I’m currently a freshman at UT Austin and I’m in Plan II Honors and English. I am also in the process of adding a major in economics – my dad wants also wants me to take a certificate or minor in business.
But my mom really wanted me to go to Rice, but I didn’t apply senior year because I was very mentally ill and my grades tanked, and though I graduated in the top 3%, I was too scared to be rejected from Rice. So now the question of transferring is brought into question.
The pros of Austin are its:
– location: there are lots of law internships in the area
– honors program: I heard it’s good for law school admissions, the classes are small (less than 20 ppl), and I will get the opportunity to write a thesis/ do research
– GPA: so far it’s not too hard, I have all A’s and it’s not stressful
– English program: Austin has a good English program
– many friends are going there too
The pros of Rice are:
– its reputation: the biggest pull factor for this school
– location: it’s v close to home
The costs for both would be about the same with financial aid.
I guess I’m just wondering if Rice’s prestige and English and economics programs would be worth transferring for. People tell me Plan II is prestigious, but idk I guess I would just like some more insight. My mom keeps telling me that graduating from UT would pale in comparison to graduating from Rice and now I’m starting to doubt my decision haha.
Mine is that you are happy where you are, with the potential for getting a fantastic education from a top university (whether you do or not is, of course, up to you!).
Law schools will not care whether your degree is from Rice or UT-A: mostly law schools care about GPA & LSAT, and even if they did care, Rice & Plan II UT-A are peer schools for their purposes (yes, I know that Rice is higher ranked in USNWR than Plan II UT-A, but that is not the metric that a law school would use- they would see both programs as being in roughly the same ‘tier’ of school).
Your mom being able to put a “Rice” sticker on her car is not a reason to change schools.
Both are top tier Unis. Law schools won’t care whatsoever about the reputation differential of a handful of spots on USNews. Major does not matter for LS admission. Econ can be quantitative, but quant courses can also be a job-booster.
If you like UT, stay. If you think a smaller school and smaller classes will be better for you personally, apply to transfer and see what happens.
The decision right now is whether or not you should APPLY to transfer to Rice. If you are accepted, then you can decide whether or not it is the right move for you.
Maybe it’s a Texas thing, but to the rest of the world, Plan II Honors at the University of Texas is probably a bit more prestigious than Rice University.
The issue may be viewed as “big fish in a big pond versus being a student at Rice”.
P.S. US News Best Colleges offers “Peer Assessment Scores” for individual colleges and universities, but unfortunately does not rate honors colleges & honors programs separately.
Rice University received a ranking of 4.2 while the Univ. of Texas received a ranking of 4.1 out of a possible 5. The Plan II Honors program at the Univ. of Texas most likely would receive a rank above 4.2.
Rice has a more geographically diverse students body than Texas because of the Texas admissions requirement that 80% of undergrads are Texans. That is separate from which school would help you get into law school.
I love Rice…my daughter goes there and it’s a great fit for her. But, that doesn’t mean it’s the best fit for everyone. If you are doing well at Austin and like it there, I’m not sure it’s worth transferring. If you are really uncertain you can apply to Rice and make your decision once you find out whether or not you are accepted. But, if not being admitted would negatively impact your mental health, I’d stay you should stay put and continue to enjoy your time at Austin. It’s a great school!
If you want to stay and practice law in Texas, stay at UT. Many more alumni connections at UT vs Rice. The liberal arts programs at UT are better programs at UT than Rice. Also look at all the really large endowments at UT. Many have come from Plan II graduates.Econ dept has a great mentorship program at UT and growing rapidly.
Plan II is easily as prestigious as Rice.
Plan II is known as among the top 5 honors programs in the country.
Considering your description, there’s no upside to transferring to Rice for you.
BTW, no need to do Econ AND Business minor. English major, Plan II, and EITHER Economics minor or business minor would be plenty. In addition, you don’t need to declare a minor to take relevant courses (an advantage of Plan II), you can just take the classes that are most relevant to you in both Econ and Business.