<p>K so basically, I'm wondering why Rice isn't THAT well known as compared to other tier 1 universities. I get that its in the South and I get that it has smaller class sizes as compared to other major universities...still it's rather annoying to a) have to tell people where it is and b) take the annoying "you're going to get shot/WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO GO TO TEXAS" reponses when this university has been around for 100+ years. Thoughts?</p>
<p>It’s still a somewhat ‘regional’ school. I’m from Texas, and Rice is basically worshiped by high school college counselors. But outside of Texas, it’s rarely heard of, read about in the paper, seen on the news, or mentioned at all. I’d attribute that to the lack of famous alumni, the media tends to focus a lot on the products of universities, not the thoughts behind them or any other measure that makes sense.</p>
<p>bear in mind that Rice is <100 years old compared to most other top 20 schools which are over twice as old.</p>
<p>Yes being in the South and Texas is a disadvantage. The media coverage of texas normally involves guns or rick perry (the governor) running his mouth on TV about how texas can secede from the Union and other junk like that</p>
<p>While I wish Rice was better known, i know that its name is rising slowly into household levels and will be there eventually. I also wish Rice was in the Boston area… so its a personal choice</p>
<p>I love the school though. The shooting thing scares me too btw</p>
<p>Also, keep in mind that Rice doesn’t have a lot of well-renowned grad programs. Rice only has a business school; Rice does not have a medical school (although this might change soon) or a law school like many of the other top 20 universities. A lot of the prestige and recognition of the top 20 universities come from their graduate programs/schools, instead of their undergraduate programs.</p>
<p>Totally agree with slik nik. If Rice merges with Baylor (which I hope it does) then It will gain much prestige. Also when its new bioengineering building is built, it will also get a better prestige in its bioengineering. Rice does need a law school. Unlike Duke, Rice has only been around for less than 100 years. Duke has been around for almost 200 years, that’s how it builds its “name”. Rice is slowly gaining popularity and prestige because of the amazing programs offered. However, because it is relatively a new school, it just doesn’t have that good of a name yet since most of the colleges that are known have been around since the 1800s.</p>
<p>^scratch that
when it’s bioengineering building is finished (it is being built right now)*</p>
<p>The BRC is done actually</p>
<p>K thanks guys, I mean im thrilled to be going and I know Rice is legit…it just gets annoying when everyone keeps giving me crap</p>
<p>blame texas for that. thats what I do :)</p>
<p>From a historical perspective, Rice is not only much younger than other top-20 universities, it is much much younger as a national university. Rice was originally founded to educate the white residents of Harris County. That was soon after expanded to Texas, then eventually the whole of the United States, then to include non-white people (it is worth noting that Rice integrated around the same time as the ivies, so our history of segregation does not differentiate us). It has only been in the past two or three decades that Rice has really maintained a focus on recruiting students outside of Texas, so it is understandable that Rice has not really been a household name.</p>
<p>Also: I like Texas. But I’m from Georgia, so my basis of comparison is a bit skewed.</p>
<p>Adult: So, where are you going to college next year?
me: The best college ever
Adult: ??
me: Rice.
Adult: Like, the grain? Oh wait, isn’t that a Catholic college or something?
me: No, it’s a school in Houston
Adult: Texas?? Why in god’s name would you want to go there? There are so many great schools up here.
Me: I like Texas. Maybe its the longhorn cattle, the gun-slinging holy-rolling conservatives, or the heat that melts asphalt. Or maybe it’s that Purple Drank was invented in Houston…</p>
<p>at this point the adult gets scared and walks away. I snicker.</p>
<p>moral of the story: Who cares whether people have heard of your school? When you’re in college, you’ll be more concerned with the quality of your classes and social life than how many (dumb-ass) people are impressed by the name of your educational institution.</p>
<p>Graduate schools, big corporate firms, etc know about Rice.</p>
<p>And be prepared that when you interact with Houstonians and they hear you go to Rice they will react with … “wow, you must be REALLY smart!”</p>
<p>Oh lol, Im not looking for compliments…more or less just not having to go through the annoying conversation that TheFutureIsHere posted XD…fyi im from CA so maybe i get more of this than others?</p>
<p>I’m sorry you’re from CA medbed, jk. No, seriously you probably don’t get this more than most other states, unless its the Northeast. You’ll find that many Texas (and Texans) are fiercely independent and in some cases, could give a rat’s a** about what the rest of the country’s opinion is about it. Seriously, does New Jersey have bumper stickers that say “Native New Jerseyite” (or whatever they’re called)? No, but “Native Texan” stickers are not uncommon to see. Do you see people waving the Nevada state flag outside their homes? No, but even in my suburban community full of transplants, I see many flags with the Lone Star on them waving in the wind. Perhaps these quotes will sum it up for you.</p>
<pre><code> “There is a growing feeling that perhaps Texas is really another country, a place where the skies, the disasters, the diamonds, the politicians, the women, the fortunes, the football players and the murders are all bigger than anywhere else.”- Pete Hamill, former editor of New York Post and New York Daily News
</code></pre>
<p>“Texas is a state of mind. Texas is an obsession. Above all, Texas is a nation in every sense of the word. And there’s an opening convey of generalities. A Texan outside of Texas is a foreigner.”- John Steinbeck</p>
<p>That exact reaction already happened three times to me… once on the shuttle to Rice during Owl Days (the shuttle driver said I must be really smart and will be guaranteed with a job after graduation), once on the flight from Houston (the passenger next to me said, “You must be smart!”), and once at my friend’s house (his grandmother, who lived in Houston, said “all the smart kids go to Rice”).</p>
<p>Side note: Rice does not need, and I really do not want us to have, a law school.</p>
<p>“No, but “Native Texan” stickers are not uncommon to see.”</p>
<p>^ Thats whats creepy though. This patriotism to a state instead of country, support for a governor who doesnt even know the constitution all in the name of state pride?</p>
<p>lol I find this thread entertaining and funny. Personally I love colleges in the south, they can pretty much be a Ivy but they try not to, they try to be what Ivies haven’t accomplished yet, and so far that has worked really well. Look at it, Rice-academics is excellent, bioengineering is amazing, college life is amazing and friendly, sports (as in Baseball) are the best, Duke-Nationally renowned basketball team, amazing undergrad and grad schools, Duke med=one of the best, Duke law=amazing. Two school in the south, they could be Ivies but they aren’t. Do they want to be Ivies? No.
Why? simply because they accomplish something that Ivies haven’t: play hard work hard. Both Duke and Rice has accomplish great academic feats but also athletic feats. Athletics at Duke and Rice have been a good part of college life, at Ivies, most people that attend forget there is even a athletic program. Many people forget Ivy league is a sports league, it has only become a synonym for top schools. But originally it was only suppose to be a sports league, most people have forgotten that.</p>
<p>@Antarius:</p>
<p>What’s wrong with patriotism toward a state? When this nation was founded, there was more patriotism toward the states than toward the nation, especially in the New England area; hence, the Articles of Confederation. I bet most Texans consider themselves Americans as well; just because they have a love for Texas, does not mean they are un-American.</p>
<p>I’ll agree with you that Rick Perry is a nutjob though; I’m a moderate conservative myself, and I think he is crazy.</p>