<p>I’ve heard from several sources that Rice is making serious attempts to improve their social sciences and humanities departments in recent years, though, too. They are apparently pumping more money into those departments, etc.</p>
<p>Do you know how true this is? Just curious, as a future social sciences student at Rice. :D</p>
<p>I believe so. The social sciences are generally strong at Rice though.</p>
<p>For sure, or else they probably wouldn’t be a top 20 school. Even MIT’s social sciences programs are insanely good, it’s just that people don’t realize it since they are overshadowed by the sciences and engineering.</p>
<p>^exactly… MIT is also top-10 in undergrad business. All of those top schools have to be pretty well-rounded to really be that highly-thought-of.</p>
<p>I disagree with Antarius immensely. What makes it an “engineering/science” school? Because Brockman Hall was built? So if we asked that question in 2000, would Rice suddenly become a humanities focused school because the Huma Building was just constructed? That’s silly and illogical, as science (e.g. med schools) represent the largest share of every university’s budgets; it’s just the nature of science: it’s expensive.</p>
<p>As you yourself point out, Rice’s student body is diverse in their interests. Just as many people major in engineering as in the social sciences. We have top architecture and music schools as well. Religious studies ranks high on most college rankings too. Same with history with the Jefferson Davis Project on campus. </p>
<p>My point is, stop peddling this unfounded rumor that Rice is primarily sciencey. It dissuades students interested in non-sciences from matriculating, therefore preventing the university from really growing those departments. Plus it’s simply not true.</p>
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<p>I am not a paid salesman for Rice University, just a former student who is still involved with certain aspects of the school. Having worked with the VADA department under extreme financial constraint imposed by the University, I am aware of certain limitations that we have in certain departments.</p>
<p>Please refrain from telling me what I can and cannot do. You are welcome to exhibit your opinion as am I. I try to keep my opinions balanced, recommending Rice for some reasons and not recommending it for others.</p>
<p>Tilgaham appears to share a similar view. Either we both drank some Koolaid somewhere or there may be a reason we feel this way. Readers of this board are welcome to analyze both sides and make a decision.</p>
<p>As an Economics major, I am part of one of the largest majors at Rice. However, I’m still part of a minority. About a quarter of students graduate as Engineering majors, with many MANY more (myself included) who come in as Engineering and change their minds. </p>
<p>It’s difficult to find specific data, but an even larger portion of the student body is pre-med. If you combine these two subsets, you’ve got about half of campus. Throw in the non Premed hard science/math type majors (CAAM/Bioc/Geo/Biochem/Chem/Physics/Etc) and you’re sitting on a significant majority of Rice students.</p>
<p>It says something that the BRC was just finished being constructed, along with Brockman hall, while the History department has offices in dingy corners of Fondren library.</p>
<p>Antarius: I can’t understand why you’d ever specifically go out of your way to <em>not</em> recommend Rice and undermine your alma mater. Perhaps you had a bad experience – I don’t know – but the more talent that the university draws in, the better it becomes. That’s pretty simple logic. I don’t know why you’re so resentful of my providing truthful information. Saying that Rice is an engineering school, you’re peddling a lie; I explained why, and what’s your response? “Don’t tell me what to do?” Gosh you’re thick.</p>
<p>Bro. Chill!</p>
<p>We’re not undermining our school. We’re just being honest and getting all of the information out there. I personally host prospective students on an almost weekly basis, and part of our mission is to be perfectly honest when prospectives ask us questions. It’s not in the prospective’s best interest to not get the full picture. </p>
<p>Antarius is not being bitter. I’m not misguided. We’re just sharing alternate viewpoints.</p>
<p>Edit: It’s important to note that we’re not “un-recommending Rice”, we’re simply acknowledging the fact that Rice is not the perfect fit for everyone, and the more they know, the better they can make that important decision.</p>
<p>Maybe you don’t realize it, but you are doing damage. When I was a prospie and saw stuff like “Rice is for engineers” and “Rice is a science school,” I felt like I shouldn’t come here because I wouldn’t fit in as an academ. But now a year later, I’m so happy that I did matriculate and sometimes think if I had listened to people like you on CC I’d be terribly unhappy at another school. Food for thought.</p>
<p>To Owl’s point, if my son as a prospie had perceived that Rice was an engineering school, I’m guessing that he’d have chosen Duke instead in a snap – and who knows if he would have liked Duke 1/2 as much as he loves Rice today as a poli sci/soci major. </p>
<p>The mix of these disciplines on campus is very special – with civil engineers double majoring in public policy – electrical engineers sharing rooms with English majors …
great mixes!</p>
<p>Ottoline - I completely agree. I am not saying that Rice is ONLY and S/E school and all other departments are poor. I feel that the arrow points the most to the S/E departments, then to the social sciences and then the humanities.</p>
<p>Brian Huberman, outgoing chair of the Visual and Dramatic Arts, made a comment about how the arts do not get enough attention/funding at Rice. This does not mean that one should not attend Rice if they intend to major in such a field. I enjoyed the theatre department being small as it allowed me to expand my knowledge across various fields. The curriculum was not as rigid and the professors were great.</p>
<p>As for comments such as this
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<p>They do not add any value here. I have NEVER seen a situation where too much information or multiple perspectives is a bad thing. If someone goes off this one thread and decides Rice is not for them, then maybe it truly isn’t. </p>
<p>Also, Tilgaham is an Econ major. I was a Engineer/Theatre major. You have an engineering, social sciences and humanities perspective. Maybe there is some truth to this? </p>
<p>Finally
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<p>Because I am NOT here to sell Rice. I am here to help prospective students. I will not recommend Rice for 45k over Cal for 10k if the student is having financial difficulty. I would love it if everyone who was admitted actually attended Rice, but I do not think graduating from Rice with 150k in loans is better than going to UT Plan II Honors for free.</p>
<p>I recommend Rice when I believe that it is a good fit, academically, financially and socially. I believe that most posters do the same. Recommending a better fit over Rice is not “undermining your alma mater”. It is simply doing what we are here to do - Help people.</p>
<p>Just to contribute something else: when I was at Owl Days a couple weeks ago, it felt like virtually every prospie I met was going into some sort of engineering. Obviously not all of them were, but it seemed as if an overwhelming majority were.</p>
<p>Some extra food for thought. Not to discourage anyone or anything, I love Rice already and I’m not even there yet. :D</p>
<p>Not to dent the hopes for aspiring engineers and doctors but a significant number of people change their intended majors after a couple of semesters. It’s not just a Rice phenomenon but one that is prevalent in a lot of colleges that do not have a rigid curriculum set. Doesn’t mean they drop them as they could not “hack” it. They just found something else they are actually interested in or find their niche in something else. I started college intending to major in Mathematics but am happy that I do not have to take a pure maths class ever again at this point and this is coming from someone who won a bronze in an international math competition. Most people as freshman don’t have the knowledge about half of the opportunities that lie ahead of them after college. And Rice is one of those best colleges to explore the opportunities and pursue the field you want.</p>
<p>There’s a saying at Rice that “70% of our Freshman come in as Engineers, and 70% leave as something else”. I don’t know how true that is, but a LOT of people do switch out into humanities, social sciences etc. I came in a VERY serious BioE with a specific research focus, and I will likely never see the inside of a lab again.</p>