<p>I live in Austin, and I'd choose an Ivy. I've heard fantastic things about Rice from students there (my school sends quite a few people there; about five or so a year), and my choice isn't based upon academic offerings. I have no doubt that Rice is academically similar to an Ivy League school. In the hands (mind?) of the properly motivated student, there's no difference. Their U.S. News ranking is lower probably because they're not as well known so get fewer applicants and have a higher acceptance rate. I also love the fact that their residential college system is more like Yale's than Harvard's.</p>
<p>I want to go to an Ivy because Texas is too safe and comfortable. It would be nice to stay close to home and enjoy the Texas weather for four more years, but I'm ready for new things and new people. Plus, Houston is close enough to Austin that my parents may randomly drop by on weekends, which would totally be not cool.</p>
<p>In time, and I'm talking 15 to 50 years, I believe that Rice will be more selective in terms of acceptance rate than any school. The "Ivy League" craze of today will go on to a period when people apply to all the top schools and are aware of more top schools than just the catchphrase of the 00s. In the 10s and 20s, aided by this here Internet growing ever larger and information becoming more readily available, high school geniuses will have heard of Rice before they get to college instead of after.</p>
<p>Since Rice is smaller than Princeton, Yale, Stanford, Harvard, etc. eventually the acceptance rate will be miniscule. Adding in the constant population shift away from the northeast and towards the southwest, I can see Rice having a 4-5% or lower acceptance rate eventually (today it is around 23% I believe, still not easy to get into but higher than Yale's 10%).</p>
<p>I also think the residential college system is cool. I lived in one at my undergrad school, but only Rice and Yale have every undergrad in one.</p>
<p>I agree with most you. I was born and raised in Houston, TX. Rice is considered Ivy League-caliber to people in TX. Rice is about the only great school in TX, although most would argue UT and A&M, SMU, TCU and Baylor are good. I always wondered if Rice had prestige throught the U.S., or is it more regionally prestigious, like Duke. Duke and Rice are predominantly prestigious among southerners.
Like Penn, even though it is an Ivy League school, it's not the first school that comes to mind when I think of the "Ivy League". I'm wondering if Penn is more pretigious among people in the Northeast. Any thoughts...?</p>
<p>llamapyjamas-
If I recall, you applied ID to Rice. Your post makes it sound like you would only choose an Ivy (Yale I believe). If you don't get into Yale and you do get into Rice, will you attend?</p>
<p>Well, even if you don't get any fin aid from Rice, it's still far cheaper to go to Rice. You save you save more than 40,000 over 4 years, money that can be used for grad school, buying a house, etc.</p>
<p>A valid point that I've been trying to get across to my parents. Rice also offers merit-based scholarships like NM while HYP don't. </p>
<p>I think my parents care more about a big name to brag to people about than the actual school itself. After visiting colleges last year, it broke their heart that I liked Yale better than Harvard. My mother would sell her soul to pay to send me to Harvard.</p>