<p>i would pick rice definitly</p>
<p>I'd like to emphasize another Rice advantage... you don't have to "fight" for opportunities like at U.T. At Rice my D is swimming in so many opportunities that she can't even take advantage of them all. Among last weeks events/offers - had lunch with her Spanish prof from last year just to hash over some ideas for study abroad in Chile or Ecuador, (I think she had 8 kids in her Span. class last year), met w/someone at M.D. Anderson hospital to firm up plans to do a volunteer internship in her field, talked to another Spanish prof about a 2-week trip to Spain at end of semester to look at medical facilities (for which she would just have to pay airfare), flew yesterday to Las vegas for her club sport event (Rice will reimburse airfare), was given a ticket to see Isaac Perlman play a benefit (said he was just fabulous), saw a Shakespeare play, was recommended to tutor in her language area for $15 an hour (probably won't have time for this), is participating in a student-run musical, working terrific oncampus job, and could pursue any number of research projects if she wanted /had time. I know U.T. has even MORE opportunities in sheer number - but it is not so easy to have access to them due to the huge number of students vying for the chances to participate. One analogy is to look at the difference between elementary school and High school - (not speaking academically here - just extracurricularly!). In elementary school a kid could play soccer, sing in the choir and participate in science club. (That's the Rice side of the analogy.) In high school, the soccer coach demanded that you attend training 5 days a week and don't plan on missing any games or you are benched, and the choir teacher said that if you weren't going to participate in UIL training and meet during afterschool sessions don't even bother and science club only picked the top 5 students and you would be 6th unless you buckled down and studied afterschool with the group. In high school you had to choose - EITHER choir, OR Soccer, OR Science club - you couldn't do them all. (That's the U.T. part of the analogy) At a small school w/big faculty and support system, like Rice, it is easier to do them all, and get a more rounded college experience. I know analogy could be seen as a gross generalization, but I think there is definitely the kernel of truth in there.</p>
<p>^ mom said it right.....those are the advantages of a name brand small school. Visit both places, even attend some classes, look at the faculty bio in your area of study and see which one 'feels' right. One thing is certain, the entire student body at Rice may be your equivalent, at UT you may have to 'look' for the peer group that is your equivalent. At UT you will have to be self motivated and would have to make an effort. At Rice, your peer group might motivate you. Often, where to go hinges on economics and only you and your family can decide that. If you have an EFC of about $15 k, the net out of pocket cost of UT and Rice would be about the same. If you have an EFC of less than $15 k, Rice may even be cheaper than UT.</p>
<p>If I applied to and was accepted to the school of humanities, is that the only school I can pick my major from?</p>
<p>no, you can major in any of the schools except arch and music.</p>
<p>DD has changed major several times - and is still on track to graduate in 4 years. Lots of flexibility.</p>
<p>I am a Plan II graduate and my views are slightly different than those expressed by others on this thread. First, Plan II and Rice seem to me to be fairly similar programs. Both are small and personalized, devoted to rigorous education, and have a community feel. UT has the advantage of over 130 majors, so there is more choice for those who want to explore academic disciplines. On the other hand, because the Rice community is smaller, it seems more engaging and supportive. Thus, from this standpoint, choosing between these programs is a lifestyle choice - do you prefer the close-knit Rice community or the more expansive UT experience?</p>
<p>The key point is how graduates of these programs are viewed. If you do not plan to go to graduate school, Rice is better known than Plan II to the average employer and it's a better choice from a name-recognition viewpoint. However, if you plan to go to medical school, law school, or other graduate edcuation, Plan II is the way to go. It is so well-regarded among graduate programs that it makes admissions at the next level almost easy. And if you think college admissions are competitive, just wait until you start looking at law and medical school admissions.</p>
<p>DRJ4 - Check out Rice's acceptance rates to medical school, law school and graduate school. They are fabulous also! Rice's med school acceptance rate is over 90%. (I think I read it was 93% - but I'm old and don't feel like hunting for that info again!)</p>
<p>Anxiousmom: </p>
<p>I'm sure your statistics are correct but I could not verify your data. The Rice website indicates that 72% of the Rice graduates who applied to graduate school were admitted to their 1st choice program. (See <a href="http://www.law.gmu.edu/currnews/solomon_decision.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.law.gmu.edu/currnews/solomon_decision.html</a>.) It is quite likely that substantially more were admitted to their 2nd or 3rd choice institutions, thus yielding your 90+% figure. </p>
<p>Rice is an excellent university and provides a top tier education. I'm sorry if you took my comment as a slight to Rice because it was not intended that way. As my link indicates, Rice graduates during the past 15 years have received many excellent awards. In fact, for those students who do not plan to attend graduate school, I would join you in giving Rice the edge over UT's Plan II for the reason I stated in my earlier comment. </p>
<p>My point was that Plan II graduates are highly successful in gaining admission to graduate school as reflected at the Plan II website here: <a href="http://www.utexas.edu/cola/plan2/students/profiles/%5B/url%5D">http://www.utexas.edu/cola/plan2/students/profiles/</a>. Simply click on the "Plan II Graduate Profile" for any year and it provides the details for laws and medical school entrance exam averages, as well as for notable awards and other scholarships. In evaluating these statistics, keep in mind that Plan II has an average entering freshman class of 180 while Rice's average freshman enrollment is over 700.</p>
<p>I apologize for the bad link to the Rice data in my last comment. The correct link should be: <a href="http://www.ruf.rice.edu/%7Einstresr/ricestatistics/Pages/commnc04.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~instresr/ricestatistics/Pages/commnc04.html</a>. I was reading an article about George Mason Law School and I inadvertently pasted that link into my comment rather than the Rice link.</p>
<p>which one is harder to get admission for an international student? rice or UT-Austin?</p>
<p>rice.......................</p>
<p>Just looking at sheer number of spots available in the incoming freshman class of both Rice and UT-Austin, Rice of course. But admissions to certain colleges or majors at UT-Austin can be extremely competitive and more difficult to attain than Rice.</p>
<p>^ very true.</p>
<p>Okay, so.... I'm a Plan II freshman. But, I'm currently applying for transfer admission to Rice. For me, it's really not a problem with the academics here; I think Plan II is a great program. I consider Plan II and what I'd do at Rice pretty much academically equal, so my reasons are mostly about other things. But here are a few of them:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I dislike Austin. It's hard to explain, but I get a bad vibe from this town. It's kinda crazy liberal, but really just a little nuts. </p></li>
<li><p>UT is enormous. You CAN find a place to fit in. But even when you find your niche, there's no denying that you go to school with 50,000 other undergrads. The campus itself is huge; it takes me 20 minutes to walk to my car from my dorm. And every day, I have class 10 minutes away from my dorm. Related to this is that Rice is so small. I think the residential college system, and the whole Rice student body being a community thing is really attractive.</p></li>
<li><p>Rice was my first choice school in high school. I applied ED, was deferred to interim, deferred to regular, then waitlisted. Related to this is that my best friend and I applied to Rice together, and he is currently a freshman there. Take this as you will. I've decided to give the school one more shot.</p></li>
<li><p>Rice is closer to home. Right, I'm from a Houston suburb, so Rice is a 50-minute drive instead of 3 hours. Trivial? It's still something to consider, especially when one of my old high school friends is in town for the weekend. And I feel like I have way more of a connection with Houston than with Austin anyway.</p></li>
<li><p>The UT school song, "The Eyes of Texas," is terrible. C'mon, you know it is. :)</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Here are some things I think I'll miss about UT (assuming I'm accepted to Rice):</p>
<p>-The football (it's amazing), and the athletics and school spirit in general
-The community service fraternity I've pledged in (it's pretty fun)
-The party scene. But I know Rice students party a lot, and Rice has two pubs on campus, while UT is dry.</p>
<p>Macksimum:</p>
<p>You sound like you thoroughly analyzed the school you want to attend (Rice) and the reasons why you want to go there. It sounds like the best decision for you and I hope things work out so that you can transfer. In addition, I hope that you make all your lifetime decisions in such a thoughtful way. Best wishes.</p>
<p>dude rice has an over 90 acceptance to med school. i would say for med schol it is much better because of its medical center connections. you can even take some classes taught at baylor like the neuroscience classes and others. for law school, it is a different story.</p>
<p>Hi Serge,</p>
<p>Thanks for taking the time to add to this discussion. You have a good point regarding Rice's affiliation with area medical institutions and the benefits it affords to Rice's pre-med students. If my child knew he wanted to be a doctor, Rice has much to offer. I would also recommend Washington University in St. Louis because it has a similar program and it's medical school is much higher ranked than Rice's affiliate medical schools.</p>
<p>I found a link at Rice's career website (<a href="http://careers.rice.edu/%5B/url%5D">http://careers.rice.edu/</a>) that indicates approximately 50 graduates from the 2005 class are attending medical school. Click on "Post Graduate Survey 2005" at the bottom of the page that will display a pdf form and then go to page 9. The Plan II website (<a href="http://www.utexas.edu/cola/plan2/students/profiles/graduate_2005/%5B/url%5D">http://www.utexas.edu/cola/plan2/students/profiles/graduate_2005/</a>) lists 20 graduates of the 2005 class who are attending medical school. For comparison purposes, Plan II has an average freshman class of 180 and Rice has an average freshman class of 730. Thus, assuming all entering students graduate (which is unlikely, but I don't have actual figures available and the attrition rates should be comparable), 11% of Plan II's 2005 graduates will be attending medical school while 6% of Rice's 2005 graduates willl. If your figure of 90 Rice graduates is correct, the percentage of Rice graduates attending medical school increases to 12%.</p>
<p>Of course, not every freshman intends to go to medical school or will go to medical school immediately after graduating. Furthermore, many college students are not sure what careers they will pursue or they change their minds at some point during the college years. For those who want to be exposed to a greater variety of lifestyles, people, and courses/studies, UT's Plan II is a good choice. But as Macksimum points out, it's not for everyone, and one of the best things about college in America is that there are so many choices.</p>
<p>yes, at rice, the medical school environment would benefit you with their many connections. the medical center is very close to it and you can go volunteer at the top hospitals in the world in their fields. also, baylor medical school is very close. rice undergrads are given alot of respect in baylor medical school. by emailing the top researchers in stem cell research (what im interested in) I got so many overwhelming replies of people wanting to interview me for a research helping position. In fact, i have an interview there in about 2 weeks with one of the researchers.</p>