Rice University ED Class of 2020 ****OFFICIAL THREAD*******

Colleges and Universities A-Z Rice University
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Hey guys! I’m a Class of 2019 freshman at Rice right now and out of curiosity was reading this thread (because I remember how anxious I was last year and also I’m still awaiting my senior friends’ responses to my texts of whether they got in our not). I saw a huge amount of you guys got deferred (I don’t know if this thread is necessarily representative of the applicant pool as a whole, but was still pretty surprised to see that). But anyways, a lot of you guys are sounding discouraged and I just wanted to pop in real quick in the midst of studying for finals right now to tell you guys to hang in there! I was deferred during the ED round and completely lost hope of getting in at all as I had never previously read/heard of people getting in after getting deferred.

But lo and behold I got in during the regular decision round! My few words of advice are if you still desire rice, take the time near RD decision round to send in an update and reinstate your interest in the school. Obviously don’t bet highly on getting in, but do keep in mind its still possible to get in RD round. My stats are terribly out of this world either.

Good luck and congrats to those of you who got in guys!

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Congrats on getting in!

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Decision: Accepted

Objective:
•SAT I (breakdown): 2300
•ACT (breakdown): 36 Composite
•SAT II (place score in parentheses): French (800), Physics (780), Math Level II (800)
•GPA: 4.0 (unweighted), 4.58 (weighted)
•Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 9 of 337
•AP (place score in parentheses): Calculus BC (5), Computer Science A (5), Physics B (4), Physics C Mechanics (5), Physics C E&M (5), US History (4), World History (5)
•Senior Year Course Load: Dual Enrollment Math (Linear Algebra, Multivariable Calculus, Differential Equations), AP English Literature, AP French, Math/Science Thesis Research, Photography, AP Chemistry, AP Microeconomics
•Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Siemens Competition Semifinalist, National Merit Semifinalist, AP Scholar with Distinction, National French Contest - 5th (Level 1), 2nd (Level 2), 7th (Level 3), 7th (Level 4)

Subjective:
•Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Swim Team (Captain), Scholar’s Bowl (President), French Club (Vice President), National Honor Society (Treasurer), Student Council (Representative), French exchange program
•Job/Work Experience: Research internship at a national laboratory
•Volunteer/Community Service: Math tutoring, work at food bank, National Honor Society
•Summer Activities: Mission trip to Peru, swim team, TN Governor’s School for Emerging Technologies, research at a national laboratory
•Essays: Decent, not spectacular, I think my image for “The Box” was good
•Teacher Recommendations: Probably good, one teacher told me if I don’t get in it’s definitely not her fault
•Counselor Rec: Also probably good
•Interview: On-campus, went pretty well, we talked a lot about my research experience

Other
•State (if domestic applicant): Tennessee
•School Type: Public
•Ethnicity: White
•Gender: Male
•Income Bracket: $100,000-$150,000
•Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None

Reflection
•Strengths: Test scores, research experience
•Weaknesses: Could have more extracurriculars and volunteering
•Where else you are applying or have already applied: Nowhere because I’m going to Rice!!

General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: I also received the Trustee Distinguished Scholarship. Great job to everyone who got in! If you didn’t, you will all have many opportunities wherever you go. Good luck!

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Decision: Accepted

Objective:
•SAT I (breakdown): 2210 (Math 800, Reading 720, Writing 690)
•SAT II (place score in parentheses): Math II (800) English (750)
•Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.89
•Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 10 out of 599
•AP (place score in parentheses): Calculus AB (5), World History (5), English Language and Composition (5), Chemistry (4), Statistics (5), Physics B (3)
•IB (place score in parentheses):
•Senior Year Course Load: AP Calculus BC, AP English Lit, AP Comp Sci, AP Physics C, 2 Engineering classes, 1/2 Business Class
•Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Scholarship Semi-Finalist, DECA Internationals Qualifier, AP Scholars

Subjective:
•Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): French National Honor Society (Treasurer, Vice President), Mu Alpha Theta (Web Master), Book Club (Secretary), National Honor Society, DECA
•Job/Work Experience: None
•Volunteer/Community Service: Girls Empowerment Network YAB, CAMPcamp counselor, UT games cashier volunteer, Podcast transcriber, Library Reading Buddy volunteer, other small-scale volunteering through clubs
•Summer Activities: College Credit Classes, volunteering.
•Essays: I think they were well done in conveying my personality and connecting to what Rice offers. My image for the Box showed effort if that counts for anything.
•Teacher Recommendations: Should be decent, but perhaps not on the most personal level (I think they were mainly about my work ethic rather than personality)
•Counselor Rec: Also should be decent.
•Interview: None

Other
•State: TX
•School Type: Public, average
•Ethnicity: Asian
•Gender: Female
•Income Bracket: More than $200,000
•Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None

Reflection
•Strengths: Rank, Essay/Writing Supplement
•Weaknesses: Test scores, not enough outside-of-school activity (like jobs, internship, research, etc)
•Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: IF ONLY WE ALL KNEW HOW THIS WORKS. Because I have no idea why. I did do early decision though so that may have bumped up my chances.
•Where else you are applying or have already applied: UT at Austin

General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: Congrats to those who were accepted! I was surprised to get accepted considering my stats, but I guess Rice is just looking for students who they believe will thrive in the Rice community-so don’t lose hope in making it into Rice or any other college if you are lacking in something like test scores. Good luck to all and I hope the rest of your college process and senior year sails smoothly!

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Decision: Accepted

Objective:
•SAT I (breakdown): Didn’t take
•ACT (breakdown): 33 composite E(35) M(30) R(32) S(35); superscore: 35
•SAT II (place score in parentheses): NA
•Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0, weighted 4.6
•Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 8%
•AP (place score in parentheses): None until senior year (school doesn’t offer too many)
•IB (place score in parentheses): NA
•Senior Year Course Load: Spanish 4, Dual Credit English, AP Bio, Orchestra, AP Calculus BC, AP Physics
•Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Many minor awards such as rotary, IHSA scholar, Big 12 All-Area athlete, etc

Subjective:
•Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): 4 years tennis, most improved this year. 4 years varsity track, gone to state in 3 events. 4 years girls’ basketball (team captain for two years). Lots of high ranked cello performance and acceptance into ILMEA, a state level orchestra. Member of a scholar volunteer program, Key Club, Disability Awareness Club, Leaders Make Leaders club (sport leading), National Honors Society, and Spanish Honors Society.
•Job/Work Experience: None
•Volunteer/Community Service: Lots of volunteer through various organizations. ~100 hours at a local nursing home that I talked about in my personal statement and in the elaboration of an extracurricular!
•Summer Activities: Summer school…
•Essays: I wrote about my parents’ divorce and growing up with my German grandmother. I elaborated on my emotional fear of doors when I was a kid and how I’ve overcome it due to my upbringing.
For the Rice essays I elaborated on volunteering. I said I wanted to apply to the Natural Science school because of my growing love for science and my dream to become an electrophysiologist. For the last essay about Rice culture, I wrote about being a leader from when I was a child to now in my school and how I got an award named after me for athletes who play 3 sports and have high academic achievement. I basically said that I would lead at rice and supported it. In the box I inserted a sharpie pen art picture that I drew. It was really cool, if it counts at all.
•Teacher Recommendations: Didn’t read any, just assuming. Freshman biology teacher, said he’d make mine really good (9/10), AP Physics teacher, he did a lot of them so probably (6-7/10), the athlete director, he made an award after me a year ago and said he spent a lot of time writing the rec (10/10)
•Counselor Rec: She’s always really liked me, but she is a counselor for lots of other kids (7/10)
•Interview: Didn’t ask for one

Other
•State (if domestic applicant): Illinois
•School Type: Public
•Ethnicity: White
•Gender: Female
•Income Bracket: ~70,000
•Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): My personal essay was really unique, I believe. I didn’t have anyone read or edit any of my essays with the application because they were all personal parts of my life that made me who I am today.

Reflection
•Strengths: GPA, extremely well rounded extracurriculars
•Weaknesses: ACT could’ve been better, but my superscore was good if they considered it. I’m also lacking LOTS of AP classes that everyone else has. I also felt that I was missing a “special piece” of my application. I felt a little too well-rounded
•Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Honestly, I am surprised. Everyone who’s been accepted so far seems brilliant. I believe my recommendations may of showed how well my teachers think of me and that linked together with my personal statement and all of my academic and extracurricular achievements.
•Where else you are applying or have already applied: Applied Early Decision to Rice: Accepted
Tulane: Early action, no decision back yet. I was looking at applying to 7-10 other schools if I didn’t get in Rice. But it looks like I won’t have to anymore!

I cried my eyes out when I figured out my acceptance. Good luck to everyone, and to those accepted: See you in August!

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So excited to meet everyone next year!! When I found out todayI ran around telling all my friends and teachers just so euphoric I didn’t even know what to do with myself!

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Where did you get the notifications for scholarships?

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@collegeappsuck The scholarship letter shows up as another letter on the page with the admission decision letter. It also shows up in Esther as part of the aid package.

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I got in!

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Decision: Accepted

Objective:
•SAT I (breakdown): 2200 (CR 680 M 740 W 780)
•ACT (breakdown):
•SAT II (place score in parentheses): MATH II 800 / CHEM 780 / PHY 760
•Unweighted GPA (out of 100): 93.7
•Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):10%
•AP (place score in parentheses):
•IB (place score in parentheses):
•Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): (Actually all are not major award…) H.K. MUN Diplomacy Award, National Photography Contest 1st Prize (Gold Collection),

Subjective:
•Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses):

  • Model United Nations Club - 3 years
  • President of school MUN club
  • Secretary of National MUN Conference (leading the academic branch and organising branch)
  • Secretary of School MUN Conference
  • Photography Club - 5 years (since my middle school)
  • Founder & President of photography club in my middle school - 3 years
  • President of photography club in my high school - 2 years
  • Got some awards in national, regional and city photography contest
  • Student Union (President), Engineering Club, Chemistry Club, Programming Team, Volunteering Group, Fund Raising

•Job/Work Experience:
•Volunteer/Community Service: A lot at home city. One week volunteer teacher in Cambodia (My activity essay)
•Summer Activities: MUN, photography, social and community engagement, bilabial
•Essays: Above Average… I think? I think I have showed how Rice perfectly fit me. In contribution essay I wrote how photography have impacted my perspective and how I will contribute to the community with photography.
•Teacher Recommendations: Pretty good
•Counselor Rec: Pretty good
•Additional Rec:
•Interview: nope

Other
•State (if domestic applicant):
•Country (if international applicant): China
•School Type: Public
•Ethnicity: Asian
•Gender: Male
•Income Bracket:
•Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):

Reflection
•Strengths: The whole package…? My passion about photography!
•Weaknesses: SAT CR score, no major awards, Personal Statement not enough impressing
•Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I’ve shown AO who I am and why I love Rice. So maybe AO think I fit here then click on ‘admit’?
•Where else you are applying or have already applied: SAIC SVA UVA UMich BC UCLA UCB

General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: Just be yourself and show who you are! If you meant to belong here, you will eventually be here. Good luck!!!

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I got in and I’m so excited! (Just made a college confidential account so I can ask questions.)
Did you already get your financial aid package? There’s no information on Esther yet.

I hope I didn’t mess something up on the CSS profile because I completed for the 2015-2016 one instead of the 2016-2017 one. Also I didn’t know we have to submit tax forms separatly so I’m really scared they won’t give me any financial aid.

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Does anybody know if it’s too late do do anything about financial aid? I got the email about Esther on 11/30 and totally blanked on completing CSS completely. I’m going to do that in the next few days but has that opportunity been lost because I have already been admitted?

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yeah i have the same question as the one above?

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I emailed the Financial Aid department. I submitted my CSS on Nov. 15 and I didn’t know I had to submit my parent’s tax info. They said that its fine and that you should send it ASAP, but it will delay the amount of time it takes to get the financial aid packet. I’m gonna send it now because I was waiting to see if i got in…

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Accepted

Objective:
•SAT I (breakdown): Didn’t take
•ACT (breakdown): 34 composite (M:33/E:34/R:35/S:35/W:8 (32))
•SAT II (place score in parentheses): Biology-E (760); Chemistry (730)/ Math II (800)/ English Literature (760)
•Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.74/4.0 (Weighted 4.32/5.0)
•Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): NA
•AP (place score in parentheses): Calculus AB (5)/ English Lang (5); APUSH (5); European History (4)
•IB (place score in parentheses): NA
•Senior Year Course Load: Spanish 4/ AP Chemistry/ AP Calculus BC/ AP Chemistry Lab/ AP English Literature/ Christian Vocations (go to a Catholic School)
•Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):

Subjective:
•Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Saint Francis Medical Club (Founder and President); Model UN; Drama (Lead Role 2 yrs)
•Job/Work Experience: Paid Research Intern in At Utah Dept of Neurosurgery Counterterrorism Lab/ Worked in Brain Imaging designing a program that could classify people as autistic
•Volunteer/Community Service: Taught Blind English in India; taught autistic kids Bollywood dance;
•Summer Activities:
•Essays: 10/10
•Teacher Recommendations: 10/10 (Both teachers really love me and I love them)
•Counselor Rec: 10/10 (Awesome counselor; Knows me better than most of her students)
•Additional Rec: Professor who i worked with at utah (7/10)
•Interview: 9/10 On Campus

Other
•State (if domestic applicant): California
•Country (if international applicant):
•School Type: Private Catholic
•Ethnicity: Asian Indian
•Gender: Male
•Income Bracket: Above 250k
•Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):

Reflection
•Strengths: My essays showed passion for the school; Good connections with teachers and counselor; Research experience and founding a club
•Weaknesses: Lower Unweighted GPA;
•Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected:Passion and personality shown in essays and visiting Rice/ Good teacher recs plus research and leadership
•Where else you are applying or have already applied:

  • U of Cincinnati BSMD
  • U Miami BSMD
  • UCLA/ UCSD/ UC Berkeley/UCSB/UCSC/UCI/ UC Davis
  • George Washington 7 Year BSMD
  • University of Utah Honor’s college
  • Northwestern
    -Emory
    -Wash U
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Hi guys, to those who did get accepted, could you join the Rice University Class of 2020 student page on Facebook? Thank you!

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Decision: Accepted — Bioengineering
Barbara Jordan Scholarship @ $25,000/year

Objective:
•ACT: 33 (two different sittings, sent both)
•Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0 uw, 4.23 w
•Rank: unranked/236; estimated top quartile
•AP: English Language, Chemistry, and Calculus BC
•Senior Year Course Load: AP English Lang, AP Chem, AP Calc BC, Honors World History, PE, Forensic Science, Senior Seminar, NHS Leadership/Service Courses, two semester of dual credit US History, dual credit Psychology
•Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Hispanic Merit Scholar, National Merit Commended Student

Subjective:
•Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Art Club (Founder and President, two years), Initiator of school-wide recycling program, Yearbook Club (Executive Editor for four years), Student Government (Treasurer and President), Private art lessons for three years, Member of the Society of Women Engineers for two years
•Job/Work Experience: Part time job for a year at a local catering business (5 hrs/week)
•Volunteer/Community Service: 240+ hours at a local food bank (Service Leader), 240+ hours as a peer tutor, 84 hours as an office aid at a local charter school, 36 hours at my local women’s center
•Summer Activities: Self-taught Algebra I, SAT/ACT prep classes, volunteered at above food bank for two summers, had private art lessons, and took 5 week Dual Credit course at University of St. Thomas- Houston
•Essays: 9/10 - one focused on life as an online student, one focused on my personal connection with Rice, and one focused on integrating my heritage with why I want to be a bioengineer
•Teacher Recommendations: Bio/Health teacher (8/10); Dual credit history professor (10/10)
•Counselor Rec: 10/10
•Interview: 9.5/10 - on campus with student interviewer

Other
•State (if domestic applicant): TX
•School Type: Private online school based in California; did attend a TX private school for 9-10th grades
•Ethnicity: Hispanic
•Gender: Female
•Income Bracket: $200k+
•Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): URM, woman in engineering

Reflection
•Strengths: expressed strong interest in Rice, interesting essays, lots of volunteering hours and leadership positions
•Weaknesses: lack of APs
•Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I showed to be a well-rounded applicant with a penchant for helping others, which is what my major is about.
•Where else you are applying or have already applied: Texas A&M (accepted), University of St. Thomas (accepted), UH Honors College (accepted), UT (accepted), Baylor (accepted), Notre Dame, Columbia

Super excited to share this experience with those of you who have also been accepted! Can’t wait to meet y’all! :slight_smile:

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@janoods

Where is it? :open_mouth:

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@janoods There are multiple… Which one?

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Do you guys know when the letters will be sent out? Haha this is stupid but I kind of hope they put confetti inside :slight_smile: