According to Rice Thresher, applicant pool increases by 20+%

blackeyedsusan · 11-20-2009, 01:35 PM

Pool of prospects expands - News

This is an interesting article in today's Rice Thresher about the anticipated increase in the applicant pool this year.

Youdon'tsay · 11-20-2009, 01:52 PM

Bad news for my son, whose no. 1 choice is Rice.

Delos · 11-20-2009, 03:45 PM

Indeed, youdon'tsay. After our very enjoyable recent visit to Rice it's very high on our list too. It would be interesting to know if this larger pool is, overall, as qualified as last year's, which would indicate that Rice is simply becoming a more attractive school to highly accomplished students. It certainly wouldn't surprise me if that's the case.

In any case the planned increase in the freshman class size will somewhat ameliorate the effect of the larger pool on the applicants.

givings · 11-20-2009, 05:03 PM

Competitive schools that offer merit aid (vs. only need-based) are becoming more attractive to families, I think. We've crossed off a few schools that offer little or no need-based aid. So, maybe it's the economy.

registrant · 11-20-2009, 06:04 PM

It's not only the economy, because Rice's applicant pool has been rising steadily for a number of years. But, yes, 21 to 24 percent would be quite a jump - last year's big increase was 12 percent. (By the way, that "11,000" expected number in the story must be an error, because that was close to what they got last year.)

You wonder how effective something as seemingly trivial as a Princeton Review "quality of life" #1 ranking may have been.

cocoaluna · 11-20-2009, 07:46 PM

ughhh not good news for me!

applicannot · 11-20-2009, 08:49 PM

Oh shoot. I was really considering Rice a match. Well a high match technically, but I was feeling really good about it.

Sirensong · 11-20-2009, 09:10 PM

^same here...darn all these schools for getting so impossibly selective

anxiousmom · 11-20-2009, 09:33 PM

Don't give up - some ED people are deferred until regular round then get accepted there... some years people get in off the wait-list (though virtually none in the last two years).

slik nik · 11-20-2009, 10:27 PM

ED applications only went up by a 100 according to the Rice Thresher, which isn't that much. Most other schools, including Duke and UPenn, probably had their number of ED applications rise even more. Unfortunately, this is probably the most selective year for applying to colleges.

However, as I stated before, Rice is very holistic with their admissions process... if you really showed interest, passion, and intellect in your application, you will have a good chance of getting in. Good luck!

GatitaZ · 11-21-2009, 02:42 AM

Oh dear,I knew it...

But I'm still going to apply to the school,esp determined after my visit in the summer.Cross my fingers for getting my passion across in the application.

Isn't it true that many colleges,in particular the top ones(well,sorta vague idea)has seen a rise in the applicant pool sin the early round?

Anyway,Good Luck to y'all!

applicannot · 11-21-2009, 09:31 AM

I didn't show any interest. Rice is in Texas for Christ's sake, and they don't have a fall fly out - there's no way I could pay to go there. But, at least Rice is a QuestBridge school.

GatitaZ · 11-21-2009, 09:47 AM

But Rice has a quite noticeable international body...i went there...to visit of course

slik nik · 11-21-2009, 04:50 PM

@ applicannot:
If you are a minority and apply to Rice, they have a program called Visions Weekend in either January or February where I'm pretty sure they pay for airfare.

If Rice Owl Days (overnight stays for admitted students), Rice also reimburses travel for merit scholarship recipients.

applicannot · 11-21-2009, 11:54 PM

Yes, but what it doesn't have are fall fly-outs for considering students. So I meant I haven't been able to DEMONSTRATE interest. Thanks for the pointers, though. I'm actually hoping for a Visions Weekend invite, since they means you get in. And it's nice to know EARLY.