Should Rice be one of my top choices?

<p>I had pretty much decided on 8 schools to apply to, and crossed Rice off the list, but my mom feels that I should take another look at it.
What makes Rice different from other schools, in terms of programs, campus, student life, surroundings, and academics?
The other schools I am applying to are all over the place in terms of size (W&L and Davidson to UT-Austin), but I want a college town experience, preferably in the South.
Also, could I even get in? brief stats: SATs: 2240: 740cr, 740m, 760 w
SAT2s: us hist 800, lit 710, math I 690
APs: us hist 5, eng lang 5, taking 4 more senior year
gpa ~3.7 UW, class rank top 7%
good (not great) ECs, great work experiences
So, should Rice be one of my top choices?</p>

<p>heck yes! It's a great place. Since you are out of state it's a little bit easier to get in than for instate kids.</p>

<p>Rice is a small university, consequently, it has smaller classes (major plus in my opinion). It's in a city, but a beautiful city with lots of green trees. Southern weather: sunny, less humid than up north, very little snow. It's like Yale with the residential college system, if you'd like that (I would). Facilities are fabulous. I was looking at some photos here: <a href="http://community.webshots.com/album/320189737ZaghnW%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://community.webshots.com/album/320189737ZaghnW&lt;/a>, and I was blown away by the classrooms. It compares to JHU, but Houston's in the south where you want to go, and it's smaller and more personal. Plus, the academics are superb, and the reputation will help out in the future.</p>

<p>Rice is a top choice for me, but you can make your own decision (cough put Rice back on). :D</p>

<p>tkm- Houston is horribly humid. That is the one negative about Rice.</p>

<p>Oh, sorry. I was basing my guess on my experiences in southern Cali, which is right by the sea. Midwest, New England and the eastern Middle States were horrid! I think I've been spoiled :p</p>

<p>Here's why Rice is among my top choices.</p>

<p>The campus just struck me as beautiful. I dunno, I've been to WashU, Northwestern, UChicago, and Stanford, and I've liked Rice's campus the best. It's just an intimate, small, yet spacious and accomodating campus. The quad is picturesque. The classrooms and buildings are clean yet seem to have personality, like it would be an interesting place to spend 4 years where you wouldn't be bored.</p>

<p>I've never spent a winter in Texas, but I always thought going to school somewhere hot wouldn't be so bad. I mean, the school year is fall, winter, and spring. You'll probably go back home when the weather gets really humid in the summer. In fact, when I asked a Rice admissions employee, she said the average temperature at Rice during the school year is 68 degrees.</p>

<p>Personally I want a school that is well-rounded, not too academically focused, but not too loose either. Rice seemed to fit the mold, as the students study hard but also spend time outdoors (something like 70% of the student body participates in intramural sports) and seem friendly. Indeed, the students that I met on my brief visit seemed down to earth and willing to talk. Rice has been praised as the "perfect American university". </p>

<p>For me, the downsides are mainly location - I've heard that Houston isn't so great of a city because it's fat and polluted (but I know I'll be spending most of my time at the Rice campus anyway, not in the actual city). And I've heard that Rice's alumni connections are mainly in the South, where I don't especially have interest in staying. But despite these negatives, and there are downsides to every college, I think Rice is still a great choice.</p>

<p>(BTW - I'm a high school senior, looking to apply to Rice this fall - most of these conceptions were formed on a single afternoon tour of Rice. If any current or past Rice student has any comments or corrections to make about my perception of Rice, please do speak up :))</p>

<p>As a Houston resident for 20 years I'd like to clear up a some misconceptions about Houston. Jimmy -- forget what you've heard. That "fattest" label is ludicrous. It was kindly bestowed upon Houston by Men's Fitness magazine based upon the criteria that Houston had the most fast food restaurants per capita. It has nothing to do with actual weight. (And you thought the US News college rankings were based on arbitrary criteria!) Houston has an incredible number of restaurants at all price levels (but especially moderate ones). Isn't that a good thing as a college student? </p>

<p>While Houston is not a tourist destination, it is a culturally rich, dynamic place to live. Houston has a world class theater, opera and symphony, as well as wonderful art museums (all within several miles of Rice). It also has a professional baseball, basketball and football team. The Rice campus is bordered to the east by the Texas Medical Center, the world's largest medical complex, comprised of more than 13 separate hospitals and 2 medical schools. On the west side of the campus is Rice Village, an eclectic/upscale mix of shops and restaurants within walking distance to the school. To the north and the south of the campus are beautiful residential neighborhoods with tree-lined streets. A light rail line is located on one side of campus with easy access to downtown, the museum district, and the football stadium. Also located nearby is a large urban park with a zoo and public golf course.</p>

<p>Yes, the Houston weather is hot and humid from May through September. As a former Baltimore native September is my least favorite month because I always expect it to get a little cooler and it's just as hot as August. That said, the rest of the months of the school year are usually glorious. There will be a little cold weather now and then -- with highs in the 40's. But that usually lasts only a few days, and then it's moderate again. I especially love the weather in February and March -- usually temps in the 60's and 70's. Houston also has green grass, leaves on the trees, and flowers year round.</p>

<p>One other thing worth mentioning -- the people in Houston are on the whole the friendliest I've met anywhere. People will talk to each other in lines at grocery stores, elevators, etc. (That took some getting used to!) Now when I go back to the East Coast I can't believe how unfriendly everyone seems!</p>

<p>While Houston is not perfect, it's a great city with great people, and a wonderful place to spend 4 years. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.</p>

<p>Just thought I'd add that most of the museums are withing walking distance of Rice, and almost all of the assets blackeyedsusan mentions (plus the also-world-class ballet company, if you care about that kind of thing) are a short walk from the train line.</p>

<p>You <em>should</em> apply to Rice, I think it's way better than any other colleges, Ivy level without the same price tag, good location, diversed, friendly and best of all, Rice has Will Rice college, which is the best in the world. Sorry, a little bit bias there.</p>

<p>About Rice:</p>

<p>Rice is small--classes are generally < 20 people except for 100 and 200 level math and science classes (the ones I'm taking now)</p>

<p>Rice has research--lots of it for a small university. This means more opportunities for undergrads to do research, but it also means that the faculty, esp. in the science departments, won't care as much about undergrads (e.g. Richard Smalley won't be teaching you CHEM 121).</p>

<p>Houston is not really southern in character...it's a metropolitan area...it's just southern in weather.</p>

<p>Rice is bordered by this monolithic collection of hospitals known as the "Texas Medical Center." Many premeds attend Rice because the medical center presents opportunities for jobs, internships, volunteering, etc.</p>

<p>As for student life, it's up to you to decide. How you much you want to party or study is up to you. There are plenty of venues for either here.</p>