Duke vs Rice

[Anonymous]

Duke only if they're interested in Greek Life and are the right demographic. Otherwise socially and location-wise, it is terrible by all accounts.

Rice seems to be a much more laid-back college socially.

Duke is better known nationally, probably due to basketball like Georgetown. It is well-respected in the Northeast, like Georgetown, but North-easterners will always respect colleges from the North or West far more than the South.

Rice is less known but with the rise of Texas and being in Houston, it'll likely be more popular over time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are a lot of Rice boosters on this site (and I mean that in a positive way), so, pease tell me more.

My kid didn't love the atmosphere at Rice when we visited, but is having trouble eliminating it from his final 2-3 schools. I think he's looking for reasons to pick Rice over the other options but is hesitant about the culture because it seemed very serious and not very fun/spirited.

I think you have posted about this before. Clearly it is hard for your DC to let go of Rice---it is so hard that they have to choose with such little information. Does DC like/love another college (even if ranked lower)? Honestly you can get an amazing education in many places---so look at social fit and major fit. Make a list of pros and cons. Look at location. Sometimes if you don't have a clear sense go with your gut. Good luck.

Thank you and you're right. Rice is a very impressive place but I think it is going to come down to Georgetown or BC based on fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rice belongs to a certain tier of schools (the others are WashU, Emory, Tufts, maybe Vanderbilt) that are all sort of non-descript, almost-elite-but-not-quite schools that don't really have any distinguishing, standout characteristics and are all sort of interchangeable. Duke is the way to go.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rice belongs to a certain tier of schools (the others are WashU, Emory, Tufts, maybe Vanderbilt) that are all sort of non-descript, almost-elite-but-not-quite schools that don't really have any distinguishing, standout characteristics and are all sort of interchangeable. Duke is the way to go.

False, Rice stands out quite a bit due to its residential college system.

What distinguishing, standout characteristics does Duke have? Northwestern?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are a lot of Rice boosters on this site (and I mean that in a positive way), so, pease tell me more.

My kid didn't love the atmosphere at Rice when we visited, but is having trouble eliminating it from his final 2-3 schools. I think he's looking for reasons to pick Rice over the other options but is hesitant about the culture because it seemed very serious and not very fun/spirited.

I think the idea that a college has to prove that it is fun/spirited is exactly the problem for many in the college search process. Too many treat it like it’s a vacation destination.

My kid has plenty of fun at Rice, but how can any 20-year-old not have fun in college when they’re surrounded by thousands of others at the same age. There’s something wrong if a kid can’t find and make their own fun in those curcumstances.

However, whether a student can have fun in college is really beside the point. No one applies to Harvard, Yale, Princeton, or Chicago because they have the best parties or the best football and basketball teams. They apply there because it’s an opportunity to get a great education. That’s the same reason why kids go to Rice. It offers an exceptional educational opportunity. That experience will last a life time, long after the parties are over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rice belongs to a certain tier of schools (the others are WashU, Emory, Tufts, maybe Vanderbilt) that are all sort of non-descript, almost-elite-but-not-quite schools that don't really have any distinguishing, standout characteristics and are all sort of interchangeable. Duke is the way to go.

False, Rice stands out quite a bit due to its residential college system.

What distinguishing, standout characteristics does Duke have? Northwestern?

Duke and Northwestern are both indisputably elite and have top 10 programs in a range of fields. Duke is one of the top 5 schools for pre-meds and a top pipeline to consulting and IB. Northwestern is the top media school with all the attendant top-ranking programs in journalism, communications, music, theatre, while also having strong STEM. Also has a M7 business school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rice belongs to a certain tier of schools (the others are WashU, Emory, Tufts, maybe Vanderbilt) that are all sort of non-descript, almost-elite-but-not-quite schools that don't really have any distinguishing, standout characteristics and are all sort of interchangeable. Duke is the way to go.

False, Rice stands out quite a bit due to its residential college system.

What distinguishing, standout characteristics does Duke have? Northwestern?

Duke and Northwestern are both indisputably elite and have top 10 programs in a range of fields. Duke is one of the top 5 schools for pre-meds and a top pipeline to consulting and IB. Northwestern is the top media school with all the attendant top-ranking programs in journalism, communications, music, theatre, while also having strong STEM. Also has a M7 business school.

Source?

[Anonymous]

Fwiw, Duke is basically running the Greek organizations out of university housing with its new residential college system (based on programs like they have at Yale). Nine frats/sororities have already disaffiliated with the Duke Intrafraternity council. Without housing, these organizations will become like any other club (as one university administrator said, it is akin to a student joining the Durham Gardening Club.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rice belongs to a certain tier of schools (the others are WashU, Emory, Tufts, maybe Vanderbilt) that are all sort of non-descript, almost-elite-but-not-quite schools that don't really have any distinguishing, standout characteristics and are all sort of interchangeable. Duke is the way to go.

False, Rice stands out quite a bit due to its residential college system.

What distinguishing, standout characteristics does Duke have? Northwestern?

Duke and Northwestern are both indisputably elite and have top 10 programs in a range of fields. Duke is one of the top 5 schools for pre-meds and a top pipeline to consulting and IB. Northwestern is the top media school with all the attendant top-ranking programs in journalism, communications, music, theatre, while also having strong STEM. Also has a M7 business school.

This seems so typical of many threads on this board where colleges are treated like a commodity that you can monetize. Talking about “pipeline” and “top-ranking” are buzz words that are dead give aways. This is about buying and selling your college degree to get return on investment. If that’s your thing, great,. But this has nothing to do with the kind of education you’ll get or the quality of that education once you’re there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fwiw, Duke is basically running the Greek organizations out of university housing with its new residential college system (based on programs like they have at Yale). Nine frats/sororities have already disaffiliated with the Duke Intrafraternity council. Without housing, these organizations will become like any other club (as one university administrator said, it is akin to a student joining the Durham Gardening Club.)

Or Rice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are a lot of Rice boosters on this site (and I mean that in a positive way), so, pease tell me more.

My kid didn't love the atmosphere at Rice when we visited, but is having trouble eliminating it from his final 2-3 schools. I think he's looking for reasons to pick Rice over the other options but is hesitant about the culture because it seemed very serious and not very fun/spirited.

I think you have posted about this before. Clearly it is hard for your DC to let go of Rice---it is so hard that they have to choose with such little information. Does DC like/love another college (even if ranked lower)? Honestly you can get an amazing education in many places---so look at social fit and major fit. Make a list of pros and cons. Look at location. Sometimes if you don't have a clear sense go with your gut. Good luck.

Thank you and you're right. Rice is a very impressive place but I think it is going to come down to Georgetown or BC based on fit.

Good for him -- my kid loved Rice after the visit and has been very happy there, but if your kid didn't feel that buzz of finding his place, it's not for him, especially when he has good options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fwiw, Duke is basically running the Greek organizations out of university housing with its new residential college system (based on programs like they have at Yale). Nine frats/sororities have already disaffiliated with the Duke Intrafraternity council. Without housing, these organizations will become like any other club (as one university administrator said, it is akin to a student joining the Durham Gardening Club.)

Or Rice.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rice belongs to a certain tier of schools (the others are WashU, Emory, Tufts, maybe Vanderbilt) that are all sort of non-descript, almost-elite-but-not-quite schools that don't really have any distinguishing, standout characteristics and are all sort of interchangeable. Duke is the way to go.

False, Rice stands out quite a bit due to its residential college system.

What distinguishing, standout characteristics does Duke have? Northwestern?

Duke and Northwestern are both indisputably elite and have top 10 programs in a range of fields. Duke is one of the top 5 schools for pre-meds and a top pipeline to consulting and IB. Northwestern is the top media school with all the attendant top-ranking programs in journalism, communications, music, theatre, while also having strong STEM. Also has a M7 business school.

Neither are indisputably elite. The only indisputably elite universities are HYPSM + Caltech for physics/engineering, which is why that acronym exists.

A top 5 school for pre-med is a meaningless statement. There is no such thing.

Duke is not a top pipeline for elite consulting/IB - the Ivies are. Duke does get recruited from, but they aren't at the top of the heap by any measure.

Northwestern is a top media school, which would be relevant if one is studying media. It's not elite in any STEM. Having a M7 business school is meaningless, we are talking about undergrad.

Both are strong academically while having a heavy party and sports culture and a very wealthy student population. That's an extremely common set of characteristics for most universities, including Vanderbilt.

Rice is unique in that it's much smaller and much more focused on undergrads. Its total student population is equivalent to Duke and Northwestern's undergraduate populations alone. It has a residential college system, something that very few colleges have in the US.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rice belongs to a certain tier of schools (the others are WashU, Emory, Tufts, maybe Vanderbilt) that are all sort of non-descript, almost-elite-but-not-quite schools that don't really have any distinguishing, standout characteristics and are all sort of interchangeable. Duke is the way to go.

False, Rice stands out quite a bit due to its residential college system.

What distinguishing, standout characteristics does Duke have? Northwestern?

Duke and Northwestern are both indisputably elite and have top 10 programs in a range of fields. Duke is one of the top 5 schools for pre-meds and a top pipeline to consulting and IB. Northwestern is the top media school with all the attendant top-ranking programs in journalism, communications, music, theatre, while also having strong STEM. Also has a M7 business school.

Neither are indisputably elite. The only indisputably elite universities are HYPSM + Caltech for physics/engineering, which is why that acronym exists.

A top 5 school for pre-med is a meaningless statement. There is no such thing.

Duke is not a top pipeline for elite consulting/IB - the Ivies are. Duke does get recruited from, but they aren't at the top of the heap by any measure.

Northwestern is a top media school, which would be relevant if one is studying media. It's not elite in any STEM. Having a M7 business school is meaningless, we are talking about undergrad.

Both are strong academically while having a heavy party and sports culture and a very wealthy student population. That's an extremely common set of characteristics for most universities, including Vanderbilt.

Rice is unique in that it's much smaller and much more focused on undergrads. Its total student population is equivalent to Duke and Northwestern's undergraduate populations alone. It has a residential college system, something that very few colleges have in the US.

Northwestern is top ranking in the world for several STEM disciplines such as materials science, chemistry, and economics.

Duke is more of a target for IB and consulting than several Ivies. In fact, so is Northwestern. Duke is also beginning a residential college system. It's not that unique.

Your assessment rings false.

[Anonymous]

CS..Rice 100%