<p>So I want to know the good aspects of Rice and the not so good. I am highly considering applying and going into BME. So if someone could please something about BME at Rice or something about their own experience, that would be great.</p>
<p>I’m an incoming freshman, so I don’t have too much experience at Rice under my belt, but I just want to say the best part about Rice is… well, Rice.</p>
<p>I have had the fortune of making many connections already. I have already met many incoming freshmen and current students, as well as a few employees, and I haven’t had one single negative interaction yet. The people at Rice are like nowhere else. They are kind/friendly, always ready to help, unique, and very chill and accepting. What’s more, they are so enthusiastic about you and about Rice. My O-Week advisors have all struck up conversations with me and everything, and I haven’t even met them yet. At Owl Days, everyone I passed had one message for me: Come to Rice. I have loved everyone I have met so far. The people here are on a whole different level from the rest of the world.</p>
<p>Furthermore, Rice’s residential college system is like none other. There is no “best” college, other than the one you are in (okay I lied, Hanszen is the best. 
). Every college is of really high quality and has it’s own unique character and tradition. It’s like a family and adds a whole new dimension to college that I can’t imagine going without. The college system also adds a unique dynamic to IM sports, since colleges can compete against each other.</p>
<p>Rice is ranked #1 for quality of life for a reason. Every single servery is absolutely delicious, the campus is clean and gorgeous, and the dorms are all way above par. On top of all that, you can wear shorts and sandals in February. You won’t get better residential life anywhere else.</p>
<p>The academics at Rice are world-class. Rice has always been known as a school geared a bit more towards science and engineering, but they have really pumped a lot of money into their humanities and social sciences departments. They are becoming one of the best all-around schools that can provide one of the best educations money can buy in whatever department you will choose. The smaller size of Rice is perfect for research opportunities and student-faculty interaction. I can’t speak much about BME since that won’t be my field, but I guarantee you that you’ll love the program.</p>
<p>The not so good about Rice? Well, it’s really far away from my home… Oh, and there’s always Lovett. :p</p>
<p>I am biased, yes, but I honestly couldn’t imagine going anywhere else. Not even Yale, which was my dream school until I got rejected. Rice sort of fell into my lap by fate, and I couldn’t be more thankful.</p>
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<p>Oh FallenAngel… how much you have to learn ;)</p>
<p>OP - Check out this link.
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/rice-university/291183-101-reasons-attending-rice.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/rice-university/291183-101-reasons-attending-rice.html</a></p>
<p>I think that Rice might be a perfect match socially and academically for my rising junior son. But (and this may sound silly to some), I am worried about the weather. He is a redhead who is used to gray skies and rain. He wilts in the sun. How hot and humid is it in Houston during the school year? Are dorms and classrooms routinely air-conditioned?</p>
<p>I have lived in Houston. I don’t remember whether it was during the school year or not, but I can tell you that I recall walking from my apartment to my car, and by the time I got there being drenched in sweat because it is so humid.</p>
<p>But I also recall Rice being a beautiful campus.</p>
<p>It’s pretty hot and humid from the start of school (mid-late August through September) and then it’s fairly mild with intermittent cool/cold weather through January. In February and March it’s usually beautiful with highs in the 60’s and 70’s and low humidity. By the beginning of May it’s starting to get hot and humid again. </p>
<p>Funny, my son is now heading to the Pacific NW and I’m concerned that it will be depressing for him to be in weather like that after the super-sunny Houston weather.</p>
<p>Thanks, florida. That was pretty graphic. Blackeyedsusan, we live in seattle. If your son is coming out RIGHT NOW, he will experience the best weather IMO that there is. Mid-70s, low humidity, nice breeze. Just plain pleasant. But I won’t lie to you: the long stretches of gray and drizzle from October to the fourth of July can get to you after awhile. One can escape to sun, if necessary, without too much difficulty. And, skiing is available close by. (Don’t know where your son is headed exactly…)</p>
<p>My son retreats to the basement if the thermometer hits 80, so I was a bit worried about the South. It sounds like, with the exception of the beginning and end of the school year (and i see the Rice year ends early-May2nd), it is pretty nice. I know that there are kids from all over who attend, but is it predominantly kids from Texas and the South?</p>
<p>I’m a Sophomore from Maryland.</p>
<p>My take on the weather: It’s godawful hot from Move in (middle of August) until around the end of September. From the end of September until the begining of December, I wore shorts, but it got progressively nicer. The month of October was amazing. January is a little cold for the Texas kids, but for someone from a bit further north, it was still shorts weather (I only brought 2 pairs of jeans down, and wore them in the daytime very infrequently). From February until almost finals time (mid-> end April) the weather is perfect. I was grilling outside in shorts during the month of February when my friends back home had 8 inches of snow on the ground. Finals period and the last two or so weeks of Spring Semester can get pretty hot, but not too bad. </p>
<p>Check weather.com temp trends for zipcode 77005.</p>
<p>Seems like every post on CC mentioning Rice is something positive. The only negative I read is the humidity. What are Rice’s other negatives?</p>
<p>As with all schools, many positives have their downsides. In most cases, the positive outweighs the negative</p>
<p>Some negative aspects
- Small size - Small alumni base which means you do not have the “alumni connection” everywhere like larger schools. Career fair is smaller than many
- High academic standards - Athletics is not very good (except for a few sports)
- Being in Texas - Some people assume we ride horses to class and cowboys are prevalent in the immediate surrounding area
- Small class size - Professors know (and some care) if you skip</p>
<p>Again, these are minor disadvantages compared to their relative advantages. Small size, for example, is one of the greatest aspects of the University. Rice also has the #1 quality of life and ranks very high for overall student happiness.</p>
<p>my only real complaints after the first year are mainly food related.
- limited meal plans - a full meal plan is required for those on campus. i just want dinner in the servery. it’d be much cheaper if i could just make my own lunch and breakfast instead.
- late night food - pretty much no late night food within walking distance other than the hoot and mcdonalds (sort of close). i’ve heard that some universities’ cafeterias have an additional late night meal that can be added to ones meal plan.</p>
<p>Pros: superb academic flexibility - you’re not locked into the school you apply with like many other colleges (except for music/architecture) and can easily change majors, and dropping a class doesn’t smear your record, great food around houston, when in campus you don’t feel like you’re in a big city, frequent rainstorms, drinking culture</p>
<p>Cons: way too many people from texas, need a car to get around houston, weather blows before november (but it’s great afterwards), greatly lacking in certain departments (mostly humanities/liberal arts), drinking culture</p>
<p>anyways, bioE is one of the things rice excels in, rest assured. if you stick with it, please enjoy your weekly all-nighters in your second year.</p>
<p>Re: the Texas thing, I can’t think of anyone I know from out-of-state who has not come to love Texas as an adopted home. Just throwing that out there.</p>
<p>Rice bioe is ranked 7th nationally, if that matters. I freaking love the bioe program and they’re in the process of changing the things I don’t like about it, which is great - very receptive to student input.</p>
<p>What are they changing about bioe? And how hard is it? Is it manageable?</p>
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<p>Yes. Be prepared to work though. You will need to put in the time to do PBL, homework etc. If you get work done during the week, you will have plenty of time on Friday and Saturday to hang out and go places.</p>
<p>BioE (and other engineering degrees) are not a cakewalk. However, if you do the work and don’t leave everything to the final, they are very manageable.</p>