The Pros and Cons of Rice

What is Rice University’s reputation?

“MIT of the south” “world-class STEM research” “fun, quirky, down-to-earth students” “friendly and collaborative atmosphere” “tight-knit student body” “great residential college system” “no Greek life” “right next to the world-famous Texas Medical Center and MD Anderson Cancer Center” “Top 10 in undergraduate teaching” “nationally ranked football team” “happy students” “small class sizes” “Top 30 undergraduate business program” “not just for STEM anymore”

Rice University is a small, prestigious, private STEM university with 4,500 undergraduates located in Houston, TX. Outside of Texas, many people may not have heard of Rice, save for its D1 football team which is occasionally competitive (its baseball team is much better). But Rice has long been a leader in STEM research, including nanotechnology, sustainable energy, biomedical engineering, and space science.

Rice University is divided into 7 different undergraduate schools: Brown Engineering; Virani Business; Humanities, Wiess Natural Sciences; Social Sciences; Shepherd Music; and Architecture. But you apply to the university as a whole, rather than to a specific school (though Music and Architecture required additional application materials). Unlike most universities with different undergraduate schools, it’s very easy at Rice to switch from one school to another (though Music and Architecture are more stringent).

Campus Culture

Perhaps what make Rice so appealing to so many students is that it combines excellent STEM programs and a focus on undergraduate teaching with a fun, friendly, disarmingly warm student body. While the academics are undeniably rigorous, the vibe on campus is one of inclusion, collaboration, and camaraderie. Many STEM-based schools are known for their cold, cut-throat campus culture with large, weed-out lecture classes, but it’s the exact opposite at Rice: everyone here is seen, valued, heard, and supported.

The Pros of Rice…

#1: Residential College System — Just like at Yale, freshmen at Rice are randomly assigned to 1 of 11 co-ed residential colleges, where they’ll spend the next four years bonding with classmates of all ages and getting to know their designated faculty magister. This creates a strong, supportive family environment that students cherish.

#2: No Greek Life — The residential college system replaces the need for Greek life: there are no fraternities or sororities at Rice. While many universities have tried to phase out Greek organizations — with mixed results — Rice is one example where the school got it right. Students here are very happy with the campus social scene.

#3: Fun, Quirky Students — Some STEM universities seem to take the fun out of student life, and students spend all four years sad and alone grinding away in the library. The students at Rice like to blend rigorous academics with fun, social activities, and they’re known for off-beat “geeky” games like Quidditch and giant water balloon fights.

#4: Beautiful Campus — Though it’s located on the edge of a major city, Rice has a safe, quiet, beautiful tree-lined campus with a large, centralized, newly redesigned Academic Quad. The campus is relatively small, and it’s easy to walk from one end to the other in about 20 minutes. It’s also just a 5 minute walk across the street to Hermann Park, which is a stunning, 450 acre park with shaded walkways, scenic bike trails, a Japanese garden, a public golf course, and the Houston Zoo.

#5: Science Research — Rice is just a 5 minute walk to the world-famous Texas Medical Center, which is the largest medical center in the world, and a leader in scientific research and medical care. It’s also right next door to the MD Anderson Cancer Center, which is a global leader in cutting-edge cancer treatment, research, and education. Rice also has close ties with NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

#6: Virani Business School — Rice also has one of the Top 30-ranked undergraduate business programs in the nation. Students can come to Rice specifically for a business degree, or they can major in a STEM field and minor in business or entrepreneurship which is a popular option for future tech leaders.

The Cons of Rice…

#1: Name Recognition — While Rice is very well-known within the state of Texas, and certainly well-regarded within the scientific community, maybe people around the nation in other fields may be unfamiliar with the school and its prestige.

#2: Summer Weather — While winters may be pleasantly mild, the warmer spring and summer months can be brutally hot and humid, with torrential rainstorms, and temperatures in the 90s and 100s are not uncommon.

#3: Apathetic Sports Culture — Similar to UChicago, Columbia and Brown, the sports culture at Rice is rather muted. This is not one of those schools where students rally together for the big game.

#4: Smaller Alumni Network — Many top-rated universities have extensive alumni networks that stretch across the nation and help student find internships and jobs. Because of its smaller size, and its focus within Texas (35% of Rice students are in-state), the alumni network at Rice is less extensive than at other top schools (though it’s likely very strong in Texas and in science fields).

#5: Fewer Non-STEM Options — In recent years, Rice has beefed up its non-STEM departments, so these days you can study anything from Political Science to Linguistics to Viola. But the university is best known for its STEM programs (including engineering, CS, natural sciences, and pre-med) and those other departments may be smaller than you’d find at other leading institutions.

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Rice is probably most similar to MIT and Caltech, which are both small, private, prestigious STEM universities. Rice probably has the best work/life balance of the three, encouraging students to have fun and “geek out” on their hobbies and interests while also pursuing rigorous academics.

How to get into Rice…

#1: Crush the SAT — Rice takes it standardized test scores very seriously. The average admitted freshman scored a 1540 on the SAT or a 35 on the ACT, which puts it safely on-par with the very best universities. So prioritize test prep.

#2: Apply ED - More than 40% of the freshmen class at Rice is made up of ED applicants. And when you consider that only 3,000 students applied ED (versus 30,000 Regular Decision), you can see that Rice strongly favors ED applicants. The ED rate is 13% vs. 6% for RD.

#3: Apply ED II - Rice is one of the few top-rated schools that has an Early Decision II option. While the acceptance rate for ED II (6%) is less than ED I (13%), and statistically on-par with the acceptance rate for Regular Decision (6%), you’re still competing against a much smaller applicant pool which can work in your favor.

#4: Match Their Culture - When you apply to Rice and write your college applications, understand that Rice isn’t just looking for students who excel in STEM (or other fields): they’re looking for students who will also add value to their warm, fun, inclusive, tight-knit community. So be sure to highlight these qualities in you.