<p>Thank you hawkette for your well written and well reasoned post. I wholly agree, especially with this:
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Seems to happen frequently on CC with schools located in the South/Southwest, a region to which many outsiders assign massive (and frequently outdated and inaccurate) stereotypes. In my two plus years of posting on CC, I have read uninformed, even bigoted, remarks time and again with absolutely terrific colleges like Duke, Vanderbilt, Emory, and now Rice.... As someone who has experienced Texas, the South and most other parts of the USA, it gets tiresome (to say the least) to hear/read the ignorance/slanted commentary repeated over and over and over.
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Sadly, many people repeat old or merely inaccurate stereotypic, biased overgeneralizations such as those posted in this thread, and all too often without any direct experience. That is what causes them to perpetuate, and to be accepted as truth. I find it distasteful to say the least, and react accordingly. I am sorry I wasn't as diplomatic as you in my posts Hawkette, but I am not sorry I challenged negative stereotypes. I hope the OP has the stats to get into Rice, and gives it a strong consideration. It is a wonderful school, and Houston (except for the silly lack of zoning that might cause one to see.. and I am making this example up.. a house, church, a liquor store and a daycare center all in one block) is a fine city. Rice is close to the park, zoo, museums, theater, etc, not to mention the extensive medical center complex that stretches for blocks and blocks, and Rice is forging a stronger academic relationship with the hospitals and is in discussions with Baylor Medical school to consider a merger.</p>
<p>Emory is a great school too, and while my younger son was accepted to Emory with merit money, he chose to go elsewhere, where they offered more merit money. The school that he chose is in a city that some love and some don't, but I would not tell him not to go to that university because he might not like the city. We were fortunate to be able to visit, so could form our own opinions. The OP , as he/she is in Singapore, may not have that opportunity. I ditto what Hawkette suggested. Go read the forums of the schools you are considering (as I am sure you probably already had) and get a "feel" for the posters. I'd also encourage you to post this same question there, but be prepared for students to sing the praises of their specific school, which is understandable. </p>
<p>And lastly, FWIW, my background and training happens to be in the neurosciences. You have chosen good schools to consider.</p>