<p>Rice is a possibility on my college list, and I'm curious how students from small towns have adjusted to being in Houston. I live in a very small town <5000 people, so I'm interested to hear first hand experience from other small towners who ended up at Rice (or those who decided Houston was too big for them)</p>
<p>I live in a small suburb (population of about 3000) of Cincinnati. Although I have not yet matriculated at Rice yet, I have spent a week on campus and throughout Houston participating in a pre-orientation program called Urban Immersion. Although it will be a transition living in Houston, I love Houston and Rice, and I don’t see a problem with Rice or the large size of Houston. Part of the college experience is stepping out of your comfort zone and adapting to new environments. Its only through stepping out of your comfort zone do you gain independence and growth. If you lived in a small town all of your life, it is not a bad idea to try going to college in a big city like New York, Chicago, LA, Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Boston, etc in order to try new things and grow as a person.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, although near downtown, Rice, as a campus, feels very secluded and intimate. Unless you look at the skyscrapers at the Texas Medical Center down the street, you would never guess you were in the middle of a city. Its a very “homely” campus, and you do not need to venture in Houston to have a great time at Rice. However, Houston has a lot to offer, so I would strongly recommend exploring Houston (of course, use common sense when doing so).</p>
<p>Don’t let the fact that Rice is located in a big city stop you from applying… it will be a nice change for you and allow you to gain more “city people’s” perspectives on life.</p>
<p>slik nik - maybe you mean “homey” campus? “Homely” means…well, let just say it usually means somewhat less than good-looking! ;)</p>
<p>@ anxiousmom:</p>
<p>Yes I did meant “homey.” Thanks for correcting my mistake.</p>
<p>Rice is a relatively small community and when we have visited we noticed that you can really ignore the fact that you are in a city if you wish. The residential college system with the masters and self governance fosters the small community feel, too. Others who have experienced the transition may chime in, or may be involved in the school and no longer here. The best bet is to try to visit if you can.</p>
<p>I am from a relatively small town also and absolutely refused to apply to schools in big cities (Boston, NYC, DC, etc.) Then Rice came along and changed all that =]</p>
<p>I originally never thought I’d go to school in anything but an isolated area but to tell you the truth, I’m so glad I’m going to school in Houston. For one, many of the students I talk to who go to schools like Williams or Dartmouth say that because the school is really the only thing in the town, it’s easy to feel isolated/lonely. It can be hard to get experiences outside of hanging out with kids your age all the time. Also, since there’s really not much to do, kids tend to spend a lot of time drinking and partying to alleviate boredom. Whereas, in Houston, you can get plenty of volunteer experience or internship experience with all sorts of institutions. There is really something for everyone and you can take advantage of the city as much or as little as you want.</p>
<p>I personally am a premed so the presence of Texas Childrens Hospital, etc. right across the street is an amazing opportunity that I would not find in smaller towns.</p>