<p>Hey guys,</p>
<p>Well, recently I have kind of been considering applying to Rice or Dartmouth ED. However, I am kind of vacillating between the two. My dad seems to really want me to attend Dartmouth and is strongly encouraging me to apply ED. However, I do like Rice just as much and would really like advice on which school would be better for me with the info below.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I am a devote Christian that is moderate to conservative on almost every issue, and while I know I will be a minority on most campuses, I still want there to be some kids that hold similar views.</p></li>
<li><p>A nice campus and nice dorms are pritty important to me as well. If I am going to be at a school for 4 years, I really want to enjoy where I am at. I love both suburban and rural environments...however I am not really bothered by the fact that Rice is in Houston.</p></li>
<li><p>I really want the school I attend to have a strong biology department and an abundance of research opportunities for my undergrad. As of now, I really would like to attend a top 5 med school...but thats really far off.</p></li>
<li><p>Financial aid is semi-important. My family income is around 150,000 a year, but which ever school has better financial aid would be a component in my decision regarding which school to apply ED to.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Any feedback is greatly appreciated! </p>
<p>Thanks so much,
Robbie</p>
<p>You can’t go wrong with either for premed-- I have a S at Dartmouth and D at Rice. However, the two environments are completely different. I suggest you visit both and determine which interests you the most and which is most comfortable. Furthermore, they both fit your social/political/religious characteristics more so than many other top tier schools, so I don’t think you will feel like a minority. Dartmouth is known to be the most conservative Ivy, and you know Rice is in Houston, Texas. They both will give you a great background and shot at an upper tier med-school. I think you might find more research opportunities per student at Rice, though I question the importance and benefit of that as an undergraduate. My fear would be that too much research emphasis as an undergrad could hurt more than help your graduate school ambitions. They may not be as diametrically opposed as Dartmouth - Columbia, but they are different environments. Like your parent’s I pushed Dartmouth for my D, since her brother was there and personally I like the environment at Dartmouth, but she decided on Rice, albeit with a Trustee Distinguished scholarship and Century Scholar scholarship and research mentorship. I am not sure whether she would have gone to Rice without those, but she may have because she seems to want to entrench herself in the medical science community at this stage of her life-- you won’t find a bigger med/science community than Rice/Texas Medical Center anywhere. Again, you need to ask if that is what you want at this stage of your life. If you get into both, you will find sufficient and comparable financial support given your parent’s income. Good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks so much for the detailed response ivyisgreen! One other thing though if you dont mind. If I applied ED to Rice or Dartmouth, is there are good chance that they would provide me with less financial aid then if I applied RD? Additionally, at Rice are RD applicants given an advantage when applying for merit aid because ED students are already forced to attend?</p>
<p>Thanks so much,
Robbie</p>