<p>How do they compare...in all aspects (campus, weather, academics, extracurriculars, social environment, etc.) ? </p>
<p>Thank you.</p>
<p>I think Vandy is much more "Southern"-genteel and that sort of thing.</p>
<p>Campuses:</p>
<p>Similarities: Both campuses are right in the middle of downtown, yet they don't seem like it. While there are no "security walls", I believe you could live both places all four years and have to be reminded that you are downtown.</p>
<p>Houston is a much bigger city and probably has better access to museums, city parks and the subway/metro. However, everything you need is at both campuses.</p>
<p>Rice has a beautiful Spanish/Mediteranean architechture. They seem to have lots of space. You can park for free near the Stadium. It's a long walk, but they do have free buses. I think Parking may be more contentious at Vanderbilt. This is not a problem if you don't bring a car.</p>
<p>Vanderbilt, being a national arboretum, has wonderful trees to go along with the traditional brick college buildings. </p>
<p>They are both beautiful. Even if you have a preference, I don't think it will make the difference in choice of schools.</p>
<p>I went to Vanderbilt for undergrad engineering and I loved it. I am now at Rice for grad school. Rice is awesome.</p>
<p>thanks for the responses, guys!</p>
<p>this is what someone said to me...what do you think?</p>
<p>Rice:
Houston is hot and HUMID
liberal but not extreme like Berkeley
nerdy
Better research opportunities
slightly more competitive academics</p>
<p>Vandy:
more conservative/southern
centered around greek system
more well rounded
better looking student body by far
also has competitive academics, good research opportunities
Probably a slightly more recognized name
Nicer campus</p>
<p>I think you should go to the school you want to go to; don't go off the opinions of others. Everyone is different, check out the schools for yourself...then decide. A good college for you won't be the same for another.</p>
<p>Haha, I HAVE heard that Vandy has one of the hottest student bodies...</p>
<p>Modulation, that is DEFINITELY not true. Among top 20 schools, yes. Including colleges across America, H*LL no.</p>
<p>Well, according the TheU, Vandy is SMOKIN' hot. =]</p>
<p>actually Modulation is kinda right. It was rated top by Playboy so.......... ;)</p>
<p>The most horrible people from my high school (would) enroll, without fail, at Vanderbilt (Fratboy University).</p>
<p>Bu-bu-bu-but they’re hot! Jaja, I didn’t apply to Vandy because Rice = love.</p>
<p>Unconventional wisdom - what a beautiful statement!</p>
<p>Our son’s choices came down to Vandy and Rice. We visited both campuses and studied both schools. Both are beautiful. Both have lots of positives. Vandy does have all four seasons (a consideration for our son as we too live in an area without winter). </p>
<p>For our son the physical was less important than the atmosphere. It came down to the people at the schools and their rep. Vandy is a bit more of a preppy, frat, old money, who you know, school. It is part of the “Old South” tradition and people from that social group. People who are not part of that culture are NOT looked down upon, but it does take them some time to adjust to the social group or mindset. This rep comes from about 4 families we know who had members attend Vandy (families within and without the “old south” tradition).</p>
<p>Rice makes a deliberate effort to avoid the “who you know” attitude. Of course there are no frats. The residential colleges accept or adopt their members unconditionally, no pledging, no discrimination, only a wonderful O week and full membership. Our son chose Rice, where he is now a sophomore. He could not have done better. He was quite and not very social at “the” local elite high school. He is absolutely in his element at Rice. I suggest a visit to the schools to test the feeling you get for the atmosphere and how you would fit.</p>
<p>I agree with Don’s analysis. Our D’s top two choices for college next fall were Rice and Vandy. She chose to apply ED to Rice (and was accepted) to boost her admissions chances, but Vandy was a close 2nd. Her choice was driven by the residential college system and the welcoming feel she got when she visited. She couldn’t be described as a tom girl but she is into sports, doesn’t spend a lot of time on clothes and typically “dresses down”. Rice seems much more relaxed and less preppy than Vandy and I think she made the correct choice.</p>
<p>I don’t know much about Vanderbilt (I mean I could assume, but I won’t), but Rice has the most personality of any school I’ve considered. Everyone seems welcome (as long as you can get in :P), and the entire atmosphere is incredibly positive while ridiculously intellectual. I don’t see how Vanderbilt could compare!</p>
<p>On that note, a guy I know transferred to Vanderbilt from Rice due to family issues as well as wanting to be closer to home, and he had the same sentiment about Rice being more intellectual than Vandy. Vandy’s an awesome school as well, but it has a lot of majors that are clearly pre-professional (outside of engineering) and not intellectual. Communications/Communications Studies? Human and Organizational Development (what does this mean)?</p>
<p>Our D spent her freshman year at Vandy and is now a sophomore at Rice.
Both schools are outstanding; it’s just a question of finding the right fit for your own academic, cultural, and social interests.</p>
<p>D went to Vandy thinking that it would be easier to get a double degree at Vandy than at Rice. While that is proving to be true, Rice is much stronger in her most significant major. Rice is perfect for her.</p>
<p>D says that the reasons she loves Rice are:</p>
<ol>
<li>Amazing diversity of student body. (Being smart is expected, but not flaunted.)</li>
<li>The residential colleges (absolutely extraordinary–but she says Vandy has better parties because of the Greek system)</li>
<li>Her Rice teachers</li>
<li>Her boyfriend</li>
<li>Houston</li>
</ol>
<p>My D is a Rice grad and a Vandy grad student. She thinks the schools are quite different and she does not think she would have been as happy at Vanderbilt for undergrad as she was at Rice. That said, she REALLY likes the SEC sports scene at Vanderbilt. Rice, while D1, is not at all the same. The frat/sorority scene really does dominate at Vanderbilt (I live here and am on campus a lot). I would NOT describe either school as “in the middle of downtown”. They are in the city, but NOT downtown. Both campuses are wonderful. It is correct that parking at Rice is much easier. There are a couple of large parking garages at Vanderbilt, but you pay more than you do at Rice. Vanderbilt definitely has winter weather- in fact our winter was really cold this year and my daughter was having a fit!<br>
Vanderbilt has many more graduate students around, which is not a negative, just something to keep in mind. It has its own medical and law school, which Rice does not, although the huge medical complex in Houston is right across the street.<br>
SEC sports- awesome. Go 'Dores!</p>
<p>Wow - this is obviously a familiar situation for many. We faced the Rice vs. Vandy decision with our son 2 years ago, and I literally sat down and googled ‘Choose Rice or Vanderbilt’. It led us to this blog - see the thread on ‘100 Reasons to Attend Rice’ - which has been going for some time. The most significant points we considered - since both are great schools - involved a student’s own situation and individual personality. I remember reading something on a thread somewhere like ‘Aren’t there nerdy people at both schools? Yes, there are nerdy people at Rice, and there are nerdy people at Vanderbilt. The difference between them is that at Rice they embrace and celebrate their nerdiness - they’re absolutely ALL like that - whereas if you’re a nerdy person at Vandy, you’re surrounded by all this ‘old south’ money and tradition stuff, so you have to sort of try to blend into the woodwork to not stick out in a negative way.’ Our son chose Rice - he’s always been very comfortable around intelligent peers, and Rice allows his creativity and imagination to really find their niche with fellow students. He’s quite happy - so are we - but it’s a very individual decision.</p>