My D has been accepted to Rice, Cornell, and WashU (along with the in-state option of UCLA and several smaller/regional options, including one school with a full ride). Currently, she is planning on a double major in History and Political Science. Her career goals are not yet clearly defined, but she is considering law school, public service, and business (consulting?).
As befits her SoCal upbringing, she is friendly and laid-back; thus she would like to avoid an environment that was excessively cutthroat or snobby. Her social and cultural tastes run towards the conservative: She is a non-partier who much prefers classical music to rock (and who hates rap/techno), and she tends to be a traditionalist in general.
WashU offered her a half-tuition merit scholarship, but once FA is figured into the equation, the three schools end up costing about the same (though travel between SoCal and Cornell will be more expensive). She has visited WashU and liked the vibe, and she will be visiting Rice and Cornell next week.
I know that there are numerous CC threads comparing these schools, but they tend to be oriented towards pre-med, business, and engineering programs. I’m hoping that someone can offer feedback about how they stack up in terms of academics, campus life, and internship / law school / job prospects for students more interested in the humanities and social sciences. Any observations will be appreciated!
My son is a senior at Wash U and has been accepted to top law schools (and was offered a full scholarship at Wash U Law). However, if you look on law school threads you will see law schools care about LSAT scores and GPAs and don’t really take into account how hard your major was or what your undergrad school was. It may be taken into account to some extent but it is really the GPA that matters (plus the LSAT). I don’t know anything about Rice or Cornell, but Wash U has been a fabulous experience for my son. Feel free to PM me with any questions.
I’m studying in a couple science & social science departments. If you have specific questions I’m happy to answer, though I’m not pursuing law school or business (maybe B school students can be more helpful in that regard).
A significant reason I came here was the atmosphere. Coming from a competitive school in an Ivy League college town in the Northeast, I wanted to get away from the frenetic stress and competition I experienced. Students in my experience are much more laid back than at other schools. In particular I can vouch for Cornell, but I don’t know anything about Rice (never heard of it until coming to university and hearing from students from other areas of the country).
I can’t say music tastes are particularly alienating anywhere? There is a diverse student body with diverse social and cultural interests. Unless she is particular judgmental about other genres/preferences, she’ll be fine anywhere. This applies to “non-partying” as well.