<p>I've done a lot of research into universities lately. I went to the University of Virginia for undergrad, and liked it a lot. I prefer UVa to any member of the Ivy League, and certainly to the likes of Duke. But I have decided that for grad school I will try something new: preferably a small, intimate university that also conducts significant research.</p>
<p>To make a long story short, I have settled on Rice University. I don't attend Rice yet, I haven't gotten into Rice yet. I haven't even applied yet. But I will tell you why I have chosen Rice and why I will go there.</p>
<p>Rice is the only university in the world that combines the best aspects of a small, intimate liberal arts college like Amherst or Williams with those of a major research university like Harvard or Stanford. Dartmouth College is much bigger than Rice, yet puts out only a tiny fraction of the research that Rice does. Princeton University has fewer National Merit Scholars than Rice (even in absolute numbers), yet is overrun with nearly 2000 more students overall. Because Rice is so small but the faculty conducts such large amounts of research and development, undergraduate research is available to a greater percentage of students at Rice than at any other major university.</p>
<p>Rice University has a higher endowment-per-student than any schools save Princeton, Harvard, Yale, and Stanford. In fact, I believe that this year it passed Stanford again for fourth. It is also ahead of MIT in that regard. It uses relatively more of its endowment to cover student fees and charges 33% less in tuition, room, and board than these competitors.</p>
<p>I implore the best students reading this to conduct your own due diligence and look into Rice University. If only I had known at your age what you will know!</p>
<p>Breeze-
You hit the nail on the head! My s. looked at every school you mentioned, as well as several others, and fell in love with Rice for undergrad for all the reasons you mentioned. He applied ED and is a freshman, like momofwildchild's d. anxiousmom's d. and Jenskate, all frequent posters here. So what do you plan to do your grad work in-- marketing? :) you have an obvious gift in that :)</p>
<p>"Rice is the only university in the world that combines the best aspects of a small, intimate liberal arts college like Amherst or Williams with those of a major research university like Harvard or Stanford."</p>
<p>I agree that Rice is a great school, but isn't Cal Tech an even better school (for those who can get in)? It is even smaller than rice, spends the most money per student in the country, and seems to be even stronger in reserach/more rigorous in academics than Rice.</p>
<p>It is better, I agree, but it is also more expensive and, well, Rice is in Texas - Texas being a wonderful state to live in. But, no, Rice is a great university. and Texans are good, decent, nice people. We are not all cowboys and cowgirls. I am fully behind breeze on her/his statement.</p>
<p>my older brother goes to caltech and he's getting the **** beat out of him. i applied ed and got deferred, so i'm thankful in a very strange kind of way. basically, no matter how smart you are, you wont find much time to do anything else than your homework at caltech. </p>
<p>i shoulda applied to rice lol but it slipped out of my mind..</p>
<p>You're right about Caltech, for the most part. Rice is at least big enough that it isn't as one-dimensional as Caltech... but I like Caltech a lot. I would definitely encourage top students to look into both.</p>
<p>Duke, Vandy, Emory... larger schools than Rice but little real substance. Duke is probably the most overhyped school south of the Ivy League. Vandy and Emory are not PR hype machines like Duke/WUStl, but also aren't as solid as Rice IMO.</p>
<p>Birdofprey, that may be true but probably more Northern students would like to come down South than Southern students would like to go up North. Almost every school down the east coast is full of New Jerseyians.</p>
<p>After all, the schoolyear is during a time when the weather is much nicer in the South than the North. Yale is pretty nice in the summer, when no one is there. Rice is nice is the fall, winter, and spring, when school is in session. Sometimes I think the Ivy schools would be better off taking long winter breaks instead of long summer breaks.</p>
<p>I wouldn't particularly appreciate that (a long winter break, as opposed to summer). College will be my first chance to see snow other than the half an inch a year we get and occasional ski trips. :)</p>
<p>If Rice weren't in Houston, I'd definitely consider it. It would be too tough for a New England liberal like me to deal with living in Texas though.</p>
<p>"Princeton University has fewer National Merit Scholars than Rice (even in absolute numbers), yet is overrun with nearly 2000 more students overall."</p>
<p>If I may, I'd like to quote myself, College_hopeful, Ahem, "and Texans are good, decent, nice people. We are not all cowboys and cowgirls." </p>
<p>So, see? It ain't as bad as y'all think it is. ;) No, really there are tons of liberals including me in Texas. ESPECIALLY in Austin and Houston. But it looks like your bent on someplace else. But I bet if you came down here you'd be surprised - pleasantly.</p>
<p>And College_hopeful, take a look at the stats. There are a fair amount of students from the Northeast, and the student population is pretty liberal. Go to the Rice forum and chat with Jenskate, a current freshman from NY. She will be happy to fill you in. Oh, and if you are used to driving in crazy traffic up north, don't worry-- in Houston you'll feel right at home :)</p>
<p>Amused - here's the list for the past 9 years prior to that. Combined with your list, it shows that Rice had more NMS students than Princeton, in absolute terms, 9 of the past 10 years and a higher number, by percentage of student body, in 10 of the past 10 years.</p>
<p>ALSO, 1/4th of Rice students are National Merit Scholars, compared with 1/8th of Princeton students and 1/100th of U. of Florida students. That's why "no one would argue that UF is the second best college in the nation."</p>