<p>Having applied to a number of the schools on your list, I have a bit of perspective.</p>
<p>The major difference between Rice and the schools on your list is the atmosphere. Rice is FUN. Seriously, you have to work to not make friends and have a great time here, no matter what your idea of fun is. There is a reason Chicago is called “Where fun goes to die”. WUSTL, Hopkins, Cornell are not far behind. This is not an attempt to degrade your opinion on your other options–they are all great schools. I am just attempting to provide some honest contrast. </p>
<p>Academically, the atmosphere is completely different from many of the schools you listed. At Rice, the atmosphere is collaborative, not cutthroat. You won’t find pages ripped out of books in the library or peers who won’t take 5 minutes to explain something from a problem set. It just doesn’t work that way here. I was up until 2AM last night in commons (common room of our residential college–more on that later) playing ping pong (I didn’t have homework), but when I went to bed there were still 3 groups of my friends doing problem sets together. It builds a spirit of camaraderie. </p>
<p>Additionally, the academics are stellar. We don’t have a ton of lay name recognition outside of the south, but this will likely never matter to you. The people who matter know about Rice. Trust me, when your HS friends see how awesome of a university are at, they will stop taking jabs at you. Mine sure did (I’m from Maryland). </p>
<p>Residential Colleges: Rice is broken down into 11 residential colleges. These are our version of dorms, but work completely different. Each has it’s own servery (EAST SERVERY FTW), common rooms, and dorm structure. During the summer you are randomly sorted into one of our 11 colleges (Lovett, Will Rice, Baker, Sid Rich, Wiess, Hanszen, Jones, Brown, McMurtry, Duncan, Martel). At the end of the summer, you go to Rice a week before most of the upperclassmen for what will likely be one of the best weeks of your life–“O Week”. O-Week (short for Orientation Week) is 7 days of Academic Planning, College Indoctrination, and bonding. The freshman class of each college is broken down into small groups (~5-10 depending on how your college does it) each with non-freshman advisors. These advisors are Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors who have gone through a rigorous application process for the privileged of welcoming you to Rice. The morning of the first day of O-Week you pull into your college’s parking lot and are surrounded by a group of screaming advisors who all know your name, love you, and are super pumped for you to be at Rice. Your fear of being mobbed immediately subsides when they offer to move your luggage to your room for you. Over the next week you bond with your O-Week group through activities such as 2AM scavenger hunts, learning about your college, and planning your academic careers. I consider my O-Week Group my family, and this is a feeling that lasts a lifetime, not just a week. </p>
<p>During O-Week you get a ton of academic time to plan out your day/semester/time at Rice/life. Academic advising works sort of like a pyramid. At the base level you have your advisors and the other advisors in your college. These are students who have gone through (at least) Freshman year already, and can give a unique perspective (what classes to take, which to avoid, deadlines, ideas, etc) to help you out. Next come the PAA’s which are specially trained students who help plan your schedule and know all of the specific deadlines and requirements set down by the university and specific departments. On top of this come the associates. Each college has faculty associates who eat meals in your commons at least a few times a month. In my case, these have included Nobel Prize winners. No big deal! These associates can give a seasoned perspective on their field and prove invaluable. The final level of support are the divisional and major advisors. These are faculty members from your chosen field/concentration who know their departments in and out. They hear your plan and give you final bits of guidance to make sure everything is on the right track.</p>
<p>When you get started on the academic track, you realize it’s pretty fantastic. Classes are small, professors are accessible, and research opportunities are abundant. I came in completely set on my major and career path, and have flipped that on it’s head twice since I got here because I have discovered other things that interest me and realized things about myself I didn’t know/want to see before coming. This is very easy to do at Rice. Since you don’t have to declare a major until the end of your sophomore year, you have room to breathe. If you have AP credit, all the better. </p>
<p>While my friends at peer institutions are bundled in long sleeves, pants, and parkas, I spent yesterday sitting in a hammock wearing flip flops (Just thought I’d throw that in). </p>
<p>One last thing on the Residential College experience–it’s truly like a family. There are no single sex or Freshman only floors. Your college is a mix of everyone in it, and you grow very close to these people. You eat meals together, go to events together,do (lots of) homework togehter, laugh together, and in some cases even cry together. As someone who grew up without any siblings, I can say it’s been what I always wished having them would be like. Every day when I walk around campus, I wave to just about everyone I know. Friendliness is quite widespread here. There is a reason Rice has been #1 in quality of life two years in a row. IT FREAKING ROCKS HERE.</p>
<p>Finally, I spent the entirety of my Biology class typing this. That should tell you how strongly I feel. </p>
<p>I encourage you to visit, and especially spend the night through our overnight hosting program (<a href=“https://rice.edu.185r.net/Event/[/url]”>https://rice.edu.185r.net/Event/</a>). It’s the best way to understand what I’m talking about first hand. </p>
<p>I’m sure I’ve forgotten more than I’ve typed here, but that’s my sales pitch.</p>
I’d say that you won’t run into the name recognition problem once you burst through the Northeast “bubble.” To be frank, Rice is ranked in the same league as all the Ivys which all have instant name recognition in the Northeast, so it’s just a sign of ignorance. Pure ignorance. It can be tough, I know, as I’m also from the NE, but if you’re confident in yourself, then you’ll have no problem. </p>
I live in south Texas and my friends have never heard of Northwestern! 
but, that won’t stop me from attending! (if I get accepted and choose to go) :)</p>