Anonymous
Post 09/24/2025 22:08     Subject: What's a collaborative, happy yet very rigorous research university that's not Rice?
If you/DC don't mind going the public route, UMD has become quite nerdified over the years. Those nerds are very happy, well-rounded/-adjusted, and very collaborative/supportive, though. And the rigor's there in spades.
Anonymous
Post 09/24/2025 08:12     Subject: What's a collaborative, happy yet very rigorous research university that's not Rice?
Anonymous wrote:
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Anonymous wrote:It’s difficult for us to understand why someone would reject a college solely because it’s in a certain state. Seems short sighted at best


OP: not rejecting it. We recognize it’s a fanatic school and DD will will lucky to get in. But based on what everyone’s been saying that ED choice should be your absolute favorite school, Rice just isn’t the favorite and Texas is one factor. Just being honest.


Just curious: have you visited Rice?


OP: have not visited Rice. Have a relative with a DC there and this DC who I’ve known since birth is warm, open minded, smart, hardworking and humble…basically every parent’s favorite kid. We also have other relatives in Houston suburbs who have turned pretty radical lately to the point of making the rest of the family uncomfortable so DH and I are a bit weary of TX.


Different Rice parent. I wouldn't ed anywhere unless my kid had visited and fallen in love. My kid applied rd to Rice. Fully expected to attend a different school but really fell for Rice (and not for the other schools) at admitted students day. Ymmv


Is Rice possible in RD for a normal high stat kid? From a top private but no crazy ECs


I guess? My kid is from an ok public school. High stats.and good leadership within the school, but no national awards. It's all a bit of a crapshoot.


So your kid is at Rice now? Would you mind commenting on campus vibe and the kind of kids that seem happiest there? Thx


Yes, my kid is a freshman at Rice now. As far as I can tell, the campus vibe is a mix of intense (academics are for real, and the kids wants to do well) and fun. Rice's residential college system was very appealing to my kid. Each college has its own traditions and there are campus-wide parties that are open to all. One of the happenings on campus is Beer Bike, an on-campus bike race that's preceded by campus-wide color war (very similar to Holi) and a campus-wide water balloon fight. This youtube gives you a bit of a sense of it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hysbRN5vzm4


Anonymous
Post 09/24/2025 08:01     Subject: What's a collaborative, happy yet very rigorous research university that's not Rice?
My kid is very similar. 1st in class at end of 11th at rigorous prep school but does not want to have another year like junior year. Knows she won’t get into brown or Yale. Wash U is a top choice bc there is a better balance and kids seem happy. (She refuses to look at Rice bc Texas - I really wish she would.)
Anonymous
Post 09/24/2025 07:52     Subject: What's a collaborative, happy yet very rigorous research university that's not Rice?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It’s difficult for us to understand why someone would reject a college solely because it’s in a certain state. Seems short sighted at best


OP: not rejecting it. We recognize it’s a fanatic school and DD will will lucky to get in. But based on what everyone’s been saying that ED choice should be your absolute favorite school, Rice just isn’t the favorite and Texas is one factor. Just being honest.


Just curious: have you visited Rice?


OP: have not visited Rice. Have a relative with a DC there and this DC who I’ve known since birth is warm, open minded, smart, hardworking and humble…basically every parent’s favorite kid. We also have other relatives in Houston suburbs who have turned pretty radical lately to the point of making the rest of the family uncomfortable so DH and I are a bit weary of TX.


Different Rice parent. I wouldn't ed anywhere unless my kid had visited and fallen in love. My kid applied rd to Rice. Fully expected to attend a different school but really fell for Rice (and not for the other schools) at admitted students day. Ymmv


Aww - this warms my heart as a Rice grad (early 2000s) who had the same experience of falling for the school the first time I visited. Glad your kid is having a good experience at Rice!
Anonymous
Post 09/24/2025 07:32     Subject: What's a collaborative, happy yet very rigorous research university that's not Rice?
Anonymous wrote:It’s difficult for us to understand why someone would reject a college solely because it’s in a certain state. Seems short sighted at best


My kids don’t want to live in a place that doesn’t value women’s lives.
Anonymous
Post 09/24/2025 05:39     Subject: What's a collaborative, happy yet very rigorous research university that's not Rice?
Also JHU ED is 11% now. ED I is likely 13%. Essentially a lottery for my private that sent 8 to Harvard last year out of 200 kids.
Anonymous
Post 09/24/2025 05:25     Subject: What's a collaborative, happy yet very rigorous research university that's not Rice?
Anonymous wrote:
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Anonymous wrote:hopkins. student life has improved a lot with a ton of research opps.

columbia, penn also come to mind


I thought Hopkins was a grind, Columbia kids are miserable and Penn is pre-professional and competitive?


Hopkins is not at all what it used to be, and is notably easier for ED than any other T10 besides Chicago. They both have multiple ED rounds and generally admit "second tier" (just outside the top10% kids) students from private schools in ED, whereas plenty of top-everything Vals chose Penn, Dartmouth, Duke, Brown in ED.

Penn is no more competitive or preprofessional than any other T15/ivy, in fact less toxic than a couple of them, but is also not really an easier admit than HPYMS. All T10/ivy are "preprofessional"(lots of premeds, Econ/finance, prelaw). It has been like that since DH and I attended different ones then met at another for law school, '98. Even Chicago is preprofessional, no more "life of the mind" esoteric thinkers there than anywhere else.

Columbia from our private has slid to easier than other ivies for ED, though that is likely as it has many issues and a locked campus the past 2 years.


How is JHU an easier admit in ED round? ED acceptance is around 13% . Comparable to any ivy.


unhooked kids get in ED from the second decile routinely. That does not happen with the ivies. Chicago ED unhooked is often just outside the top20%. It is a feederish high school. There is a notable difference in selectivity with those two and other T10/ivy.


JHU has 99% in top 10% of class. It does not admit second decile kids from privates despite what clown above likes to say.
Anonymous
Post 09/24/2025 04:34     Subject: What's a collaborative, happy yet very rigorous research university that's not Rice?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Oxford, Cambridge.
Not happy. Have you even been to the UK? Their one and only idea of a fun night out is getting blackout drunk at a bar. Still more fun than "enjoying" the weather or food.

To butcher Ben Franklin's quote: "The beauty of their skies and the taste of their food is what made the British the greatest sailors in the world"

Also, undergrads don't really do research in the UK except under the equivalent of REUs (extremely competitive programs that only last the summer)
Anonymous
Post 09/24/2025 04:31     Subject: What's a collaborative, happy yet very rigorous research university that's not Rice?
Looking at the catalog the physical chemistry track of the BS in chemistry seems better - if she places out of freshman chem, she can take math and orgo first year and QM and courses like quantum mechanical and materials modeling in her second.

And of course the present of the molecular engineering department means that there's plenty of research in the area (a or of molecular engineering majors go into consultancy or law school so they don't actually take up that much research)
Anonymous
Post 09/24/2025 04:16     Subject: What's a collaborative, happy yet very rigorous research university that's not Rice?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Has the stats for any of the most selective schools but not focused on HYPMS due to unlikely odds. What are top schools that fit description but are more attainable like at U Chicago, Cornell level?

Already considering Rice but the Texas thing makes it not an ED choice.


Research in what specific area? That matters.


Quantum chemistry or AI

UChicago is elite in physics and chemistry and thus quantum chemistry. They even have a molecular engineering major, although I would recommend a major in either chem or physics for quantum chemistry. If she likes it I wouldn't hesitate to ED.
One nice thing about UChicago is that they have advanced standing exams she can use to take the second year major courses early - most other top universities don't allow this for your major classes.
Anonymous
Post 09/24/2025 04:00     Subject: What's a collaborative, happy yet very rigorous research university that's not Rice?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Probably not highly ranked enough for you but William and Mary has a lot of similarities to Rice.

Caltech too if your kid is STEM focused.


DC's super nerdy personality may be a fit at Caltech (and she has the stats for it) but assume it's out of reach for someone without national-level competition ECs and it's another where-fun-goes-to-die school, no?


Don’t necessarily need national level competition, especially if female. And it’s definitely not a where-fun-goes-to-die school. They have a house system which creates great community and some of the houses are very much into partying. The houses also do these huge themed parties once or twice a year for the whole campus that are impressive - themes and set construction… The classes and research are very rigorous but the kids there are brilliant enough to handle them and having fun. But your kid must be certain she wants STEM.

The house system has undergone changes that has lessened the unique culture of each - students are now randomly assigned, and hence each house is basically a smaller version of the student body rather than their own unique institution.
Only a few kids have a lot of free time - the majority work 40-60 hours a week. (Actual working, not the oseudowork that a lot of mediocre students do). And the ones with the free time are generally the super geniuses who already studied the entire undergrad curriculum, have published meaningful research, etc.

E.g. https://www.reddit.com/r/collegeresults/comments/18f752r/indian_internationals_miraculous_journey_to/
Anonymous
Post 09/24/2025 03:46     Subject: What's a collaborative, happy yet very rigorous research university that's not Rice?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Probably not highly ranked enough for you but William and Mary has a lot of similarities to Rice.

Caltech too if your kid is STEM focused.


DC's super nerdy personality may be a fit at Caltech (and she has the stats for it) but assume it's out of reach for someone without national-level competition ECs and it's another where-fun-goes-to-die school, no?
It's a bit easier for girls because they keep a 50/50 ratio despite it being much more popular among boys, but it definitely is a school with very little going on besides academics. But if she feels it may be a fit, she should apply for Caltech Up Close next year (assuming she's a junior currently) - if she's a senior, try to visit some other way.

Overall the tradeoff is not worth it for most students in my mind due to how many very strongly academic schools with much better social lives are available in the US to Caltech-caliber students.

What are her potential majors/interests?
Anonymous
Post 09/24/2025 03:42     Subject: What's a collaborative, happy yet very rigorous research university that's not Rice?
Anonymous wrote:Oxford, Cambridge.
Not happy. Have you even been to the UK? Their one and only idea of a fun night out is getting blackout drunk at a bar. Still more fun than "enjoying" the weather or food.

To butcher Ben Franklin's quote: "The beauty of their skies and the taste of their food is what made the British the greatest sailors in the world"
Anonymous
Post 09/23/2025 23:21     Subject: What's a collaborative, happy yet very rigorous research university that's not Rice?
Anonymous wrote:Has the stats for any of the most selective schools but not focused on HYPMS due to unlikely odds. What are top schools that fit description but are more attainable like at U Chicago, Cornell level?

Already considering Rice but the Texas thing makes it not an ED choice.


Why do you list only "name brand" privates if your kid wants to do Quantum chemistry or AI research? For the latter, many state flagships have excellent research programs (Georgia Tech, UCSB, UT Austin, UIUC, UW all house NSF AI Institutes with a wealth of undergraduate research programs). Of course the usual suspects like MIT, Chicago, Harvard, Columbia, Brown etc have these too. Quantum chemistry is more of a stretch -- one needs to have solid foundations in chemistry and quantum mechanics (so at least past junior year) before you can do research. But again, pretty much any of these places will have someone working on QC.
Anonymous
Post 09/23/2025 22:55     Subject: What's a collaborative, happy yet very rigorous research university that's not Rice?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It’s difficult for us to understand why someone would reject a college solely because it’s in a certain state. Seems short sighted at best


OP: not rejecting it. We recognize it’s a fanatic school and DD will will lucky to get in. But based on what everyone’s been saying that ED choice should be your absolute favorite school, Rice just isn’t the favorite and Texas is one factor. Just being honest.


Nice mom again, in the end our kid didn't ED, just didn't want to commit and never know where else he would have gotten in (was pressured to ED to Northwestern which wasn't his favorite due to the quarter system and the particular split of science between school of Eng and Arts and Sciences). Its not unusual to get this totally inconsistent messaging, i.e. told to not to get fixated on one perfect school but to focus on fit, ED is if you have a real #1 and then about this time in their senior told they must ED to a reach where ED gives them the biggest bump, all that talk about only if its your #1 goes out the window. . .


Thanks Nice Mom! Yes exactly we’ve been hearing the same things. Lots of conflicting messages. DD is not brand name conscious so we just what her to pick a good fit. Research and rigor are what she wants, while DH and I want her to be happy and be “lighter” after working really hard at an intense high school


That is great- she might research some professors in her fields of interest, see what they are working on, who they are collaborating with at other universities etc. Departments at universities are very cross pollenated