Rice grad again. I was responding to the comment that Rice did not have name recognition in this area. It does, (not just here, I've lived in several cities across the country). And as I stated, obviously Cornell has great name recognition. Cornell is an excellent choice if it's the right fit. Just sharing my person experience. I recently went through a pretty intense job search and everyone I spoke to told me they were impressed with Rice on my resume. And like I said, it's been 25 years.
I will say that my classmates who went into tech have made a killing. Google, VC, FB executives. Also many doctors. I'm a non-profit executive so probably the poorest one of the bunch ![]() |
Thanks for posting, my DD is choosing between Rice and another T10 school. Name recognition is a factor for her, so your input is appreciated. I know you are a grad but, do you have any insights into campus life? She didn't have a good visit. Seemed like it lacked a fun social atmosphere.
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Honestly if your DC did not vibe, move on. Open up the slot for some other kid who would love to attend Rice. I think there are plenty. DC will be happiest where they feel they vibe. I know it sucks they have to decide so quickly. |
You can’t tell that from a visit unless it’s one of those accepted students’ sleepover weekends. |
Of course you can, especially with a school with a reputation for being a bit quirky like Rice. Excellent school for the right kid, but not for every kid. |
Okay. Whatever you say. But no school is fir every kid. I have a DD at Rice and after 2 years there, her description of the social life doesn’t match yours. And she is a fun loving kid. But you must know better because you made a visit. |
Rice grad again. So, as to the atmosphere. When I was there, the student body was very small, and it was divided into 9 "colleges", which made it feel even smaller. It's a large campus, even the dorm rooms were roomy (my boyfriend's dorm room at Baker was nothing short of enormous. Studio apartment size, all to himself). So it did have a quiet feel. Also, many of the kids there were off-scale smart, but completely not interested in a social life. There really were some odd ducks. I was a very social person and the first semester felt like a let-down.
That said, I found my people. People I am still close to today. I was very happy there in the end. And I'm thankful I wasn't at a fratty school with heavy drinking and a hook-up culture. It was a safe space. I would feel confident sending my daughter there. Congratulations to you daughter. She should be super proud she was accepted, even if she goes in another direction! |
+1 -- from a parent of a Rice grad who had a lot of fun there |
Cornell over Rice, always. |
OK, I'd choose Rice over Cornell and warm over cold any day but I do have to say, it's more than a few hot weeks. Houston gets pretty hot in March (80s) and stays hot til October. I LOVE hot weather so to me 80s is perfect but a lot of people wouldn't be happy having it be that hot in spring and fall. |
Yes, true. But the students leave in May and don’t come back until August. They miss the worst of the hot weather. Bu on a cheerier note, they do get back in time for hurricane season. ![]() |
I know this thread is mostly dead, but I'm here because my son has the same decision. It seems odd to me that all the replies for Cornell > Rice are snarky and short and don't give any reasoning. Care to elaborate? |
Your son's situation is different. What does he want to study ? |
I went to Cornell and studied public policy. I genuinely liked the school, but I would strongly consider Rice if your child is at all adverse to very cold weather. |
Which one let him off the waitlist? |