Yes, that Enviro Design program at Cornell is what originally attracted my D. (Aside from the fact that it’s Cornell. And the gorge.) But the portfolio project, to apply, was a major undertaking that slowed the whole process enough to allow second thoughts. Her primary academic interests were clustered more in A&S than in Human Ecology, and the DEA minor seemed to be in better proportion to her interest level than trying to get into the major. The unanswered question is how accessible the DEA minor would really be, given the space limitations in studio classes. (Case in point, the design minor at CMU, which we learned is virtually fictional and many years doesn’t even accept applications.) But that question is sitting in the “worry about it if you actually get accepted” archive for the moment, since her realistic odds of getting in are somewhere south of a coin toss.
Rice is a great school, especially for STEM. D1 never intended to be a STEM major, although I think her interdisciplinary spread might have tilted more toward the sciences at another school - there were things she was deterred from doing because it didn’t seem worth risking her GPA in the steep curves and heavy workloads of Rice STEM. Nonetheless, she got some terrific research, internship, and mentoring opportunities in the social sciences. The residential college system is a huge plus. As you note, there’s a fair amount of “design thinking” built into the MechE program. I definitely wouldn’t look to the visual arts department to supplement or dovetail with that, though. Arts are very much in their own silo, and the one art class my D took was disappointing. On the one hand, it is easy to change majors and/or to take classes outside of your own major at Rice, and that is a huge plus that isn’t the case at many schools. On the other hand, that freedom of lateral mobility does not imply a particularly interdisciplinary mindset. Most programs are fairly self-contained.
The other aspect D1 is encountering now is that, upon graduation, it’s much easier to find a job in Texas, coming out of Rice, than elsewhere. And while it’s been a good and broadening experience, going to college in TX, it’s not really where she would prefer to put down roots. So, that’s an aspect to consider, although networking in other parts of the country may be more robust for STEM majors.
Hope that helps - feel free to PM me if you have more specific questions. It’ll be interesting to see where our kids end up!!