Rice prestige...is it too small??

Colleges and Universities A-Z Rice University
1

<p>I got in, but im unsure if i want to attend. I know its a good school.
Being from CA, doesnt seem to have much name recognition over here. Half the people i talk about rice to didnt know it existed beforehand. Has anyone heard much about job availability or difficulty in getting into grad school. How would it compare to UCLA or berkeley? A bigger school. More classes, More professors. More recognition. So confused :(</p>

<p>Also got into UCLA, UC Berkeley, UCSD. Others im considering are UCSB and Fordham cus both gave me great financial aid. Thoughts? Really confused Any help would be appreciated</p>

2

<p>More professors at the bigger schools translates to larger faculty to student ratio. Rice would give you more individual attention with professors. That’s one of the things I like about Rice. I’m sure more people have heard of UCs because they’re big and they’re prestigious in the first place. But Rice is very well-known for its small size. I’ve read everywhere on CC that Rice students have no problem getting into grad school. I’m sure actual Rice students will give you a more in-depth answer. </p>

<p>Come to Owl days!</p>

3

<p>I second Mod’s post. From what I heard, the Rice name, although it may not be well known among California high school students + parents, has prestige where it matters; hiring companies and grad schools all know how good of a school Rice is. Would you rather have say “Wow. Rice!? That’s such a great school.” Your grandma or an interviewer at a future employer?</p>

4

<p>i agree about the name recognition part. most of my friends had no clue about rice, however, i talked with several engineers, and they ALL knew about rice and said it was a great school. if rice has name recognition among the professionals, i think it shouldn’t matter what its “street cred” is; you should not have a problem with grad school or job opportunities</p>

5

<p>most people outside of Texas don’t really know much about Rice… it isn’t a layman school. But it is very well known to adults who are very educated, and its name is getting more and more recognition</p>

6

<p>Rice’s reputation in Texas is unparalleled. Aside from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Stanford, Rice takes the cake in the Lone Star state. Many people in Texas (and in the south in general) think of the Nittany Lions when they hear Penn, and pronounce “Dartmouth” like a certain digestive organ. This isn’t because these people are stupid, it’s simply because the reputations of these schools don’t hold outside specific social and geographical spheres. Rice is no different.</p>

<p>Just to give you perspective, U.S. News rankings aside, most people who don’t live on the West Coast consider Stanford, Berkeley, and, to a lesser extent, Caltech as the only REALLY prestigious schools west of the Rockies. Heck, some people back east think Berkeley and Cal are two different schools, and are shocked to find out that the grand “Berkeley University” is actually a public school called the “University of Califonia–Berkeley.” Cal is definitely not “as good” in people’s eyes because it just sounds like a public school, and when they do find out that the “institutions” are really a single entity, they judge the prestige of the university differently. </p>

<p>Sometimes people throw UCLA into the Stanford-Berkeley duo, but a lot of people have a “Legally Blonde” attitude towards it: sure it’s a great school with smart kids, but the non-stop sunshine and Hollywood glamour may overshadow its legitimacy as a place to hit the books. People who have looked into UCLA’s rigorous academic programs know this is false, but that’s simply not everyone. And UCSD, UCSB, and U. Washington? You can expect most easterners to ask why you didn’t just go to U. Mass., Ohio State, or Florida; and most Texans will ask why you didn’t go to UT.</p>

<p>Sure, some people in California may not have heard of Rice, but that shouldn’t discourage you from coming here. Businesses and grad schools out west have definitely heard of Rice, and, in fact, the university draws most of its out of state students from California. If anything, if you do decide to come to Rice, you’ll be helping it’s recognition back home; after a year all your friends and family will have heard about how great it is.</p>

7

<p>Hermes pretty much summed it up</p>

8

<p>The people who matter knows and respects Rice’s prestige</p>

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<p>lordy. you underestimate Rice’s stature IMO. I had an attorney in Atlanta tell me last week that the best hires they ever made were Rice undergrads who went to law school later…highly respected degree in Atlanta</p>

10

<p>I agree with the notion that the people that need to know about the prestige will know about it. Prestige isn’t everything, pick a school that you like. If you like prestige that’s fine too, just go where you’re happy. I doubt you would have trouble going to grad school with decent grades at Rice.</p>

11

<p>Here on this coast the people that count (those that hire) are very impressed that DD is at Rice. Don’t let peer ignorance sway you. Look at what you want to get out of the school. Go to Owl days if you need to decide and decide on what fits you best, not on what peers think. Look a things like student professor ratio, use of TAs, go to this link and look at where the graduates were going in the field you are interested in.
<a href=“http://cspd.rice.edu/emplibrary/Post%20Graduate%20Survey%202007.pdf[/url]”>http://cspd.rice.edu/emplibrary/Post%20Graduate%20Survey%202007.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

12

<p>RICE is very high quality with only 3K undergrad students - lots of great
research and personal attention. </p>

<p>Second I say UBC - bigger, but has a world famous
research team in science and engineering; but professors mostly focus on their researches
and students undergrads may not have much access to professors and their researches.</p>

13

<p>If Rice played the US News Report ranking game, you can be sure more people on the street would have heard of it.</p>

14

<p>Depends exactly how much rice. A grain or a bowlful? Or somewhere in between? :P</p>

15

<p>I visited rice for vision 2009 (urm three day program). I loved the campus. I know it has prestige. Most of the people who need to know about it, do (as in grad schools and larger employers). However, i plan to move back to CA after my undergrad or whenever i hope to find a job. Im wondering if i would beneift from ucla or ucb (cus in ca they are huge). I just know im goin to have a hard time deciding :frowning: Guess its better to have a hard choice than no choice</p>

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<p>Focus on the NOW. Honestly, if I had a dime for every 17 and 18 year-old that has posted on CC with concerns about graduate school or post-graduate school plans, I’d be a rich lady. You have 4 years to get the best education and experience ever, at a place that will help you grow and change. Focus on finding the one where you want to spend the next 4 years. The career plans will grow out of your undergrad experience, and may very well be a change from your high school plans!</p>

17

<p>Also, President Leebron is trying really hard to strengthen the name recognition of Rice, and to try and get it the same prestige of some of the ivies, Duke, Stanford…etc. Rice’s overall prestige will increase in the future, as well.</p>

<p>Also, what everybody said about employers and grad schools is true too, so I wouldn’t discount Rice for “prestige.” Besides, prestige is way overrated compared to how to utilize your resources.</p>