So I’m interested in studying Political Science/Economics, maybe with an environmental sciences double major//minor. I am accepted to Rice University, which was my top choice for a while, but now I’m really struggling to choose.
Rice:
-Residential College System
-Private School
-Smaller school
UNC:
-Larger school
-I would be in a group of “Research Scholars”//have a grant to conduct research for one summer of my choosing
-Larger departments/more flexibility for switching majors
-Higher ranked grad schools
Northeastern
-In the University Scholars Program (which means free tuition, increased personal attention)
-Coops
-Boston
First obvious question: prices of UNC and Rice? Are all affordable?
You listed a lot of descriptions, but what are your preferences? Do you want a small or large school? Is location a huge deal? Do you plan to go to grad school? Are you academically focused or worried about getting a job out of undergraduate?
All are great academic universities. I would say Rice / UNC are a bit higher academics in a vacuum but USP is a very great opportunity. Again, money is the first consideration when you have 3 great options.
Thank you for your reply!! Even though it would be amazing to save 40k per year for grad school at Northeastern, money is not the main issue at any of the schools. I do plan to go to graduate school (as of now) but hope that wherever I go will allow me to secure a good job out of my undergraduate degree.
Rice’s campus is beautiful and I wouldn’t mind the Houston weather, but Chapel Hill is also great and the epitome of a perfect college town ((winter in Boston makes me cringe)). Originally I was looking for a smaller university (that’s why Rice’s size is perfect) but I’m worried that the size of the school could also affect the amount of academic and research opportunities that I have within my discipline.
If money is not an issue, you have three very good schools there. Rice is probably the most prestigious, if that matters to you, but they are all great schools. I think you should decide which environment you prefer, because they are all VERY different, as you highlighted in your points. There are many pluses and few minuses to all, you need to figure out where you would fit in best and be most comfortable. Have you visited again since getting in?
The university scholars at northeastern get a lot of perks and are treated very well. You can only become a university scholar as a freshman. Chances are you could transfer into rice as a sophomore if you weren’t happy with the snow in Boston. And you would have saved your parents 40,000. I suspect that no or extremely few university scholars transfer out of northeastern, because they get a lot of opportunities. I know it is hard to think about northeastern because it does not yet have the prestige factor, but it the school seems to be doing a lot of things right.
My son is also trying to decide between NEU Scholars and Rice @lolwhy, although for computer science and have visited each school twice in the past year. We passed on applying to UNC as not a fan of out-of-state public universities.
Quite a few other factors to consider aside from what you have listed.
RICE (aside from what you already noted):
-College life is all about the residential college system but they only guarantee 3 of 4 years with potentially having to find off campus housing in 2nd or 3rd year.
-Not a college town and public transportation is awful so pretty much need a car or know someone with a car if you want to go anywhere off campus aside from Rice Village.
-Mostly known in Texas and Southwest and primarily in medical, oil and gas.
+Other students should be intellectual equal
+More prestigious
-Most classes only offered once a year due to size
+Small class sizes
+Sense of community and culture
-Very small alumni network
-Houston
+Highly ranked for lifetime earnings
+Weather
+Rice students reject Ivy League to go attend Rice
NORTHEASTERN Scholars (aside from what you already noted):
-Less prestigious
+Other Scholars advantages such as access to professors for research, funding for research, $6K travel abroad Coop expense reimbursemen
+Increased importance of internships/coops to get job after graduation
+Experience of being in a college town such as Boston
+Good public transportation
-Guaranteed housing with upper-classmen housing being apartment style with large bedrooms, kitchen and living area.
+They want you badly and will treat you like a King/Queen with Scholars support and honors classes
+School on upward trajectory and highly regarded in the Northeast
+Variety of companies, sizes and industries in the area
+Friends in nearby schools?
-NEU Scholars reject Ivy League schools to attend NEU
-Coop transiency
-Possible lack of sense of community
-May not be intellectually challenged
-Larger size
-Weather
+Honors Classes