<p>I don't know what to do. I've wanted MIT for a while, but I've really enjoyed my visits to Rice. I have scholarships at Rice, although money isn't the determining factor in my decision. So I'm wondering, WHERE should I go? Are both places equally competitive, stressful, collaborative, and fun? And if I plan on going to professional or grad school, are my odds better applying from MIT or Rice?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>I suggest you send a pm to oldolddad. His son considered both schools, and he looked into it quite a bit.</p>
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And if I plan on going to professional or grad school, are my odds better applying from MIT or Rice?
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<p>I'd say no better at MIT than Rice. I keep reading things that say Rice has one of the absolute highest grad/med/etc. school acceptance rates, and I find it hard to believe they are all incorrect, so I'd say Rice is comparable to HYPSM in that regard at least.</p>
<p>What's you planned major?
That might stir up some opinions.</p>
<p>Your odds of getting into a good grad school from both places are excellent if you do well in your undergrad years. So forget about that issue. Imagine yourself at each place. Imagine the weather, the social atmosphere, the fun and games, the residential life. Imagine how you will travel to each place. Imagine your time out of class, the extracurricular activities. Imagine yourself walking to the dining halls and hanging out with friends on campus. Now which university would you enjoy more??? Grad school is a long way away, and a lot could happen between now and then. Focus on what YOU would like to do next year -where you see yourself. Hope this helps. :)</p>
<p>You may want to check out these sites which list grad school and employment information. At the MIT site you can look at several years, Rice has 2 years. This information is from post graduate surveys completed by graduating students, then compiled by the schools. </p>
<p><a href="http://careers.rice.edu/%5B/url%5D">http://careers.rice.edu/</a></p>
<p>Rice's survey is done "at the time they pick up their commencement cap and gowns" - so even before they have graduated. MIT's is collected from Spring through early summer, online. It's amazing to me how early the students start looking for, and finding, jobs. When I graduated (think Woodstock, etc.) students graduated from college, then wandered around finding themselves for a few years, before trying to find a career. ;)</p>
<p>as a bioengineering major, i'd have to say that i like my chances of grad school where i am. I absolutely love the research MIT bioe is doing and it's on top of my list for grad school. Rice has decent labs as well, but it's also an awesome place to get the undergrad research experience as a jumping board for an awesome grad school like MIT.</p>
<p>i'd have to say it's still early for u to decide whether u want grad school or med school, but if it's grad school, i'd say come to Rice. after all, as you'll find out later on, you don't get special treatment from MIT if you applied to PhD programs there. one thing i've learned here is that people want to see PhD holders to have had a degree of diversity in the perspectives from which they have learned from. in other words, don't do undergrad + grad in the same school. as a result, the same philosophy goes into choosing grad students.</p>
<p>someone with a similar record as i do will thus have an easier time getting into Rice BIOE than i will. that's supposedly how it works in most places as far as i know.</p>
<p>That was my daughter's final 2 choices. She went with Rice and has never looked back. Both are great picks. </p>
<p>I told her I'd prefer Boston than Houston to visit - but Rice to MIT to pay for! She decided it's hot in Houston in summer (when you aren't in school) and it's COLD in Boston in winter (when you are in school) - so Rice won.</p>