<p>I’m sorry my posts appear so pretentious and naive…I’m just jumping around with whatever thoughts I may have in an effort to get additional insight (thank you all by the way!)</p>
<p>@Olymom: I’ve been a fan since I was 10 years old…but I am certainly not Catholic…or even religious in any sense of the word.</p>
<p>@Kelsmom : I most certainly have not ruled vandy out. It was fantastic, and the people were super sweet. Nashville was also my favorite location of the 4. </p>
<p>And you are being helpful, but its hard to disparage any of them. I wish I had one that was clearly ahead of the others.</p>
<p>Make sure you check out ND dorm rules.
For example,
Maybe this will help you with your decision ;).</p>
<p>To the OP:
You say you are not at all religious. You should definitely check out Notre Dame’s General Education requirements. Every jesuit college and university I know of requires every student to take around 3 classes in religion.</p>
<p>I know two kids pretty well who went to Rice. One turned down Dartmouth and the other Cal Tech. Both do not regret that decision in the least; both love the school and have had many great opportunities as a result. One is in a top PhD program, the other will be attending a top medical school in the fall. Rice is hard to beat compared to almost any school.</p>
<p>Okay, it sounds like a choice between Rice and Notre Dame. However much others have suggested Rice, you come back with a negative. Really, it sounds like you really like Notre Dame. You’ve got a football obsession and so do they.</p>
<p>@Limabeans: I do, but I also can see drawbacks in going there. I have extremely disparate interests, and each school appeals to a different part of me.</p>
<p>Okay, so if you really did like Vandy & Nashville, I’ll put in a plug for Vandy. D has found great opportunity there. She loves the town, and she enjoys the academics very much. Papers, papers, papers … you will be writing your brains out, unless you are engineering. If you would be in CAS, you would have to take the AXLE requirements. That is the part my D likes the best. She has found AXLE to offer some really great chances to take classes she wouldn’t otherwise take. She has no interest in greek life, and she doesn’t go to parties. She has found plenty to do, especially with such a great town (she does really like the independent music scene). There is enough of a sports scene to make it interesting … not as big a deal as ND’s, but probably more than you’d find at Rice. Vandy is a 4-year residential campus, so if living on campus the whole time turns you off that might be a consideration (she did get off campus for senior year, so it sometimes does happen).</p>
<p>Do need to add … AP credit won’t count toward AXLE requirements. Engineers & Blair/Peabody students have different rules, though, I think.</p>
<p>You know, football is only one semester of the two. And in that one semester it would at most occupy what, maybe 10% of your time? That is probably way too high, but even if so, that is 5% of your college career. If that is the only thing that attracts you to Notre Dame compared to the others, it really doesn’t seem like enough. But I could be wrong, football could be that important to you.</p>
<p>Gosh, I sound like a sports obsessed meathead. I’m not. It just sounded like something that would be incredibly fun to bond over. (Not that problem sets are any less of a bonding experience). </p>
<p>I completely forgot about AP Credit.</p>
<p>I’ll have 10-12 AP classes worth at graduation. Although it would be a shame to “waste them”, I figured taking intro level classes over again would be an easy opportunity to transition to college and boost the GPA. </p>
<p>Although I try not to be one of those people who grade mongers…but thats an entirely different discussion. </p>
<p>@kelsmom: Yes, AXLE is kind of scary, although Vandy does have a really neat interdisciplinary (design your own) major option.</p>
<p>Even with your added info. about liking ND, everything about your original post leans towards Rice. As for an interest in a career in Finance…ask the Rice Career Services office how many finance/IBank recruiters came to the college 5 years ago. And…how many students entered that field.</p>
<p>The past 2 years of recruiting for finance/IBanks needs to be somewhat ignored. But…if they were interested in Rice grads when those sectors were heavily recruiting, they’ll be back at Rice soon enough.</p>
<p>Most of the lifelong connections you’ll make in school will come from the university - not from the surrounding area. So…don’t worry so much about whether you’ll love Houston.</p>
<p>As great as the ND football tradition is, unless you’re on the team, you’re a spectator…i.e. a step away from where he rubber meets the road. Such vicarious excitement ends up feeling sort of hollow after a while. It’s like guys who join the Navy because they saw the Blue Angels at an air show, or saw a movie about the Navy SeALs, and they end up chipping paint on a supply ship.</p>
<p>LOL, I absolutely didn’t mean to make you sound like a “sports obsessed meathead”. I like sports a lot too, and you are absolutely right that it is a bonding aspect at ND. While I wouldn’t go quite as far a Schmaltz, I do agree that given all the aspects that go into picking a school, that should be the final tie-breaker. Heck, I would even put the weather ahead of it. Football is a very occassional thing, weather is everyday. But that’s just me. You know yourself, and there is nothing wrong with having sports ranked higher on the list. It is for a lot of people.</p>
<p>Maybe you just need to try to wake up tomorrow and observe which school pops into your mind first. Maybe that is the school for you. It seems like such a close call for you, there is probably no way to sort it out otherwise.</p>
<p>These are all good choices. I really like Rice–people who go there seem pretty happy.</p>
<p>I didnt read the entire thread, but wanted to respond to the OP statement, “One of my major concerns with Rice was that if I wanted to go into any sort of finance (assuming a rebound over the next 4 years), it would hamstring my opportunities.”</p>
<p>A friends son graduated from Rice and immediately began working for Bain, so I don’t see where Rice would hamstring anyone in that area if others have been successful.</p>
<p>Those are four GREAT opportunities you have listed.</p>
<p>Everyone here has been so helpful to OP. I don’t have much to add - just a few observations:</p>
<p>Houston - you don’t have to be there in July/August (that’s when Houston is oppressive)</p>
<p>Football - I too am a huge sports fan. You don’t have to go to the top football obsessed school (and I say that in a positive way!) to get the football vibe. Sure it’s fun at ND, Mich, Penn State, but you can get that at other places too. We had it at Northwestern, even though the team set the NCAA futility record while I was there (zero wins in four years). My D will be going to Univ of Delaware in the fall - not exactly a football powerhouse - and we keep hearing from people there about the football spirit and how much fun Saturdays are in the fall. So you can CAN get that at other schools. I would NOT pick a college based on that.</p>
<p>ND - I would really examine the religious implications - not just the classes, but also the rules - before getting into that situation, considering how you have described yourself.</p>
<p>After reading most of this thread, I’m thinking you are between Rice and Vandy. Two great schools. You have a winner either way! Congrats and good luck! Let us know what you decide!</p>
<p>Thank you all. You have been amazingly hepful. </p>
<p>That being said, I am still pretty undecided and am sweating it out.</p>
<p>Decide today. Then act as if it’s your final decision. Don’t send anything in yet. Fill out the roommate info forms. Plan your transportation there. Figure out your 1st year course schedule. Research the greek system if you’re interested. Decide which clubs you might join. Figure out the clothes you’ll need (seasons?). Plan your first break from school. Thanksgiving? Will you go home? Plan the transportation. Imagine inviting your friends to visit you some weekend. What will you do? Where will they stay?</p>
<p>Then wait 24 hours. Are you happy? Buyers remorse happens always, no matter which decision, so don’t be too worried those small nagging doubts. Still feel okay with your decision? Wait another 24 hours, and do more planning. Feeling less okay? Then, change your mind, and pick U #2. But, if you do change the decision, act as if you are definitely nixing U #1. You’re not allowed to change your mind back to it. You’re giving it up completely. Still okay with #2, or do you miss #1 already? If you’re still in for U #2, then plan as above, and wait another 24 hours. Again, if you change your mind away from #2, remember you can’t go back. By now it’s the 29th, and you should be closer to knowing what you really want. You’re on school #3 by now, plan as above. No turning back.</p>
<p>I believe that by April 30th, you’ll know what to do. Good luck! No matter what you’ve got great choices, and you’ll be fine!</p>
<p>As many here know I have one who went to Rice, and one at Tulane. They considered many of the schools on your list (except ND- bad fit for our religion). You wont hamstring your opportunities if you want to pursue business, even if you attend a school that doesnt have an undergrad business school (Rice’s is grad school). Sometimes you can take a class in the grad schools as an undergrad, and Rice also has a program in managerial studies that dovetails as a second major with other majors (its not a major in and of itself) that may be helpful with business experience. Many large companies outside of Houston recruit Rice grads. You will not be disappointed with opportunities. My s was not a big fan of Houston per se, but loved, Loved LOVED his Rice experience, andthe opportunities it offered.</p>
<p>I agree with all the others who said that by reading your posts, Rice is the one you want best. That said, I like SopranoMom’s post 38 if you can follow through with it.</p>