<p>Sorry for creating another one of these comparison threads... but I am so conflicted. I know based on rankings and everything everyone will go, "duh, Rice", and I also have to pay about $8,000 less at Rice, but during my visit at Owl Days it just didn't 'feel' right... whereas my USC visits are always awesome (maybe because I live in SoCal?). Plus, I love how they have so much school spirit. But obviously my parents really want me to go to Rice, since it's better academically and financially. Is it bad to base my decision on how I 'felt' at a school? It's hard for me to gauge what it would be like to be an actual student at either school, because while I'm there I either don't know anyone around me or I'm with my parents. Rice is strong in engineering and the sciences, which is a field I want to study in, but at USC I could also minor in something like music recording or theatre... which I think could make my college experience more fun. Any thoughts? Is it possible that USC just hypes up their events to attract students, while at Rice the 'real' college experience is revealed... which turns out to be kind of dull?</p>
<p>unless youi absolutely hated Rice on your visit, I would go to Rice. Rice is a much better school than USC and if it is cheaper, its not worth the extra $32k after graduation.</p>
<p>Why did it not feel right?</p>
<p>If you are going into engineering/science, definitely go to rice. USC worked out to be cheaper for me, and I didn’t even think twice about turning USC down.
If you are a huge frat boy/sorority girl type, you may want to go to USC though…</p>
<p>I’m going to say that how it “feels” is very important. That’s the point of visiting. Rice and USC have different campus cultures and student bodies. As much as I love Rice, it’s probably not the place for you if USC “feels” right.</p>
<p>
Good point! It’s hard to know how it’ll feel until you’re really attending as a student. Rice does a wonderful job of welcoming you into the family (your college family! 
and you may just love it once you are there. On a practical note: it is a LOT harder to transfer from USC into Rice than it is to transfer from Rice to USC. Unless you are willing to shoulder $8000 per year in loans to go to USC, why not give Rice a try?
And
Rice has theater - here’s the link <a href=“http://theatre.rice.edu/[/url]”>http://theatre.rice.edu/</a></p>
<p>i live in so cal too and had to make the big decision between rice and usc… i went to visions at rice and i got the same feeling you did… i just didn’t fall in love with the campus and the people i met there. i went to a program at usc and i loved it. in the end i turned down being a trustee scholar at rice to go to usc because it just felt right.</p>
<p>go where you want to go, not where your parents want.
8k x 4 years isn’t that much if you’d be happier at USC, especially given that you’re gonna be making decent money out of college with any sciency degree
if you truly would be just as happy at Rice, go to Rice. if not, don’t.</p>
<p>Is Rice going to be way more difficult in engineering than USC?</p>
<p>Hmmm, as much as I love Rice, I think you should go where you feel right. Rice is awesome, but it isn’t for everyone. So, go to USC!</p>
<p>@jock, engineering is gonna be about equally difficult everywhere…</p>
<p>Are football or basketball popular at Rice? I know Rice’s baseball team is supposedly very good… but my hosts were saying how they’ve never even been to a baseball game. 
At my current high school, football and basketball games are big, and I’d love to continue that in college… I know USC is obviously very big on those things There were also small, trivial things I did not like about Rice… such as having actual keys/locks on college doors at Lovett rather than key swipes/codes (LOL I know this is stupid), and having no Starbucks on campus (this is dumb too). The buildings also felt too spaced out… I read on another thread about how Rice has wide-spaced low buildings while USC is more dense and vertical. Also, passing by many of the engineering classrooms at USC, there was basically a computer for every student…! Okay obviously it seems like I am leaning towards USC now, but I already committed to Rice (I had my fees waived, so no loss of $$) but don’t know how to withdraw so people convince me why Rice is better than USC!</p>
<p>Maybe your hosts don’t like baseball.
Locks with keys are safe from computer science majors/ electrical engineers.
The only people that go to starbucks are people that need to pay too much for a drink before beginning to write another novel that will never be published.
USC’s large buildings are just compensation for their inferior ranking.
Just because USC likes to show off how many computers they have doesn’t mean they know how to use them.</p>
<p>Convinced yet?</p>
<p>There’s a Starbucks two stops down the metro lightrail and another Starbucks in Rice Village.</p>
<p>I really don’t know why such a trivial thing would matter though? You’re paying money for an education and the total undergraduate experience with other students and social activities on campus, not to be close to Starbucks and have key swipes.</p>
<p>Also note that there are two coffee sources on campus, one of which is student-run.</p>
<p>Also, Martel (and I believe Weiss) has card-swipe access on the rooms. I think it’s a lot more annoying than when we used to have actual keys.</p>
<p>I really don’t know why it matters either, but I guess it contributes to the “feel” of the campus? I think Rice seems like the more “traditional” and “old-school” type while USC seems more like… the opposite. Haha I don’t know, that’s just the feeling I get.</p>
<p>And can someone give me an example of the type of food they serve at North servery… the food I had at Lovett was poopy. No offense.</p>
<p>Lovett food is poopy - I’ve always thought the Lovett caf should be open only for breakfast or something, since it’s so dingy and the food options are limited. That’s why many kids go to the south or north serveries which are very close by and have many more choices in a much nicer environment. I’ve eaten at the serveries many times over the last five years and think they are great. Did your hosts not eat with you there? Re: coffee The new pavillion has a coffee shop, and there is a student-run coffee shop in the student center; cheaper than starbucks and with more soul Re: computers - there’s lots around, but most everybody has their own laptop. $8000 x 4 = $32,000. That’s not chump change. Choice is yours. Do you think some of this might be cold feet about going so far from home? You will be well taken care of at Rice…</p>
<p>Hi,</p>
<p>Although its not really comparing apples and oranges, but the fact remains that these two universitites have totally different feel becuase of the citites they are in. Los Angeles and Houston are two very different cities. (btw i am a USC alum and live in Houston now, nad visited Rice univ) People are friendly both places and with regards to “open” (rice) and “close together” (usc) building style comes from the fact that Houston is big city with open spaces, something that is much harder to find in LA. I would say, base your decision on the basis of the strength of the program that you wish to attend - 'cuase at the end of four years thats what’s gonna matter!
All the best.</p>
<p>Everyone, pretty sure OP chose USC. Good luck, OP, if you read this! I know that’s where you felt more comfortable at. =]</p>