All three of these schools are ranked as some of the best schools in Texas. I have had the pleasure of visiting all of them (and getting accepted). I am a Florida boy, I don’t really know what I want to major in, and the financial packages I got are all similar. Now here I am, 9 days until college decision time, and I am unable to decide where I should go. I feel like the obvious choice is Rice since it is clearly the most “prestigious” of the ones in the list. But on the other hand, I really like the idea of going to a smaller liberal arts school like Southwestern or Trinity since it would be a less competitive environment and I would be free to explore difference subject matter and eventually decide on a major.
Anyway, this is my first time posting on here and I would really appreciate any insight or advice any of you have to offer. God knows these forums helped when I was deciding where to apply, and I can only hope that they can offer some help now that decision day is nearly upon us. Thank you!
All are fine schools. Rice is much more well known as such outside of Texas. That may be something to consider if you don’t plan to stay in state or jump directly into grad school. Rice students’ reputation is one that is much less competitive and more collaborative than other elite universities (friendly nerds), but you would have a bit more opportunity to shine at Trinity or Southwestern. You will receive a great education at any of the three, so consider the one that felt the most like someplace you wanted to spend the next four years when you visited.
You can’t really go wrong with either of them. Where do you want to work & what city would you prefer to spend 4 years in San Antonio, Houston, or North Austin (Georgetown)?
Austin is my favorite city of all of them, but unfortunately Southwestern is about 45 minutes away from downtown. I like Rice because it is in the heart of Houston. I always wanted to go to school in a big city, and I think I get that with both Trinity and Rice (Houston being 4th largest city in the US and San Antonio coming it at number 7).
That sounds like as good of a reason as any to knock Southwestern out of the competition. Austin is close enough to the other two places for frequent visits. Don’t buy into the “7th biggest city” hype from San Antonio, though; it’s more like the number 30 sized metro area. That’s still big, but way smaller than places like Houston, Dallas, Miami, Atlanta, etc. You would get a big city experience in SA, but Houston is significantly larger and more diverse with a larger array of cultural amenities.
Do you have any idea of your major? My advice is to go to Rice unless Trinity or Southwestern were particularly strong in an area of interest. Rice is not by any means “large” at about 4000. And it is in a terrific part of Houston.
Southwestern is not very close to Austin and the traffic on I35 is horrendous, but I have heard that Southwestern is a great school. It is quite small at 1500.
Trinity is size-wise in between the others. Again, Trinity is a very well-thought of school.
But as a Rice alum, I say pick Rice.
Rice has a lot of graduate students that make it feel like a much bigger school than Trinity. That said, it is still not a “large” university in any sense. The residential college system at Rice and DI sports are a couple of additional things that differentiate it from Trinity. I would personally favor Rice, as well, unless the decidedly smaller feel of Trinity or the city of San Antonio makes it feel like more of a fit for you.
I really appreciate everyone’s input. In response to @txstella, I do not know exactly what I want to major in. I really like the idea of pursuing sociology, urban studies, and business, but I don’t really know. While all of the schools are “liberal arts”, I feel like I would be more free to explore at Southwestern or Trinity, but maybe I am wrong. I got the impression that Rice can be very pre-professional, and without knowing exactly what I want to do, I am worried I might get lost or overwhelmed at Rice. Maybe I am wrong in this thought, so your input would be appreciated.
Also, Trinity has a really cool new Center for Science and Innovation with an awesome entrepreneurship program, but I am not sure if that alone is reason enough to go there considering I am not decided on a major.
Thank you all again! It is rough being this down to the wire with a decision…
Have your carefully looked at the degree programs at Trinity and Rice? Check out the courses, too. You didn’t mention it but plug finances into the puzzle. Will one choice cost a lot more? You are obviously very qualified and accomplished, so I would not be overly concerned about too much competition. Good luck with your decision.
@txstella, I really like the entrepreneurship program at Trinity, and while Rice has great academics, I do not feel very passionately about any program in particular. The most affordable school is Southwestern, with Rice, and Trinity being each more expensive than the previous (after my financial aid packages). I know I could be happy at Southwestern, so maybe its worth saving a little money and just going there…
You kind of threw everyone off the scent by saying you wanted to go to a school in a big city. Southwestern definitely is not. That said, it is a lovely and well-regarded school within earshot of one of the best, IMHO, big cities for twentysomethings. If you think you would be happy there and the savings would be significant then Southwestern sounds like an excellent choice for you. Please let us know what you ultimately decide!
Let’s us know what you decide. All three school have happy students and successful graduates. I think it comes down to the appeal of a small LAC versus the feel of a university (albeit a small one). The personal attention at LACs does sound very appealing. Rice does have a policy studies major that sounds quite flexible. This could fit your interests.
http://policystudies.rice.edu/Content.aspx?id=34&linkidentifier=id&itemid=34
Just committed to Rice. Thank you for all your advice!
Congrats; it’s a great school!