<p>For me, at least, more students is a negative aspect of Stanford. And cardinals cooler than owls? No way. To be honest, I disagree with mj on everything except for the weather.</p>
<p>For me, one big attraction about Rice is the residential college system. I'd suggest starting with that aspect of life at Rice and then systematically comparing the two universities to determine which campus has a better atmosphere for you.</p>