Hi everyone,
I am international student who wants to apply for universities in the U.S. While doing my college research, I don’t usually know how to figure out what the university is really known for and great at. For example, is Rice University known for engineering? Is Cornell known for Agriculture?
Please help me to make the right choice. Thank you.
Read some books. The Fiske Guide to Colleges is a good place to start. Princeton Review and the (Yale Daily News) Insiders Guide To Colleges can provide some additional perspectives.
There’s a lot of accessible information out there on schools. Rice is one of those top-tier private schools that are Ivy-like, a lot like Duke maybe–it’s one of the top schools in most of its fields. Easy to find out information. The school website itself will show its rankings and gloat its recognized strengths.
At the undergrad level, I’d say what Rice is known for and unique from peer institutions is its smaller size and residential college system. The college experience is unlike any of its peers.
Very highly satisfied students. Arguably the best national research university with under 4,000 undergraduates.
It’s known for having a top Architecture program.
And STEM and music
And the Baker Institute and consequently a strong political science program and a strong history department and an amazing 1 to 6 faculty to student ratio and hence students at Rice have a lot of interaction with the faculty.
I neglected to include economics. Every year the economics department at Rice gets stronger.
OP, despite the misleading headline, was only using Rice as an example of a deeper need to know how to determine what distinguishes any given university from its peers.
What is Rice University known for?
Well, now it’s known for really loving an opportunity to answer this question. 
And another thing: Rice offers the Rice Baylor Medical Scholars program, and undergraduates at Rice are able to pursue research opportunities not just on campus but also across the street at the Texas Medical Center, which includes some of the most highly-ranked and cutting-edge medical research institutions in the U.S.
And the very cool Rice O-week, which starts tomorrow. Very excited.
Hey yalebound2020: while you’re at Yale, try not to be conned into signing any Ami Horowitz’s petitions to do away with our cherished First Amendment. I should also clarify that I’m no fan of many of Ami Horowitz’s right-wing causes and views, and I completely detest FOX NEWS. But there it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJVZa9_Ha5c
Maximilias Out!