I was formally admitted from the wait list earlier today. Now I have a week to decide. I am an engineering major, probably BME/BioE. I have family in Houston and if I choose Rice, my immediate family will move with me. I visited Rice a few months ago and felt that it was an excellent fit for me. I love how it is neighbors with TMC, so there are great opportunities for research. It’s small school size also appeals to me so that I can develop strong relationships with professors. Also, I love the fact that there is no frat system.
At GT, I was admitted to the Grand Challenges Living Learning Community, a selective program that takes 110 freshman, where we learn to develop solutions for real-world problems and receive funding to actually implement our solution. I would be paying in-state tuition also. I have been to GT quite a few times and like it very much. It is right in the heart of Atlanta whereas Rice is like its own little world inside the 4th largest city in the country.
After finaid and scholarships, I will be paying roughly 4x more to attend Rice than to attend GT. Please help me out on this, thanks!!
I am a rice grad (86) and now live in GA … The rice experience is amazing … You cannot put a price on the residential college system … Being next to TMC is an awesome opportunity …
I think the rice campus is one of the prettiest …
Besides, you will miss beer bike and not be able to walks the underground tunnels if u don’t go to rice …
In the end go to the school that feels like “home” to you … Good luck
Is Rice worth 4x the Ga Tech experience? And is it worth uprooting your family as well?
How stretched will your parents be after spending 4x the money on Rice? Do you have younger siblings still wanting to go to college, and if you spend all this money on Rice, what will their college options be? And if your family moves and you have younger siblings, what great programs/activities/friends will those younger siblings miss out on by being uprooted to satisfy your college desire?
Money matters to my family, we would not spend 4x more on any college. But that is my family. You need to consider how that impacts your family’s finances. Parents will always want the best for you, so they may not vocalize the relief they would have if you chose Ga Tech.
I am asking questions here, not telling you what to do. You need to consider price, location, campus feel, degree program, how involved you can be on campus, class size, etc. Lots to consider. I know Ga Tech, I don’t know anything about Rice.
@powercropper Financially, it is still affordable, albeit much more expensive obviously. I do have 1 younger brother in high school. He will still have great college options as we would not be financially strained. From what I know, Houston has some of the best school districts and he will have endless opportunities, likely better than the ones he has right now in GA.
You need to make a very clea budget and sit down with your parents. Some of your statements are quite concerning. You do realize the following: moving across the country is expensive; uprooting a high school age sibling is very disruptive; in Texas, attending an excellent public school often requires the purchase of a very expensive house. Are your parents really on board to do this?
You mention financial aid. Is that from Rice? I have looked into the parameters for receiving fianacial aid at Rice. If you are eligible for financial aid, then your parents’ income and assets are not endless. You need to fully understand your parents’ financial situation and what they are willing to spend.
Yes, Rice’s college system is wonderful, but you can receive an excellent education at Georgia Tech for 1/4 of the cost! My advice is to please talk this out with your parents.
I am a current student at Rice and hate it. I do not like the college system, it severely limits your on campus housing options and I have found it to be quite “cliquey” and isolating. It is very much like being part of a fraternity/sorority. With regard to the housing, they assign you to a dorm and if you want to live on campus that is your only option for all 4 years and some are much nicer than others; in addition, if your best friend is from a different college you will not be able to live together on campus because you can’t change colleges. I have also found that in general the teachers here are pretty bad and you end up having to teach most of the material to yourself. Go to Georgia Tech. I actually had to choose between the same two schools and really regret my decision. Rice is really not worth the money.
@lama1293, you don’t HAVE to live on-campus all your four years. You can always move off-campus after your freshman year. In your circumstances, your best friend and you can lease an apartment within walking distance of the campus. For the record, on-campus housing is only guaranteed for three years.
wrt “you end up having to teach most of the material to yourself”: That is the case in ANY university (especially at a state university!). You’re not in high school anymore.
As far as the OP is concerned, I’d say: go to Georgia Tech. Save the money for grad school - you’ll need a master’s if you do enter the Biomedical Engineering field.
Thanks everyone for your insight and feedback! @txstella @Fredjan You two are absolutely correct. It really isn’t worth spending so much on an undergrad degree. @lama1293 I am sorry you have had this experience with Rice, but I will heed your advice. As of now, I am leaning more toward GT.