So to start out I was admitted off of both waitlists. Rice on the 26th or something and UCLA on the 4th. I filed my SIR to Rice on the 1st and am super excited about going there because it’s gorgeous and Houston is supposed to be cool and the classes are small etc… However, Rice doesn’t have mock trial and from what I’ve heard and researched their Model UN team isn’t very good and those are the two programs I’m most interested in as I want to go to law school. Conversely, UCLA is like 3rd in the country for MT and top 50 for MUN. Plus I’m a political science and econ double major. I feel like in general Rice is a better school and provides a better undergrad experience but I’m worried that the school is too engineering focused and I would struggle to get into top law schools from Rice as opposed to UCLA. I’m from California and have mixed emotions about whether or not I want to move far away. Rice will be about 7k less a year after FA. Please help I have like two days to reply to UCLA and I’m just worried about making a choice that will make me happy but could be negative for my future.
I don’t believe that either MT or MUN will make a darned bit of difference for your law school applications. The common wisdom for students aspiring to law school is to do what you love as an undergrad, and get good grades doing it. Doesn’t matter if it’s poli sci or biochemistry. Law school isn’t like med school where you have to have experience in the field prior to applying.
But if these are two programs you’re genuinely interested in, and Rice doesn’t offer one of them, then maybe it’s not the right school for you. Did you check the website thoroughly? Are you sure mock trial is not offered?
Edited to add: Did a search for mock trial, and found an old Facebook page for the Rice Mock Trial Team . . . but the last post is from 2011. 
There’s no reason, though, that you couldn’t get the club going again!
I’m from the upper-midwest, went to Rice undergrad, and UCLA for grad school. Loved UCLA. Great campus; smart kids. … it’s in LA - if you can’t find something fun to do there, you’ve got serious problems … but Rice is such a tight-knit, special place. Can’t beat the undergraduate experience there. MT, MUN means zero to me. If that’s your sole criteria, well good luck to you. UCLA is great too (but you should have gone to Rice.)
thanks guys and I think I am set on Rice. I’m one of those kids who is for lack of a better word pretentious in that I love being surrounded by super passionate and intelligent students and get annoyed when I’m the smartest one in the room. Rice just seems like the right place for undergrad from what I’ve heard from this and another thread I posted. I’m thinking I’ll try to start up mock trial or get Model UN to a higher level because I really want to do those programs and go to Rice so hopefully I’ll be able to reconcile them. Thanks again you guys have made my decision easy.