<p>^ Maybe if you'd spent more time in areas like Society Hill, Rittenhouse Square, Queen Village, Fitler Square, Fairmount/Museum district, Fairmount Park, Manayunk, West Mount Airy, Chestnut Hill, etc., you wouldn't think of Philadelphia as being so "coarse and gritty" (not to mention all the lovely towns and areas in the suburbs).</p>
<p>EVERY big city has areas and aspects that are coarse and gritty. I've personally lived in 6 of them as an adult (yeah, I'm that old :) )--including Houston, NYC, DC, Miami, and Philly--and visited many others, and find that Philadelphia compares very favorably. You just have to know where to look.</p>
<p>one reason to go to Rice....O-WEEK!</p>
<p>The</a> Chronicle of Higher Education</p>
<p>With apologies to the Lovin' Spoonful:</p>
<p>Hot town, summer in the city
Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty
Been down, isn't it a pity
Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city</p>
<p>All around, people looking half dead
Walking on the sidewalk, hotter than a match head</p>
<p>I've spent plenty of time in those nicer areas. I grew up on the Main Line. I go to Collegeville and Glen Mills about 6 times a year as well as the Poconos. However, that's not where Penn is located. I think the area around Penn has improved greatly since I was in college, but it isn't Rice Village......<br>
I don't think Philadelphia compares favorably with Nashville. That's my opinion and I realize others don't share it. So be it.</p>
<p>Big school or small school? Texas or Pennsylvania?</p>
<p>I want to be able get to know all of my professors at my college and I want all my classes to be less than25 people. I go to a high school with 130students per grade and I have personal relationships with all my teachers; we consider a class with 20 kids to be big, and I like my school (well, not the grades, obviously).
Since Rice is smaller, it seems like I could do things like club lacrosse and rugby and see all the friends I made daily. also, the residential college system seems asesome as I could make such great lasting friendships.
I'd also get to see my family which lives in Houston, which would be cool.</p>
<p>I also feel hesitant about giving up legacy status and the fact that Rice gives a fair amount of special attention to apps from my high school, I might just get rejected from Penn ed and then get rejected from Rice (I'm not an ooh-ah candidate, I have 2170 sat, good grades, interesting ec's,w/e )</p>
<p>But, penn seems so fun and vibrant, and the possibility of expanding my boundaries and going to this beautiful place really entices me. The architecture is amazing and it seems like it would be really fun to go to a big place and meet loads of new people every day for all 4 years.</p>
<p>I'm probably going to ED to Rice, but I'm not totally sure... thanks for the advice, much appreciated...</p>
<p>You can't go wrong with either choice. Best of luck with whatever you decide to do!</p>
<p>It's definitely a tough call to have to make, but you are a lucky kid to have a good chance at two such wonderful schools.</p>
<p>I'd say if you live in Texas, go experience life in the northeast and all Penn has to offer. You could always transfer, and I'm sure Rice would be happy to take an Ivy Leaguer who wants/needs to be closer to home.</p>
<p>If worst case scenario, you get rejected from Penn ED and Rice RD, then take a gap year and apply to Rice ED next year. Gap year people always have great life stories to tell.</p>