Hi! I’m a high school senior who is planning on majoring in biology to become a veterinarian. I was recently accepted by Rice and UCLA. Both schools are out-of-state for me, so the cost would be very similar. Both are about the same distance from my home (UCLA is a little closer). I understand that I will have more research opportunities and smaller classes at Rice. However, I love the UCLA campus, its location, and the weather there. I’m having a really hard time picking between the two because both factors matter to me. If anyone could give me some advice, I would really appreciate it! Thanks!
If the costs are the same, I would go with Rice, UCLA is a great school, but it is still a public school with all of the funding issues surrounding that.
I understand that Rice has unique living arrangements, where students are assigned to a “house” of some sort and stay with the same group all four years. Is this important to you? Is it preferable to UCLA? Some students want to move off campus as soon as possible and live in an apartment, and it seems like that would be more likely at UCLA. Do you have a preference? As for research opportunities, a lot of students get most of their research done in the summers, not during the academic year, and for summer research opportunities, you can apply to colleges all over the country (look up Research Experiences for Undergraduates – REU). You won’t be limited to conducting research at the university you are attending. It seems like your heart is saying UCLA and your mind is saying Rice. I would go with your heart. The large classes at UCLA seem to be intimidating to you, but large classes usually have smaller groups that meet during the week, giving you an opportunity for more attention. Science classes will also be competitive at any university, whether large or small.
Unless you really want to be in SoCal, go to Rice for a superior undergrad experience.