember seeing so many qualified applicant in previous years. @YSMartinez , It goes without saying but you have an amazing story and high chances of being accepted. It’s still somewhat of a reach for all of us, but you’ll stick out amongst the crowd.

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Thank you, despite it decreasing our mutual odds, I hope we both get in :slight_smile:

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Might apply because the Greek system at my school ain’t so great. Also, Rice will take the 4 on my AP psych exam :smiley:

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How is everyone coming along in their applications? :slight_smile: We’re reaching the climax of our college semesters- the brutal part, really. I know everyone here is pulling through and getting those A’s!

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Submitted my application, now the wait begins.

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Although I started my applications three months ago, I dedicated this entire week to going over it again. Out of all the applications I’ve made thus far I have to say that Rice’s is my most “unified” one.

My other applications feel a little disjointed but with Rice’s, all of the essays and supplements tie hand-in-hand, like a natural progression of a story(that finishes with the picture I put in the “Box”). If it weren’t for my average(relative to Rice) test grades and high school marks I’d feel very confident.

Heck, if anything, some of the supplements will at least make them chuckle before pulling out the red stamper! :>

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Just submitted my application! I wish the word limit on the CommonApp supplement was a little greater, but judging by some of Rice’s questions, the university does seem to value conciseness.

I tend to overflow my passages with words, sometimes unnecessarily, so explaining my choice of academic school in 150 words was quite the task!

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I also submitted a few days ago!!! When will we know the decision? I just want it to be summer already so I’ll know where I’ll be continuing school in the fall and not have to be anxious!

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According to the link, the notification date is May 15 and maybe the decisions will be before or after that date so here’s to hoping!

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We’re on to the next segment of the journey: The Wait.

I would imagine that it’s even worse for us as transfer students as there isn’t a SET date to receive our decisions; most of them are on a rolling basis after a certain day.

You could just wake up one ordinary day and bam.
There’s the email.

“There has been an update to your MyAppVU”

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^---- Whoops, meant the Rice Portal. I must’ve just set up Vanderbilt’s account when I was writing that hahah

I’m talking to a few current students at Rice and… It’s all it’s cracked up to be. The anticipation is real, and while May seems far away, 60 days go by really…really quickly.