Anonymous wrote:All three are great choices in and of themselves, and assuming that campus visits to each are financially and logistically feasible, the decision should be dictated by fit.

That said, I would be very hesitant in the current political climate to matriculate at a red state school. Rice may be in Houston, but Houston is still in TX which means that it is subject to all of the lunacy of the Republican-controlled state legislature.

Pretty funny how people have concerns about sending their kid to school in Texas when we are comparing it to a school in New York City which has spun completely out of control... white women getting punched in the face in broad daylight left and right... migrants taking over schools. But you are worried about Greg Abbott protecting the border.

All three are great choices in and of themselves, and assuming that campus visits to each are financially and logistically feasible, the decision should be dictated by fit.

That said, I would be very hesitant in the current political climate to matriculate at a red state school. Rice may be in Houston, but Houston is still in TX which means that it is subject to all of the lunacy of the Republican-controlled state legislature.

Ivy League. Every time.

Anonymous wrote:OP, my child also got accepted into Rice.

I am a DC native who lived in Houston for 15 years. I used to live a few blocks from Rice University. The neighborhood is extremely safe. Rice is an awesome university. The culture is collaborative, the environment is supportive, and the students are happy. I highly recommend Rice. It is truly a gem.

I have never visited Amherst, but I visited Columbia twice. I will definitely choose Rice over Columbia any day of the week.

For every rice booster, there are hundreds of parents who would drink the poison to send their kids to Columbia. Fwiw, the real choice is between SLAC vs ivy, Open curriculum vs Core, Rural vs NYC, Amherst vs Columbia.

All 3 are very different schools. Your kid should visit them and decide. I would pick Columbia if your kid is outgoing and can handle a high level of stress. It takes a certain amount of confidence to navigate Columbia but for the right kid, it is an amazing experience

OP, my child also got accepted into Rice.

I am a DC native who lived in Houston for 15 years. I used to live a few blocks from Rice University. The neighborhood is extremely safe. Rice is an awesome university. The culture is collaborative, the environment is supportive, and the students are happy. I highly recommend Rice. It is truly a gem.

I have never visited Amherst, but I visited Columbia twice. I will definitely choose Rice over Columbia any day of the week.

Anonymous wrote:The core is something to keep in mind for Columbia

There's a kid who posts in YouTube about his Columbia experience. He's a transfer from Rice, had a transfer choice among Brown, Dartmouth, and Columbia. After a year, he dropped out of Columbia. His reasonings were vague. Looking at a few of his earlier videos, however, I realized he had trouble with the Core.

So, the student needs to know what s/he wants. Open curriculum? Amherst. Core? Columbia.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would highly discourage Columbia. I graduated from there 8 years ago and almost everyone I know regrets going there for undergrad

Why?

DP. I know a kid who went there. He said a student needs to plug into one or a few of of many social scenes or organizations there. Those who are left behind may feel socially "lost." Not sure if I am making sense, as this is only my interpretation of what I've heard. That said, if the student can plug into one or a few of many organizations there, they love it.

Visited all 3, in addition to many other schools. D24 ended up ED'ing to Rice. Amherst was her second favorite. Columbia was a no b/c she didn't like NYC or the Core. She loved the residential college system at Rice, and the vibe on campus. Wanted a great academic school where students were collaborative and happy with lots of interaction with professors and other support systems. Not interested in Greek life or big time sports. D24 prefers warm weather, too, so that put Rice over the edge from Amherst as well.

I'll give you my biased opinion. My kid loves the open curriculum at Amherst but it is in somewhat of a rural area. UMASS is about 2 miles away with ~27k students and gets to have the state flagship experience.

AC @ under 2k students is small and that comes with it's issues. But my kid wanted nothing like the mandated Core at Columbia (we're from the NYC area so have visited the school). Both Columbia and Rice are in large cities so also offer a different vibe. I've heard good things about Rice to be honest but never visited.

All 3 are great choices, Columbia is still an Ivy and will carry more clout than the other 2 but knowing kids attending CU it does feel very 'adult NYC vibe' (competitive, large classes 1st year and little sense of belonging to a college community).

Amherst + Rice network is smaller but very strong and a rich endowment will provide plenty of opportunities considering their size. You can't "hide" and not be noticed at Rice + Amherst the way you can at Columbia.

College is all up to what your kid is willing to do and experience.

Amherst's open curriculum is great and campus is definitely not remote.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Amherst without question!

This by far

The mere fact you’d suggest it’s a slam dunk is one reason I’d clearly favor Rice over Amherst.

The core is something to keep in mind for Columbia

Anonymous wrote:Amherst without question!

This by far

I wouldn’t consider Amherst remote.

They are three different locations/schools so one should hopefully make more sense for your student