<p>I recently went to Rice during the Visions Program and we got the opportunity to do a "Midnight Tour of Houston". However, since it was during the night, I couldn't really see what "Houston was all about". But it did seem like Houston was...boring. Maybe because it was a Sunday night? I don't know. Of course I want to go to a school that's academically strong, but the social life can NOT be boring. </p>
<p>So really, my question has 2 parts! :) : What is the social life of Houston AND Rice like? </p>
<p>Honestly, you really won't be out in "Houston" all that much... That said, being the fourth largest city in the US, there are always tons of things to do around town if you are interested. The rodeo just ended, so that had a lot of concerts and interesting things to see, there's a (usually) free outdoor theater a short walk from Rice's campus that sometimes has performances worth seeing. Houston has numerous sports teams, shopping areas, concert venues, and restaurants that are available if you're interested and put the effort into going off campus. Really, there's enough to do on Rice campus without going off campus much. Almost every college has plays/musicals throughout the year, there are always events going on in the student center, and parties happen every weekend (and weekday, if you look hard enough). You may have stayed with a host who didn't want to expose you to too much of the 'party' scene, so you could've gotten a false impression that Rice is dull on the weekends. Don't worry, it's not.</p>
<p>hey simone..
i was at the Vision Program too!
and i agree.. Houston did look boring when i went on the bus... and my hosts weren't really party people either..
but i know that there were parties when we were there..
yeah, this probably didn't help much, but i was excited to see another Vision member on here :)</p>
<p>I was at Vision too, and I went to a couple of parties. Houston is not boring, and neither is Rice. I mean c'mon we went on a freakin' bus tour, not clubbing... how much fun can you have on a bus while the tour lady talks about how much she loves friend chicken?</p>
<p>And as far as economically and opportunity-wise, I found this article that explains why Houston is a great place to live: </p>
<p>This article calls Houston the "next great world city". 22 Fortune 500 companies have settled in Houston in the past few decades, the employment growth rate was more than double the migration rate for the past 6 years, etc...
It's a pretty awesome city, even though there's plenty to do at Rice.</p>
<p>thanks pedrossi!!
yeah, i still have to hear back from stanford and georgetown.. but right now it looks like i'm deciding between Rice, Emory and U Miami..
most depends on financial assistance though.</p>
<p>Rice Night Event
Manuel Barrueco, Guitar with Cuarteto Latinoamericano
Presented by Da Camera
Saturday, April 12 at 8:00 pm
Cullen Theater, Worthman Theater Center
MetroRail stop: Preston</p>
<p>Cuban guitarist Manuel Barrueco and the Mexican string quartet Cuarteto Latinoamericano come to Houston with a fascinating program of Latin American works, a Houston premiere by American composer Gabriela Lena Frank and a classical work for guitar and strings. Full of fire and finesse, the brilliant foursome joins Barrueco --- renowned for his seductive musicality and uncommon lyrical gifts --- for an impassioned program that showcases works for solo guitar, compositions for string quartet, and the combination of the two. </p>
<p>Manuel Barrueco has been nominated for a 2008 Grammy Award in the category Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without Orchestra) for his CD /Solo Piazzolla/ on the Tonar label. </p>
<p>Gabriela Lena Frank is a Rice alumn, who studied composition with Paul Cooper, Ellsworth Milburn, and Sam Jones, and piano with Jeanne Kierman Fischer. Frank credits Fischer with introducing her to the music of Ginastera, Bart</p>
<p>As a native Houstonian, I might be a bit biased, but the nightlife is there if you want it, most bars do shut at 2am, but you can definitely fine "some" that are open later, humidity will keep your skin young, and everyone feels sorry for pedestrians, unlike in NYC, so there's no problem crossing streets. Texas pride, great food, and everything cheap and easy might just be why Texas has 4 of the 10 most popular places to move to this year. Rice is just icing on the Texas Sheet Cake!</p>