You’ve gotten some good advice here about finances and whether or not ED is a good choice for you at either.
I just wanted to throw in my perspective of Rice as the parent of a rising junior introverted STEM major also from Wisconsin. She felt the way you do about Madison. She applied and was accepted but never felt it was a good fit (and 2 years later with lots of friends there she feels even more strongly it was not right for her).
My D loved the idea of Rice on paper but was hesitant to apply because it was in Texas…so far from home and well…Texas. In fact, she crossed it off her list after getting burned out on applications. It was the only school she was interested in that we didn’t visit. The week before applications were due to started regretting her choice and decided to apply. Honestly we were shocked when she got accepted. We quickly scheduled a visit for admitted student day and she loved what she saw and heard. It didn’t hurt that the weather was perfect the day we visited.
This is what she liked and continues to like about the school. She loved/loves the diversity. Sitting in the first presentation for the admitted student day I commented that it might have been the most diverse group I’d ever been a part of. Though my daughter if not an unrepresented minority, she likes learning about different cultures… not something she got a lot of in our part of Wisconsin. It does not feel like what you expect Texas to be like when you’re from the upper Midwest. Almost no accents and few cowboy boots! Houston is a very diverse city.
The community is just so darn nice, friendly and helpful. It was something my husband and I were struck by when we were on campus the first time and my daughter still feels that way. For example, one of the most beloved traditions at Rice is Orientation Week (O-Week). Freshman come to school a week early to learn about Rice and get immersed into their residential college. O-Week is pretty much completely planned and run by students. Each college has 3 kids who start planning in early spring and then give up their summers to live on campus to plan. In addition, each college has at maybe 50 or so O-Week Advisors who interview in a competitive process to be an advisor during O-Week. They go through a ton of training and then go to campus about 2 week before classes start. That’s over 500 students who give up a couple of weeks of their summer break to welcome the new students and help them adjust. It’s exhausting and a big commitment but they just love it. My daughter felt O-Week was so instrumental in her adjustment to college that she is advising now for the second year.
They students are also incredibly accepting. There is definitely a “you do you” vibe. No one cares if you are a partier or not, whether or not your LGBTQ, whether you are involved in some quirky activity, or whatever.
When people say it’s a collaborative environment they are not joking. There are tons of study groups and people help each other with classes all the time. There is no sense of wanting others to do poorly to help the curve or whatever. Kids are competitive with themselves not each other.
The residential college set up is great for my introvert. She has made some great friends and loves the traditions and culture associated with her college and has gotten quite involved.
Campus is very, very pretty and except for the first month or so, the weather is quite nice. Winters are amazing coming from Wisconsin.
So there is my Rice commercial. It’s not for everyone, but for those who are looking for the type of environment it offers, I can’t recommend it enough. Notre Dame is a great school too though, just different in many aspects. I can see why it would be on your radar. Good luck to you!