The only thing I’ll say about this is that while it is true, the one reason you can ethically decline an ED offer, is if the financial aid didn’t come out they way you thought it would/calculated that it would.
Yes. Texas A&M will be a very good school too!
I hope you will be off the waitlist, and you have more choices to select.
Yeah, but got CAPPED. Don’t know if I want to do that,
What you think and what’s reality are two different things. You can break ED but few do (if you look at the CDS #s) and it becomes really really messy. It’s a whole other discussion. Colleges have sold kids on ED. It benefits them. It does the kid too in some regard - but it’s rolling the dice. Many are wealthy and willing and that’s fine. But for people who bank on need because of their FAFSA (which most don’t use) or the NPC - they’re playing at the craps table and many times lose.
There are so many great schools out there - Yes, the Rice’s of the world are elite - but guess what, if you want, you can get a great education at Alabama, Arizona, Nebraska, Utah, etc. and not have to move into a trailer home.
It’s awesome to apply for these schools (Rice, Chicago, etc.) but while your odds are greatly reduced, in my opinion it’s smarter to do so RD.
At WUSTL the other year, they pushed ED in their info session and afterward I asked the aid counselor - what if I’m not comfortable with the offer you make my son. She said - if we determine you can’t afford it, we’ll release you. I was like, what if it’s not a case of if I can afford it - but if I want to afford it?
Even Rice - we didn’t get in - but if we did and it was full pop - $70K - I’d have to balance that vs. FSU at $23K or U of SC Honors at $28K.
My daughter got into one somewhat elite school (not Rice elite) - Washington and Lee. It’s $81K COA. They have great merit opportunities but she was not awarded a scholarship. So it’s already off the table and she’ll have to get a great education at a less elite school. Had we applied to W&L RD though, we’d be hosed…
It’s all personal perspective…definitely interesting discussions.
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It’s interesting to me - and we’ve done it too - but many apply to a small school (Rice) but then the alternative is an enormously sized school (A&M). My daughter’s interest is Emory to Charleston sized (6-10K) but we have a few over 30K students we are considering (Arizona, FSU) and even a 2K student school (Wash & Lee - if she earns a scholarship she’s an alternate for).
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are you texas resident? I heard Rice gives a little more preference to texas residents.
Their pull has been regional but I believe they are trying to broaden that. If private schools favor geographies, usually it’s the ones they don’t do well in.
They will pull many TX because that’s who applies. But if a TX person and a Wisconsin person had the same stats - I can’t speak for Rice but most private schools would rather have the Wisconsin person.
Rice is an underrated elite - meaning it’s not entirely known across the nation - so they need that (and I know want that) geographic diversity to raise their profile.
I agree 100%, this is more a benefit to the schools and to anyone who doesn’t have to worry about the cost. You should do your research before deciding to apply to any school through the binding ED process. You should know the CSS numbers the Fafsa numbers, run all the calculations at the school you are applying to and then make an informed decision using those numbers. If you have done your homework and documented your findings, the offer should be in line with your research. If it is not, then you can take it up with the school and go through whatever arbitration process they have in good faith. If you act in good faith, and the school cannot offer you what you think is affordable at that point, you should be able to get them to release you from the obligation.
Rice’s founding mission is to educate the children of the citizens of Houston, so I woukdn’t be surprised if they still respect the wishes of their founder and give preference to some Texas residents.
On the other hand, what you say about building a national reputation by recruiting a national student body is completely true as well.
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I am not
I don’t know about the regional benefit. My daughter was rejected. 34 ACT 98 GPA. URM. From a Massachusetts public school. 7 Aps including BC Calculus. I think it was a tough year all around with way too many qualified kids. Hopefully everyone is getting in somewhere–my daughter has some good options on the east coast.
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Fall 2020 Bachelor Program Level
40% Texas
48% OOS
12% INTL
Fall 2020 First-time Freshmen (Geographic Origin)
Texas 399
OOS 492
INTL 102
Enrollment Trends Fall 2016 to Fall 2020
Texas: 1708 to 1623 students
OOS: 1700 to 1950 students
INTL: 471 to 479
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Unfortunately, a 34 is average for Rice - even though it’s not average. And 7 APs would definitely be on the low end. My D was 9 + a DE - and she’s on the low end.
The kids that get into Rice are off the charts academically and with EC. It reminds me of our WUSTL visit - after the info session, we went to talk to the counselor. My son worked at Kroger, had some neat hobbies. The kid in front of us is talking about doing neuro research at the U of Wisconsin Hospital and other stuff.
You and I think are kids are superstars - at UMASS. At Rice, they’re sort of - qualified to work in the kitchen 
Kidding…but it really is a whole other level beyond what you can imagine.
We applied TO because my daughter had a 32. Did anyone who got in apply TO? I haven’t read that yet. At the other schools, it seems that some did.
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I just read this article that says only 20% of the kids who were accepted didn’t submit test scores. So obviously “test optional” didn’t really mean test optional. I guess my son from California had very little shot to get in as he was registered for 6 different test dates and all were cancelled. No other school I have seen has a rate that low for TO. Rice releases regular decision results, accepts record number of applicants - The Rice Thresher
Yes I know all of this. 7 Aps is a lot for her public high school. She knew it was a reach. She has some good options in the northeast which is just easier all around for us.
I wonder about TO too. Some schools were really good about accepting the percentage of applicants applied as test optional. I think I read Middlebury and Tufts did this. Good luck to everyone!
I think 34ACT is at par with most selective schools, even the Ivies. I don’t think it’s fair to affirm that selective schools are only looking for that “out-of-this-world” kid. They need a diverse student body and maybe that one kid with a subpar (within a reasonable number) ACT who excels in that one specific area was the lucky winner. There’s no rhyme or reason on a ‘normal’ year, and especially not this year. There are probably many over qualified applicants who got denied and most likely not because they are not superb students but because schools simply cannot offer spots to every qualified student. IMHO.
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Being regional to Rice or demonstrated interest did not help my DS21. He was waitlisted by Rice after attending on campus tours, attending a week long overnight engineering camp at Rice, attending on-line presentations, and we live 20 minutes away. He is a NMF, top 1% at large high school, 13 APs, 1560 SAT, 35 ACT, plus 3 SAT subject tests (800, 800, 760). He had good ECs and leadership. Headed to Texas A&M instead with a 100K scholarship for computer engineering. Admissions is pretty random this year.
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S21 was waitlisted with 1600 SAT (one sitting,) 4.0 uw/4.5w, 10 APs (5s on all tests taken) and 800 SAT2. He has very good ECs (class President 3 years, state awards for music, etc) and lots of volunteer hours. So, although most who were accepted may have submitted scores, I don’t think they favored those students who submitted high scores. As has been said, the large number of highly qualified applicants simply outnumbered the spaces available. It’s too bad, because Rice was high on S21s list and he’s disappointed, but onward we go. This is a tough year. Congrats to all accepted!
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Ok, ya’ll are depressing me for my son’s chances to move off the waitlist. Seriously, your kids are amazing!!
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