Hey, so I’m a rising senior (class of 2018 woot woot) from NYC and I really want to attend a university in the south. I’ve done so much research on Rice (less so Vanderbilt), and I’ve fallen in love with both schools. I know applying ED will increase my chances of getting into these really exclusive universities, so I was wondering if anyone had anything to add about either of these schools.
It honestly can be anything-- just something I wouldn’t find through on their website. Could be stuff about Nashville and Houston, or stuff about traditions, etc. Hopefully this makes my decision a little easier.
Vanderbilt is bigger, preppier, more conservative, more pre-professional. It’s similar in feel to Duke. I’d recommend it to a smart student who wanted to join a frat/sorority (or at least doesn’t mind a heavy Greek presence) and then go to law school or Wall Street. Rice is nerdier, more STEM oriented, less conventionally social. You’re more likely to meet a future physics professor at RIce than at Vandy. I’d recommend Rice to a smart student who wants to major in science and then go work for NASA or the CDC. These are exaggerations, of course, but with a kernel of truth. Nashville (home to Vandy) is much more fun than Houston, in my view.
I would visit both schools before deciding to apply ED. Not sure that I agree with the generalities listed in @sheepskin00’s post above. Do your own research and make up your own mind. I think we can all agree, however, that Texas a whole lot hotter than Tennessee.
Rice is definitely more science-oriented, though their humanities/social sciences are top notch and compare well with anywhere. Rice also is that rare school that has more men than women students–probably stemming from the science tilt of the student body.
I am a Vandy law alum and the mom of a Rice student. Both are great schools and you can’t go wrong at either place. I hope you get in both schools and have a hard decision to make. If Vanderbilt is your first choice, then ED there. Vandy takes a large percentage of its class through ED 1 and ED 2. Rice does not fill as large a percentage of its class via ED and does not have ED2. Vandy has a preppy SEC southern school vibe, and Greek life is pervasive. Rice has more of a nerdy vibe. Rice does not have frats or sororities but has the residential college system instead. Think Harry Potter. The students are randomly sorted into residential colleges that have about 300-400 people each. There are intense rivalries among the residential colleges. You can stay with your college for meals and events all 4 years even if you move off campus. At Vandy the freshman all live in the commons, but after that the students disperse. Rice is a lot smaller than Vandy. It has 4000 students undergrad. There is a large emphasis on undergraduate education at Rice. Rice does have some graduate students in business etc. but does not have a law and med school. Vanderbilt has a large med school and law school, and many other graduate disciplines. The football games at Vandy are a big deal, but not many people go to them at Rice. Nashville has 4 seasons. Houston has very hot weather May through September, nice weather October through December and February through April. It may get down to freezing a bit in January and early February. It never snows in Houston but does snow a bit in Nashville. Nashville has the music city vibe and is a great town. Houston as a whole is not as pretty as Nashville and some parts of town are very industrial. Both schools give need aid and some merit aid. You have to separately apply for some of the scholarships at Vandy. Rice has fun traditions like Beer Bike and each of the dorms has theme parties open to all on campus at various times during the year. I hope this helps. If you have any specific questions I can answer PM me.
Actually the common data set for rice 2016-17 says Rice has appx 170 more men than women (2,004 to 1,832), and if you look at past CDS reports that has always been the case. At grad level it is 2/1 men to women, at about 1,800 to 900).
Thanks so much for the replies. I hear people talk a lot about the positives of both these schools, but what are the drawbacks? Is one more stress inducing than the other? Does one feel less welcoming?
