<p>I'm new to the forum...and I'm applying to Rice. What's the school like? When you first stepped onto campus, what was your first impression - and for people attending Rice, how helpful was the community there in making your transition into college easier?</p>
<p>Thanks in advance. :)</p>
<p>The community here is amazing, especially in the residential colleges. My freshman class is particularly close. Like on Friday night, there were at least 20 of us watching Casino Royale in our commons. The upperclassmen are also very friendly and are more then happy to give advice. The nice thing is, I think that the majority of people here are very happy and it comes across in the personality of the campus.</p>
<p>Is the residential college system similar to Yale's, where social life is centered around the college and it's equipped with a mini-cafeteria, performance area, etc?</p>
<p>The residential college system is a LOT more integrated and vital to the overall undergraduate experience at Rice than it is at Yale. Rice has the best residential college system in the country.</p>
<p>Thanks for all your replies! How does it work with the dorms, then - do they assign roommates based on how similar they are in personality, or is it random?</p>
<p>O-week (orientation week) coordinators match roommates based on very in-depth roommate surveys, and generally do a very good job. </p>
<p>I didn't visit Rice until after i was accepted, and I had visited a bunch of the northeast schools prior, including the notoriously beautiful campuses of Princeton and Wellesley, and I thought Rice's campus rivaled those easily. The other thing I noticed was how incredibly friendly everyone was, a stark contrast to my visit to Columbia a week later, where current students really left us to fend for ourselves.</p>
<p>You have to complete like a 4-page roommate questionnaire--Rice REALLY cares about matching you well with your future roommate. </p>
<p>And O-Week...omg, craziest week of my life, hands down.</p>
<p>My son is a senior and is still living with his first roommate! They agree they're perfect roommates with each other, even though they each have lots of other friends from different areas</p>
<p>Wow, all the comments are very positive so far...another question - is Rice bike-friendly, and do most students have cars / not have cars?</p>
<p>Rice is bike-friendly. You can even register your bike with the Rice Police Department, and then have a much better chance of getting it back if it gets stolen. </p>
<p>If you don't have a car, you'll probably have a friend who does. However, note that you'll probably be stuck in your parking lot during the week, and only during the weekend can you park in one of the closer lots (if you're a north college). The general rule is that the more conveniently your car can be parked, the more it's going to cost. (not sure if this answers your question exactly.)</p>
<p>On the weekends, there are shuttles that will take you to Rice Village or the Super Target. As Tikimoof said, you will probably have a friend who owns a car or sometime nice upperclassmen will take you.</p>
<p>Is having a car important for upperclassmen?</p>
<p>If you're off campus which you will most likely during your sophomore or junior (based off of which college you're in), I'm told that it is nice to have a car. I know people who have bike and seem to be just fine.</p>
<p>Also - do Rice students mostly hangout with each other or are there frequent visits to/from nearby schools?</p>
<p>I'd think it would vary from person to person. I myself almost never see my friends from other campuses, even though there are tons of people at UH that I could visit.</p>
<p>The only conveniently nearby school is the University of Houston...I know several people with high school friends/significant others there who hang out at both places, but if you're not friends with the person before college it's not likely it'll happen.</p>
<p>As the mom of a prospective student, can anyone please tell me what the alocohol/drinking situation is like at Rice? Is there much binge drinking? How do non-drinkers avoid loud/drunk partiers since there is no substance-free housing? My S is looking for a school where he doesn't have to step over vomit on the bathroom floor, or deal with drunk students on his floor.</p>
<p>Any insight will be appreciated! Thanks.</p>
<p>The alchohol/drinking situation is whatever you want to make of it. There are many students who drink and many who don't. I never drank in high school, and I was worried about the drinking scene in college, but it hasn't been a problem at all. No one will ever pressure you to drink and it's very easy to avoid loud/drunk parties completely if that's what you want to do. Also most colleges have some floors that are known to be party floors and some that are quieter/study floors, so when you fill out your roommate information form make sure you write which you'd prefer so that you're placed on the appropriate floor.</p>
<p>My son graduated from Rice a couple of years ago. Two other children went to schools with similar academics. Rice had the least drinking of the three. Son never had a problem with partiers, noise, etc. Even the drunks are respectful. One difference at Rice is that many students dabble with brewing their own beer-- kind of advanced home ec for future scientists. Of course, Texas being Texas, Houston does have a liquor store that is the size of most malls. Caters to visiting parents.</p>
<p>DD has found Rice to be very accepting of whatever you choose. People are at the same party with beer, soda or whatever in their glass. You can go down the hall and watch Planet Earth with whatever is in your glass or go over to one of the wilder parties. No one judges based on alcohol. </p>
<p>But know that it is a wet campus and drinking is tolerating within the rules (and otherwise I am sure). I actually think that that very fact itself makes for less pressure. When it is in the open and the rules are clear, there is more tolerance. It is also controlled on campus instead of having to go off campus. There is a lot of benefit for that in itself. There is relative safety and control. </p>
<p>However, they should be very honest on their roommate form (don't show it to Mom). Rice is good at matching kids if they are honest.</p>