Rice vs. HYP

College Search & Selection
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<p>I plan to major in engineering and have to give an answer soon (within a week) due to athletic recruiting. I have been offered a spot at Rice and a spot at a major Ivy league and realize am lucky to have options. I am from the south so would be closer to family if I attend Rice. The money is somewhat close to the same, but definitely better package is from Rice. I am so torn and am interested in advice from others, especially others who have been in my shoes (or their parents) and chosen Rice or chosen a major Ivy having come from the south. I am naturally introverted/shy and do not make friends easily, do better having shared activity like sports. Some of my friends say I am crazy to not just choose the Ivy, but I picture being homesick or feeling out of place there. I spent 2 nights visiting on campus and did not feel at home. At Rice, I felt more comfortable--but I realize deciding based on 2 nights on campus is not much information for a major decision. Other friends say Rice is the way to go b/c the package is better and the engineering is great, plus I would get to live with or near other athletes, unlike at Ivy.</p>

<p>PROS: RICE
Athletes room together/near each other = more cohesion (at Ivy they do not)
There was camaraderie and a sense of fun at Rice
Engineering is very strong major there--great for jobs in Texas
Near home (1 hour quick flight or 1/2 day drive)
More kids who are smart but are also southerners are at Rice
Jobs in Texas after graduation (I am from the south and may want to settle here)
Easier to land internship in my hometown (this is an assumption--not sure if it's true)</p>

<p>CONS: RICE
Name is not as big as the Ivy
Humidity in Houston + Smog/pollution in Houston (not great for my sport)
Have worked incredibly hard in h.s. and have a shot at the "best" (Ivy)--Rice is not same caliber
I would be there as a recruited athlete, so certain responsibilities and pressures beyond academics
Lots of kids have cars/live off campus</p>

<p>PROS: IVY
I love the coach - a really nice person
It is one the most recognizable names
One of my parents is from that part of the country/have family within a few hours
It is not in Houston
It might be easier to make good grades in engineering courses there
Degree may ultimately be worth more (income/grad school admission) than Rice?
Most kids live on campus and do not need cars</p>

<p>CONS: IVY
Would not live with other athletes so would have to work harder to make friends
I did not feel comfortable w/ the kids I met (the other athletes)--different cultural background (they were from the northeast/prep school/etc.)
Kids did not seem as carefree, relaxed, happy--but I only met a handful
Far from home (3.5 hour flight)
Cold weather/short, dark days in winter (I am used to sunshine)
It might be harder to find a job in my home state (in the south) with a degree from Ivy than from an elite southern school like Rice--anyone know if this is true?
Harder to find summer internship in my home town from Ivy than from Rice--true?</p>

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<p>You keep getting stuck on Rice vs Ivy. What is the other school? It’s Rice vs that other school. Not “Ivy” as a whole. </p>

<p>As for Rice’s prestige in the south vs Ivy prestige elsewhere – yes, to some extent that may be true - all colleges are regional to some extent. But why do you have to stay in your hometown? You’re a young person, with your life ahead of you. I don’t think you can say the Ivy will offer <em>better</em> opportunities. They will just be <em>different</em> opportunities.</p>

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<p>Is it possible that you’re asking because you want to pick Rice but think that’s not the choice you’re supposed to make - so you want permission from somebody else to do it?</p>

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<p>Unless the Ivy is Cornell or Princeton, engineering is not typically an Ivy strong point. Rice might be the better option, academically speaking. </p>

<p>A Rice diploma will serve you well your entire career. It is not like you are picking between Harvard and a local unaccredited junior college. </p>

<p>Your question sounds like you want to go to Rice. It is one of the top schools in the country, and you have gotten in, with a nice financial aid package, where you are recruited to play your sport and you feel comfortable on campus. It is close to home and you would live with other athletes, which sounds important to you. </p>

<p>Don’t walk away from what you want simply because someone said an Ivy League school is more prestigious.</p>

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<p>If your ivy has a residential college system like Rice does, you will find it easy to meet people/make friends. Don’t get hung up on the “name”. Rice is a fabulous school. My DS#1 is a mech E grad from Rice and has had wonderful experiences, internships and great jobs. He is currently in his dream job. And the inhouse counsel where he works is also a Rice engineering grad.</p>

<p>Dont think that “many” live off campus. About 20% do because they dont have enough on campus housing so they may get “jacked off” campus for one year. As a recruited athlete that shouldnt be a concern for you. Living on campus is pretty desired. Many move back on when they can.</p>

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<p>Just read your post. You are looking for someone to tell you to apply to Rice. And what exactly does “ivy” mean? Did u get an offer from all 8? It would help to know which one. But Rice s</p>

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<p>Rice sounds like a great place to go to school, closer to home and see you family, they can see you in your athletic events, house system, better weather, and more. So if you really want to go to Rice, go to Rice. Don’t feel bad about it.</p>

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<p>Cannot imagine anyone “feeling bad” about being a recruited athlete at Rice! Congrats, OP!</p>

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<p>Yeah, I don’t see what the issue is here. Given what the OP has said is important to her, I would choose Rice in a heartbeat.</p>

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<p>Rice sound like it has more of what you want and it’s an excellent school.</p>

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<p>I agree with Naviance.</p>

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<p>I’ll agree with everyone that OP really sounds like they want to go to Rice over mystery Ivy, which is fine. Very good school for engineering, and yes, it’s Ivy caliber. But I’ll chime in with a counter argument.</p>

<p>First off, OP sounds like they’re from the Dallas area. There are no one hour flights from Houston to Dallas, when you consider the time getting to the airport, going through security, flight delays, etc. Flying doesn’t allow you to bring nearly the same amount of laundry home if you want to avoid checking baggage to save time/money. You’ll be driving this much more than flying it, as the net total time is probably close to the same, but the cost is lower. </p>

<p>BOS to DFW is a relatively cheap route with lots of non-stops, but it’ll be 6-7 hours to get home, so relatively fewer trips and not as much laundry. But, after 1st semester, and especially 1st year, the number of trips home drops off to near zero for most students, regardless of how close home is. So the trip home factor becomes almost a non-factor very quickly.</p>

<p>Next, an Ivy degree will work just fine for you in Dallas or Houston or San Antonio or Austin. Rabid Texas and A&M fans will make fun of Rice just as much as an Ivy. Ivies have connections everywhere, so if you want an internship in your area, I’m sure they can arrange one, though trying out different areas of the country is not such a bad idea either.</p>

<p>Good grades in engineering are tough anywhere. It will not be easier at the Ivy.</p>

<p>In reading your post, I get the impression you’re a little afraid of new things. It can be scary, but you might think about doing it. Spreading your wings is not for everyone, but this is your one chance to do it, perhaps the best shot you’ll ever have. You can always come back to Texas, you may never get another chance to go to New England and an Ivy.</p>

<p>If you go to the Ivy, you’ll have a ready made support group, your team. You’ll also be exotic. Even in this day and age, you will be The Texan. People will want to get to know you just like they would someone from a foreign country. Someone will want to know if you live on a ranch and round up cattle. You will have a grand time explaining about life in Texas and correcting misconceptions. (My wife went to school in Boston and met people all the time from New York who thought she lived in the sticks and was a hillbilly, even though she’s lived in a major metropolitan area her entire life.) You will be surrounded by people completely different from yourself and make connections that, should you return to Texas, few others will have, whereas if you go to Rice, everyone will have the same connections. Sometimes having that Rice network will pay off, but sometimes having that Ivy network will pay off bigger, partially because it’ll be more unique.</p>

<p>I don’t think you’ll regret either choice, but don’t discount the Ivy because it’s unfamiliar. Going the less travelled route may not be for you, but it’s not going to be a scary as you think, and may be very rewarding in ways you have no idea about. Try not to let fear stand in your way, but don’t pick the Ivy for the wrong reasons either.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

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<p>Note that at one of the Ivy League schools (Dartmouth), an ABET-accredited engineering bachelor’s degree nominally takes more than four years (twelve quarters).</p>

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<p>You are considering Rice vs. Ivy, which suggests that you are not making a choice between schools, but between a school (Rice) and a name (Ivy). That would seem to make the choice pretty obvious.</p>

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<p>While all of the Ivy’s provide prestige, a local girl graduating from Rice as a student/athlete will do just fine in the job market. I think the local bias may prove just as valuable as the Ivy prestige for internships, jobs upon graduation and jobs down the line. Plus a Rice network will be more relevant if you stay in TX.</p>

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<p>Mrmom62 – good thinking around this…while my first instinct is 'Rice"…there are many reasons why going for the top school will make sense.</p>

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<p>Is your career goal engineering, or is it typical Ivy League (investment banking or management consulting)? And which Ivy League school, since some are stronger in engineering than others (in terms of what engineering majors are offered and depth and breadth of offerings in each major)?</p>

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<p>Spreading your wings is not for everyone, but this is your one chance to do it, perhaps the best shot you’ll ever have. You can always come back to Texas, you may never get another chance to go to New England and an Ivy.</p>

<p>This is silly. When OP graduates college he or she will be 22 or 23 years old. Of course there will be other opportunities to go live in New England if s/he changes his/her mind later. If you decide you want to live in Boston or Philadelphia or Providence, you can look for jobs there and go work there - plenty of young people up and move cities completely once they finish their degrees.</p>

<p>You’ll also be exotic. Even in this day and age, you will be The Texan. People will want to get to know you just like they would someone from a foreign country. Someone will want to know if you live on a ranch and round up cattle. You will have a grand time explaining about life in Texas and correcting misconceptions</p>

<p>This is also silly. Ivy League students come from all over the country and the world. People from Texas - especially big cities in Texas like Dallas - are not “exotic” by any stretch of the word; you won’t be alone, either. And I say that as a Southerner living in New York. When I tell people I’m from Atlanta, they don’t say “Oh my, do you live on a plantation picking peaches?” They say “Oh wow, that’s nice, I’ve heard good things about Atlanta.” It’s not 1922 where people rarely leave their hometowns anymore; in fact, the only students likely to ask you if you round up cattle will be the international students.</p>

<p>I’m not saying that the Ivy might not be an unparalleled experience - it may be. But I just think those two reasons are particularly silly reasons.</p>

<p>Honestly, based on the OP’s statements it seems like s/he really wants to go to Rice. And there’s nothing wrong with wanting to stay close to home and in a familiar environment - while many students are excited about spreading their wings in a really big way, others are excited about spreading their wings in other ways. Rice ALSO has students from all over the country and the world, and you’ll meet people from all walks of life there. And although Rice may have more regional power behind the name, it’s not like it’s a completely unknown entity in the Northeast or West Coast, especially in the engineering world. It’s a top school.</p>

<p>You really can’t go wrong either way, OP, so pick the one you feel in your gut is the right choice and don’t worry about the prestige factor. As someone already said, it’s not like you’re deciding between Harvard and the local junior college.</p>

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<p>Thank you so much for this great advice. I did not name the specific ivy for confidentiality but it is one of the 2 most well-known ones. Reading these comments has reinforced to me that there is not that much difference between the two and I should go with what feels like best fit. Also received a PM that was very helpful (I cannot reply directly b/c I haven’t posted enough times, but to the mom who sent it, thank you!).</p>

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<p>You’d be surprised by how parochial people still are. My daughter, who’s 17, and travels to various parts of the country meeting other 17 year olds as part of her youth group, has literally been asked several times by people from major East Coast cities if there’s anything to do where we live. Like we live in a small town of 5,000. It’s a metropolitan area of 3 million, but it’s flyover country to them.</p>

<p>Never mind the people who live 15 minutes away and don’t understand that Jesus is not part of Judaism. Or want to know where she hides her horns. I am not making that up.</p>