Hey guys!
So the past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind, but at the end of the day I’ve gotten accepted to Rice, MIT, and Princeton among others that I’ve already eliminated. There’s no doubt that these choices are a blessing, but it makes for a hard decision!
I want to study CompSci/BioE so which would be the best school for me? The social/personality aspect of the school is pretty important. I’m kind of a nerd but by the same token I love being social. Complicating my choice is the fact that Rice offered me a substantial merit scholarship.
Thanks for your help and all feedback is appreciated!
MIT gets my vote. It is extremely prestigious, especially for Comp Sci, and your social life can take you all around the city of Boston, just by walking or hopping on the subway. Rice is more removed from city life, since Houston transportation is more car oriented. Princeton is set apart on a large campus in a small town. At MIT, you won’t be confined to just socializing with people at MIT, since you can easily meet and socialize with students attending numerous other universities in Boston. Boston has long been considered one of the top cities for college students. You just can’t go wrong with MIT, unless finances must drive your decision. Before heading off to Rice just for the scholarship though, take a good look at the GPA requirements to keep it, and consider whether that is realistic based on the major you want to pursue.
You didn’t mention the prices but since you mentioned that Rice gave you a substantial merit scholarship I’m going to guess that Rice is your cheapest option. Since you’re probably referring to the Trustee Scholarship of $25.5k a year (I got the same one) I think it’d be worth it to go to Rice. The difference in quality between the schools is not enough to justify paying $25.5k more a year, assuming that that’s what you’ll have to do. If the price difference between the schools is minimal, then I’d say just visit and see which one feels like the best fit to you. Good luck.