Princeton vs MIT vs Rice... Please help!!!

I only have today and tomorrow left to decide, and I still can’t choose between these three.
I have made countless pros and cons charts and have narrowed down my options from seven, but am still very conflicted.

Can you please comment with any information you have on:

  • Stressfulness/Rigor of Coursework (I know MIT is insanely hard which leads to depression in a lot of students, but how do Princeton and Rice compare for engineering?)
  • Strength in engineering (particularly chemical or bioengineering)
  • Well-roundedness of education
  • Social Scene
  • Weather (I live in TX so mainly for Boston and NJ, and really how bad winters are there)
  • Culture of student body (I’ve heard that the a lot of the people at Princeton are snobby/ privileged and things can be kind of cliquish, which is obviously a stereotype but there might be some truth to it, and at MIT I’m not sure if there would be as much variation in academic interests among the student body like at the other two)

I have visited all three but the trips to Princeton and MIT were so short that I can’t really base it off that.

Although they vary in price I don’t want cost to be a factor as they are all feasibly affordable.

Thank you for any help!

I can offer you insight from DS’s experience as an engineering student at Princeton. He felt he had the best of both worlds at Princeton because he could pursue his passions in the humanities as well as complete an engineering degree (EE). The coursework certainly had rigor, but there were options in some of the req’d coursework. It’s been a few years, but I remember that the math sequence had options to choose more/less theory-based sections. Someone else could describe this better.

DS received significant financial aid, as many do. He did not feel out of place. And there was no disadvantage when joining eating clubs as an upperclassman as the aid carried over. He is still best buds with his roommates almost a decade out of Princeton. He found his people.

I still remember being struck by the friendliness of the students -when we would walk across campus with him, people would call out greetings as we went.

As to the weather, it is a mild winter compared to Cambridge.

These are all very good but vastly different schools in terms of their environment and focus. It seems a little odd to me to be torn equally between such very, very different options.

Princeton is a classical liberal arts education par excellence, with a strong undergraduate focus. It’s engineering is not in the MIT/Stanford class, but is generally strong. It has a lot of the “Ivy tradition” trappings in terms of its architecture and student culture. Princeton is a quiet college town, but is within easy train access of NYC and Philly. If you like the traditional liberal arts focus and the culture, it’s a fabulous place.

MIT is the archetypical techie nerd school. There are lots of people with interests in the arts and humanities, but the general focus is science and engineering, which are as good as it gets. The school requires a fair amount of humanities/social science courses, and you can get a very well-rounded education there if you have diverse interests. The culture is nerdy and fairly intense. Most people who are admitted thrive there - the admissions group has a pretty good handle on who will fit - but the atmosphere is intense, and can be overwhelming at times. The research opportunities are unparalleled. Winters in Boston can be tough, but MIT has an extensive set of underground tunnels connecting the buildings. It’s too bad that you didn’t attend CPW - a lot of admitted students really get a sense of whether they fit when they visit for several days, attend classes, and interact with other students.

Rice doesn’t have quite the elite name appeal of MIT and Princeton, but it’s a fabulous school, with strong engineering, and a residential college system and student culture. You’re obviously familiar with Texas, so a lot depends on whether you want to go somewhere different.

Again, I find it slightly odd that you are on the fence so late with 3 such very different schools. What attracted you to these schools in the first place? What are your priorities?

@loli0831 I feel your choice will eventually come down to MIT vs Princeton. I would only consider Rice along these two if cost was an issue.

-Stressfulness/rigor: MIT is more stressful/rigorous, but Princeton is rigorous too.

-Strength in engineering: definitely MIT by a lot, also MIT has the strong global name, but Princeton is of course very strong too in engineering and in terms of name/prestige.

-Well-roundedness: Princeton has the edge here. that said MIT is more well-rounded than one would expect.

-Social scene: I would give MIT the edge, the social scene at MIT is surprising good, and the location helps

-Weather: slightly worse at MIT, but mot by much. huge difference from TX of course

-Student body: MIT is probably more down to earth. people are insanely smart but also very friendly and unassuming. Princeton is more waspy, preppy and snobby by comparison. You are bound to find more diversity if interests at Princeton.

Obviously, MIT is the strongest in engineering but Rice is excellent too (don’t know too much about Princeton’s engineering). Rice seems to be less stressful than MIT would be, and is known for a very friendly and collaborative student body, thanks to the residential college system. Rice also seems to be a happy medium between the three schools in terms of culture: it is more well-rounded than MIT when it comes to the interests of the student body, and is definitely less preppy and “cliquey” than you’re scared Princeton is.

Thanks for all the help!!!

And @renaissancedad

I actually have met a lot of people who were deciding between MIT and Princeton (and one between MIT, Rice, and Princeton). It’s weird, I’m not sure if they look for similar things in students or attract similar applicants or what.

And personally, I like these schools all for different reasons.

MIT appeals to me obviously because of its strength in engineering and I like its unique quirky culture, as well as the myriad of research and internship opportunities. But I also don’t know if I would really thrive in a place so intense all the time. I’ve talked to a lot of current and previous students who caution me about how stressful of a place it is, and I’m not trying to be lazy or sound like I don’t want a challenge, but I’m genuinely worried about my mental well-being if I were to “drink from the firehose”

For Princeton, it seems like a middle ground. it’s not as prestigious as MIT in terms of engineering, although I’m gathering neither is it as intense. I also like the idea of having classmates that are interested in a wide variety of subjects. I’m just hoping that I don’t later regret not pushing myself enough.

Rice I was initially drawn to because it is close to home, and I think that would make the transition more manageable. This is not to mention the fact that I’m used to the weather (and don’t mind the heat). It was also recently ranked first for happiest students and race/class interaction, and I think it seems like a good balance of academics and extracurriculars/social life.

I sort of wish I had thought in depth about all these things when I applied. I was mostly just going off of what seemed to make the most sense at the time. Oh well, I can’t really complain about my situation without sounding ungrateful.

^ I can understand liking all 3 schools for different reasons. They’re all great schools. But I don’t think most people would fit equally well at all 3 places.

I think that MIT has tons of students who are interested in a wide variety of subjects, even though the number of majors is not going to be as widely distributed as it would be at Princeton. If that’s the main reason you’re considering Princeton, then I’d narrow it to MIT vs. Rice. It doesn’t sound like Princeton particularly calls to you, just that it’s hopefully a bit less intense and a bit more rounded than MIT while being equally prestigious.

Rice seems like the “safest” option for you: the most known quantity, the closest to home, the most balanced, probably the easiest social adjustment. Some people place a high value on safety and surety. If that’s who you are, there’s nothing wrong with choosing Rice over more nationally known schools. Rice is quite a gem, and undervalued nationally, IMO.

MIT is an intense environment. If that scares you more than it excites you, then perhaps it’s not for you. But you were admitted for a reason, and if self-doubt is holding you back (“imposter syndrome”), then I’d take that into consideration.

All good points from everyone. I definitely think that I have suffered from the “imposter syndrome” recently.

Another thing I just remembered- Princeton liked to emphasize a lot how it’s “undergraduate focused” but does this actually make a noticeable difference? Is it worth influencing a decision?

It sounds like Rice is where you want to be, but are having a hard time turning down the higher ranked schools.

Since there are no bad choices here, pick Rice for happiness and mental well being.

^ I would tend to agree with this. If you don’t have enough excitement about MIT or Princeton to get over the hump, then perhaps Rice is the best place for you at this point in your life. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Personally, I am a big believer in fit opposed to prestige. A happy student is a successful student after all. I think with engineering in particular this is especially important, for wherever you do engineering it will undoubtably be difficult. Having a support structure and easy social group does wonders for ensuring that you are performing at your best, or at least are enjoying doing so. Plus, as long as the major is ABET accredited it often makes little difference where one gets their degree from. I will pretty much guarantee there is hardly any difference in the average starting salaries for engineers coming out of any of these schools. When factoring in cost of living (since many graduates tend to stay in the general area), I’d even hazard to guess that Rice engineers actually make the most comparatively. Feel free to test out this cost of living calculator http://money.cnn.com/calculator/pf/cost-of-living/ and this salary list http://www.businessinsider.com/colleges-with-the-highest-starting-salaries-2015-8/ if you would like to test out my theory.

To answer your question more directly, I will admit that I do not have extensive personal knowledge of MIT or Princeton, but I do Rice. This is what I have gleaned from talking with friends attending, alumni, visits myself, and research…

Location: Rice is located in an awesome part of Houston—the Museum District. This is a beautiful area with tons of greenery and places to explore, including several museums, parks, theatres, and the Houston Zoo. Also, I do believe that Rice students are given free access to the zoo and nearby museums with the Passport to Houston Program. Apart from that, Rice is also right next to Rice Village—a fun, medium-to-up-scale shopping district with tons of shops, places to eat, and some nightlife. (Torchy’s Tacos, Ruggles, The Chocolate Bar, Star Pizza, and Oh My Gogi! are all great, popular eateries.) If Rice Village isn’t enough, there is always the Galleria (a massive shopping center) a few miles away with a shuttle running to it.

Houston itself is an incredibly diverse city and boasts the second most Fortune 500 companies. Considering Houston is also the Energy Capital of the World, internship opportunities of practically all types are fairly easy to find. Switching gears, if following sports is your thing, or you are simply looking to catch a game every now and then, Houston has got you covered with some pretty good teams (Rockets, Texans, and Astros).

Research: This is where I think Rice truly excels, especially, but not only, for pre-meds (cough 87% med school placement rate cough). The significance of the Texas Medical Center cannot be overstated. When it is the largest in the world and houses fantastic institutions like MD Anderson (#1 Cancer Hospital), Baylor College of Medicine, Houston Methodist, and Texas Children’s, it shouldn’t be ignored. Additionally, Rice also seems to have a very strong relationship with BCM (they almost merged a few years back) and sends many of its grads there. I can also confirm how easy it is to get research in the TMC, for multiple friends of mine, as well as myself, have gotten to do research at MD Anderson as high schoolers. Rice also has the BioScience Research Collaborative, which further cultivates the relationship between Rice and the TMC. Here, Rice educators and students work hand-in-hand with professionals from the TMC on leading research in human medicine and health.

On campus research is also widely available (paid and unpaid) thanks to Rice’s 60/40 undergrad to grad student ratio. Furthermore, Rice’s smaller size allows students to form personal relationships with professors, which makes finding research opportunities that much easier. I even remember reading how some CS professors were personally inviting students to do research with them over the summer, but were having difficulty because almost all the students had internships lined up.

Campus: Personally, I find Rice’s campus to be absolutely beautiful. It is almost like a little oasis in the middle of a massive city. The campus is fairly small, but not too constricting. There are large open fields, tons of shaded walkways and resting areas, and a 5k loop around campus that is perfect for jogging. It is a self-contained campus (which I prefer because it doesn’t isolate specific groups) opposed to one sprawled throughout a city. And finally, it just seems to convey this sense of calm energy that makes you feel at home. I highly suggest you try and visit campus, or at least look at Google street view because it’s sight I would hate for you to miss.

Social: As I’m sure you are aware, Rice utilizes the residential college system. This is where freshman are randomly (except for legacy) sorted into one of the 11 different residential colleges on Rice’s campus. These colleges serve as a student’s home over their entire Rice experience, providing an immediate sense of community to entering freshman and act as a social/party unit for all of the college’s members. They really help students develop a sense of family on campus, for nothing brings people together like a little camaraderie and healthy competition against the other colleges. Since the colleges are composed of students from all years, they provide an excellent support structure and place get advice regarding classes, professors, etc.

Onto parties, Rice has a reputation in Texas for throwing some pretty eccentric, odd, and really fun parties–let’s say that none of my friends at Rice seem to be overly bored. Without the presence of frats on campus and with the residential colleges acting as the major social unit, much of that sense exclusivity is eliminated. Rice is also the only wet campus in Texas meaning alcohol is definitely present. Cops are not overly stringent on drinking age requirements (as long as you aren’t driving or making a ruckus) and private parties have mostly free rein. However, just because Rice has two pubs on campus doesn’t mean people are pressured to drink. None of my friends, some of whom don’t drink, have ever told me they felt uncomfortable. Rice being a wet campus coupled with the relaxed atmosphere prevents a divide from forming between drinkers and non-drinkers and actually encourages people to stay on campus to have fun.

Community. I have referenced this a couple times, but not without reason. Rice serves as a community for its students, and it isn’t one built on competitiveness or trying to best the person next to you. Instead, it’s about shared success and the desire to actually learn. Students are encouraged to work together and the generous honor code allows for a bunch of freedom. There will no doubt be some students who never venture out of their dorm room and fight for every point of their GPA, but they are by far in the minority. There’s definitely a reason why Rice is ranked #1 for Happiest Students.

Traditions: From an outsider’s point of view there are 3 main traditions in which Rice students often partake. The first being undoubtedly beer bike. This is where each residential college fields a team of bikers and chuggers. They then compete in three divisions: men’s, women’s, and alumni (it’s that big of a deal), in a relay race. Reminder, this only occurs after a massive campus-wide water balloon fight. Can’t forget that part! (For those concerned: no, the chuggers are not actually chugging beer but rather water.) Another historical tradition is Baker 13 where students will run around campus wearing nothing but shoes and shaving cream every 13th and 31st at 10:00 pm armed with cans of shaving cream. And finally, there are ton of traditions unique to each college that help to further create a sense of identity.

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Academics: The academics at Rice are absolutely top notch, and not just the STEM fields for which Rice is well know. Those interested in business, economics, or finance can benefit from the Baker Institute, a nonpartisan public policy think-tank, located right on campus. Those who love the natural sciences have fantastic opportunities waiting across the street in the TMC. And everybody has access to some of the best professors in the world. Apart from these unique resources, Rice also offers a very flexible degree plan with its distribution requirements. Double majoring is very common, and there is always the option to minor if the requirements for a BS/BA are too great.

Common Concerns: Many people seem to be concerned about Rice being in Texas. To this I would like to point out that while Texas is usually a solid red state, all of the major cities in Texas lean left and Rice students in particular voted 90%+ Clinton/3rd party. In fact,three weeks ago in the Architecture building window there is a sign that said “No Ban No Wall.”

Another concern prefrosh often have is a perceived lack of diversity due to ~40% of the incoming class coming from Texas. I completely understand why this may seem alarming, but something many people fail to fully grasp is the size of Texas. It actually takes about the same amount of time to drive from Houston, TX to El Paso, TX as it does to cross 3 state borders and drive from El Paso to Los Angeles, CA. There is a wide range of people in Texas and diversity rankings prove this, for Rice is ranked the 5th most diverse college by Best Colleges and 24th by US News (preceded by 4 other TX colleges).

People also often cite the weather as a big concern. While Houston does get pretty darn hot, most of the unbearable weather and unflattering humidity occurs during the summer. In fact, I think the weather during the school year is actually a pretty big plus, because apart from California or Florida, where else can you go the whole year wearing practically only shorts and the occasional sweatshirt? Plus, hanging out outside or in the courtyard is pretty much possible and comfortable all year round. I will concede though that Houston is definitely humid.

Rice may not be for you if…

You want a social system dominated by Greek life,
You want to go to big sports school filled with “Ra ra ra” enthusiasm,
You cannot stand humidity,
You have to go to a place where it snows,
You can’t handle rice puns,
Or you want to go to a large university.

In the end I think you simply need to sit down and ask yourself, "Where do I want to spend four years of my life?"Don’t think about what others will say, don’t think about prestige, focus on where you want to be. Sometimes the best choices aren’t logical, but rather they follow a gut instinct. If something seems to be driving you towards one school, don’t ignore that! Four years can be a long, long time if you aren’t enjoying yourself, but they can also fly by and be some of the best. I hope this was helpful!

It’s very simple, if you are really passionate about engineering and want to be the best engineer you can possibly be, go to MIT. If you care more about college life/grades/social life, then , go to rice or princeton. It is very well established that the best engineers in the world come from MIT.

2 years ago, my kid was in the exact position. MIT and Princeton were giving the same aid, with Rice giving 10 less and it was merit aid. Kid always had a thing for Rice, After going back and forth, he eliminated Princeton because he wanted a more urban school. Deep down, he knew MIT was his school and I think he had a tear when he declined Rice. Two years later when I asked if he made the right choice, he says he may have been happier at Rice, but he is getting a better education at MIT.

@Gh0st3737
wow… that was a lot. Thank you for going so in depth with your response- I really do appreciate it. At this point I’m probably leaning MIT or Rice, but honestly before I hit that button it’s all still up in the air.
It sucks being so indecisive.

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Strength in engineering (particularly chemical or bioengineering)


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What is your career goal with either?

Since you’re from Texas, you may be more used to the weather. Houston’s weather can be crazy hot uncomfortable.

Just a thought…

You can transfer into Rice later, but I don’t think you can transfer into Princeton…

I can only comment on MIT. I don’t think you can get similar opportunities at any other school. MIT is the best of the best for a reason . Research opportunities are available to anyone who wants them. Same with the paid jobs on campus. Boston is an amazing place to go to college. But if you decide to comMIT be ready for an extremely intense and stressful next four years. Be ready to stay until 3am every night working on psets. Everyone who admitted were at the top of the class. Half of them will find themselves struggling to keep the head above the water. Only you can tell if you can handle the intensity and the stress.

You might find it useful.
http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/why-mit

People wondering about their undergraduate Engineering strength, USNews has them ranked:

MIT #1
Princeton #11
Rice #18

So MIT is… MIT, but the other two are excellent in Engineering too. Princeton has the old-school name and prestige and is the strongest all-around academically. Rice probably has the best housing setup and the happiest/mellowest vibe. Both Princeton and Rice are more undergrad-focused than MIT – MIT has a lot more grad students by proportion.

In terms of rigor, it probably goes MIT, then Princeton, then Rice. But remember, Engineering is hard everywhere, so keep that in mind. And you do write a senior thesis at Princeton.

Socially, Rice has its residential colleges, Princeton has its eating clubs, and MIT is gaining a reputation as a work hard/play hard atmosphere – not quite Penn, but maybe Penn Jr.

I think they are all strong enough in Eng, and overall, that if you decide based on fit, you’ll make the right choice.