I don’t think your student can go wrong at either WashU or Rice. As others have put in plugs for Wash U, I will say that a lot of technology companies are moving to Texas, so being there might present additional opportunities.
But I think your daughter should choose the school where she feels most comfortable at and where she thinks she is most likely to thrive (as she would be able to thrive at either). There is no wrong choice here.
I agree. I’m going to take it one step further and say something controversial…they’re the same. I’ve spent plenty of time on both campuses. They’re both great schools. They differ in the intangibles. Her success will be in her hands no matter where she goes. She should go with her gut. Congrats and best of luck to her!
Agree with DadOfJerseyGirl and disagree with MwFan. My understanding was that when my son applied, he applied into a CS program at WashU.
OP, if your daughter is admitted to something other than CS, you need to check with both schools regarding how easy it is to transfer into CS. Choose based on whichever one is easier. Easier includes GPA and whether you think she can get it as well as whether CS classes are required before transferring and how easy it is to enroll in them (totally useless if you can transfer in IF you get classes that no one outside CS can enroll in).
Your S may have noted his interest in CS major on his app, but all WashU students enter as undeclared majors.
You will be asked to select an academic division on your application for admission to WashU. This division serves as your home base. You are also asked to select a primary academic interest on your application, but you don’t need to formally declare your major until your second year on campus. All first-year students come into WashU officially “undeclared” and work closely with their academic advisors to choose courses; explore new programs; determine majors, minors, and pre-professional programs; and discover their academic passions.
My understanding is that pre-med generally is highly competitive and can be cutthroat, and maintaining a high enough GPA for medical school is very difficult generally.
For CS:
Thank you!
These links are very helpful, thank you!
My daughter goes to Rice and transferring from one major to another is as easy as filling out a form. Students are not admitted by major and do not need to officially declare a major until near the end of sophomore year. Changing majors is fairly common.
As someone else mentioned Rice has Lilie Lab (aka The Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship). You can check it out here:
Also, you mentioned internships and jobs. I can only speak for Rice but my D’s CS friends get great internships. It seems like almost all her CS friends will be in Seattle or California this summer for internships. I can’t imagine it’s much different for Wash U students.
As for jobs. Here is some data regarding where students end up after graduation. You can sort by major if you want to see where CS majors specifically end up. They have a similar chart available for graduate/medical school destinations if you’d like to see that as well.
Good luck to your daughter. She has great options!!