<p>I have been admitted to three Ivies and Rice. All four are great schools and a good fit. Would I be crazy to pass on an Ivy for Rice? I plan on continuing to medical school after undergrad.</p>
<p>You wouldn’t be crazy. Rice is an amazing school and it will only get better. I’m also an admitted student and Rice is in my top three. I’m going to be making my choice after I do visits again over spring break.</p>
<p>You wouldn’t be crazy if Rice is a better financial situation for you (since you plan on going to Med School which will probably equal some debt). But if you got into HYP, think really hard before passing them up in favor of Rice.</p>
<p>Out of curiosity which 3 Ivies?</p>
<p>Well, the Ivy I was thinking about is Columbia. There is a financial benefit to Rice. However, I ask the question putting that to the side as only I can decide how I feel about that. I don’t want to pass up the prestige of the Ivies if I would need that to get into a top medical school…or will the Rice name have the same effect? Otherwise, a great school - I realize that.</p>
<p>Rice has a 90% acceptance to med school for its undergrads. It’s also in the heart of the hospital center of the south and you will have plenty of opportunities for internships and all sorts of premed experiences.</p>
<p>I know! Rice has so much to offer a science/pre-med student. I love Rice but am concerned that I might need the ‘Ivy’ to get into a ‘top’ medical school. I am worried that they only pull from Ivies… (even though Rice is ranked and regarded so highly.)</p>
<p>Texas Medical Center is the largest in the world. Has 2 train stops through that area. If you been there it will blow you away. Opportunities are ginormous ( no exaggeration)</p>
<p>Can I ask a similar question–for Rice–I am picking Rice over a bunch of just under first tier schools (CMU, Vandy, etc) but I have a Regents at Berkeley–which gives a lot of benefits. I would save 30K a year going to Berkeley. Thoughts? (ps I would go to HYP over Rice…)</p>
<p>I know I would love the students, faculty, campus. I know Rice would offer tremendous opportunities for research, internships, shadowing. I know I would respect my peers and they would be the same ‘caliber’ as those at the Ivies. I am just afraid to pass up Columbia if I need that to move on to a ‘top’ medical school. I don’t know exactly how that would fall out. I should see if Rice will release the medical schools that current students were accepted into. Does anyone have any info on this?</p>
<p>I visited Rice and was impressed with the quality of the programs and professors. Rice took the best ideas from other colleges and incorporated it into Rice.<br>
I met a med student at Rice who also attended Riceas undergrad. He said his prepAration for med school was excellent! Visit as many schools as possible talk to everyone-students, profs, staff and really gets feel for the schools you are considering.</p>
<p>I’m a massive, massive Columbia fan, but if you think you would be happier at Rice, it would be unwise to pass on it for some hypothetical future advantage that might never materialize. Consider this, you might not want to go to med school in a few years. It happens, even to the kids who are adamant that they want to be doctors. But, you can’t go wrong between Columbia and Rice. I wish I had to make choices like yours.</p>
<p>Stevest - I would definitely pick Rice over Vandy and CMU. But, I really love Rice and think it would be a great fit for me. It’s really different than Vandy, so fit can determine that choice easily, I think. I think Rice is a better ranked school than CMU and equal to Vanderbilt in terms of the tiers and such that you were referring to.</p>
<p>Rubbish - I love both Rice and Columbia! I just don’t want people to think that I view Rice as settling because I know it is a great school. So, I thought: well, before I grapple with the financial aspect, I would consider if I needed to rule out Rice over Columbia for future plans. Thank you for your kind words, I am grateful for a choice like this.</p>
<p>Whatever you choose you are in a no lose situation. Many would kill to be in your dilemma.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that upper Manhattan has a totally different feel than Houston! They both have a rich and cosmopolitan feel. NYC might feel more on the frantic and buzzing side (in a good way) side, whereas Houston may feel more laid-back and casual. I, personally, would like both, but for very different reasons. </p>
<p>Have you visited Columbia yet?</p>
<p>I have spent a bit of time in NYC and know I would be comfortable there. I wanted to attend a university in/near a city. Laid-back city is fine. Just don’t want to be in the middle of nowhere. Thank you for thinking of that!</p>
<p>I’m a Rice grad and when I applied to graduate school I got into Ivies including HYP and other Top 20 schools. The same was true across the board for all my friends studying medicine, architecture, biomedical engineering, etc. They went off to Top 20 schools and Oxford and Cambridge. Thus the notion that Rice won’t get you into a top program is absolutely ridiculous and baseless because the Top 20 all know of each other and recognize each other as peers. Plus Rice is filled with other kids who turned down spots at Top 20 schools as well, so at the end of the day you realize the Top 20 is filled with the same kids who just shuffle around during their undergrad/grad careers so you won’t be ‘going down a notch’ by going to Rice. I went off to one of my choices within HYP and graduated with all honors and noticed no difference between it and Rice.</p>
<p>I’m with Fenton7 on this. I think once in the top 20 or 25 schools they are pretty much peers. Another thing kendamon, you are failing to include one other factor when it comes to applying to graduate school. You seem to have overlooked YOURSELF. If you were admitted to 3 Ivies & Rice then you already seem to be someone that universities are interested in. As a “commodity” you seem to be a good investment for them. I think with that being factored in, it wouldn’t matter whether you go to Colombia or Rice. You seem to be a winner. Congratulations on whichever decision you make.</p>
<p>If you have any doubts about why you should attend Rice (which you do) then I recommend you go to Columbia. I think you will be OK there.</p>
<p>I had lunch during the Centennial with a gentleman and his wife. Turned out he was a Rice undergraduate and went on to complete his MD from an Ivy medical school and had returned to campus for the Centennial celebration in October. They said their son will be applying to Rice next year.</p>
<p>Columbia might be an Ivy, but it’s not HYP. </p>
<p>Look at each program specifically, the access to research, the kind of research, the curriculum, the cost of living (outside of the campus), the weather, class sizes, residential “scene”, etc. Take out the name and be honest with yourself. Also look at what else is available at the school if you end up changing your academic/professional path. Some schools don’t give you many options to go from physics for example to history.</p>
<p>My S wouldn’t even apply to Columbia, and they sent him repeated requests for him to do so. </p>
<p>You can’t beat being across the street from that largest medical center in the world! (at Rice)</p>