<p>I had decided to go to Rice and payed deposit before I received an email from WUSTL last evening which told me that if I was still interested in WUSTL they would like to admit me from waiting list and I should reply by this evening. I didn't considered WUSTL after I was put into WUSTL' s waiting list. So it is a very tough choice, especially in such little time. I have not decided my major. I have read some posts about Rice/WUSTL and found many similarities of these two schools, both have great academics, quality of life,etc.
I really want to hear the pros and cons of either of them (difference between Rice and WUSTL, social life, reputation...) Any aspect will be fine.</p>
<p>It is indeed a tough choice, but hey, what a great one to have!! Well, there is the obvious weather factor. Once you get through those hot first couple of weeks at Rice, the rest of your school year is going to be much nicer on the whole.</p>
<p>Both schools are very well rounded. If you are going strictly by reputation, Rice is probably more known. Partly that is due to the ambiguous (so to speak) name, Washington University. That has been discussed in other threads. Wash U might be somewhat better known as a biology/pre-med/med school oriented student body, while Rice is more known for math, computers, engineering. That is a GROSS overgeneralization, but to the reasonably informed average person that hasn’t looked into these things in depth, that is probably what would be first impressions of strengths. In reality of course they have many strengths.</p>
<p>I know Wash U has great dorms and food, I am not sure what the situation is at Rice. I am also under the impression Rice is substantially less expensive. I know the food at Wash U is higher than most (hey, quality isn’t free) and the tuition is like $12,000 less at Rice. Not sure how much the difference is when you add it all up.</p>
<p>Houston is obviously the bigger city, but they are both large urban areas with campuses in the nicest parts of the city. Plenty to do for most university students, so probably not much difference there, except again as the weather dictates.</p>
<p>I am sure more people will weigh in, although clearly you have to decide quickly. Good luck and let us know!</p>
<p>Like fallenchemist mentioned - a lot will depend on the money on the bottom line fot cost. Outside of that the largest difference you will find is the size of the undergrad population. WashU has about double the number of undergrads. Some find Rice to end up being a bit too small after 4 years. Quality of dorms is another factor, with the WashU dorms being much nicer. Very similair types of students at both schools, with Rice being a bit more preppy. Very similair interaction betweem students and faculty, which is excelent at both schools. All a question of where you see the best fit for you. You can not go wrong with either school.</p>
<p>My D had the same choice and we chose WashU. Besides finances and weather (which are both important factors), look at the city itself. Houston is more sprawling and personally less interesting than St. Louis which is a midwest city with an East Coast feel. Houston is of course warmer in the winter but for those that have never lived there, get ready for those torrential rainfall and flooding every year. St. Louis has 4 seasons but the winters are mild and short compares to the Northeast winters. Sizes of the schools and dorms were also factors for us. Both great choices. Good luck.</p>
<p>hi, krug. Considering the city, I found St. Louis is a beautiful city. But some people give negative comment on St. Louis (dangerous, high crime rate…). Is that true? I am an international student and didn’t know very well. Is it necessary to consider the campus safety? Thanks a lot.</p>
<p>You really can’t go wrong with either school. They’re both excellent and have some similar attributes – collaborative environment, discrete campuses next to large public parks, laid-back students, flexible in changing majors, etc. I have one son at Rice and another starting at Wash U. The differences I’ve seen are the cost (Rice being cheaper) and the social interaction (Rice’s residential colleges create an instant sense of family). Rice is very inclusive in its social scene (with no Greek life) and everyone feeling like they’re included in everything. There are a lot of international students at Rice, and they don’t self-segregate. Instead, they become integrated into their residential college. I also have to say that while I’m sure St. Louis has its charm, Houston is an incredibly diverse, multi-cultural, international city.</p>
<p>You can get a lot of information on this board about the areas surrounding WashU. Fallenchemist had posted great information on this. I will reiterate prior comments, St. Louis like any large city (New York, LA, Houston, New Orleans) has bad neighborhoods and safe upscale neighborhoods. WashU is in a very nice area of St. Louis with a huge park on one side (think of Central Park in NY).</p>
<p>firstquartermoon - there have been posts in other threads that address this issue, but in short the answer is you don’t need to worry about this. Wash U is in a very nice area and the violent crime in St. Louis is no different than the crime in Houston, by which I mean it is mostly criminal-on-criminal and almost all in areas that are far from campus and no student ever goes to, especially at night. You will learn these areas quickly, no matter which city you pick. Do not make this a factor in your decision.</p>
<p>blackeyedsusan touched on Rice’s “instant sense of family” because of the residential colleges at Rice. My D found the same thing at WUSTL - from day one each freshman dorm has many activities and programs scheduled so that the kids can easily get to know each other on their floor and then in the dorm. There are also cross-dorm competitions that further the cohesiveness within the dorm (and are all good fun between the dorms). By the time of the convocation during orientation, D’s dorm totally felt like one big family. Also, the Greek Life at WUSTL is pretty low key - doesn’t dominate the social scene at all.</p>