Maybe you’re right but Top 15% seems like a crazy stretch for a large TX public school (unless there are extenuating circumstances) since business is actually one of their more popular majors.
I would think the strategy to get admitted (even if your intent is to study something else) would be English or History which are probably far less popular.
Good points. You’re probably right.
This is what I found on the popularity of the business major.
“Move over, engineers — there’s a new major in town. According to the Office of Academic Advising, 26.7 percent of new students are interested in the business major, surpassing all other potential majors.”
Thanks @DramaMama2021. Resource management at colleges is a fascinating topic.
I think that staffing is a much overlooked cost increase factor. Full time professors today teach 3 sections. I think that’s pretty standard. When I went to college, they taught 5.
I know that they’re supposed to be doing research to account for the rest of their time. Some may be bringing in big research grants and are a revenue source. But these profs are also probably not teaching even 3 sections either.
My sister is an adjunct in her retirement at a large NY university. She gets paid peanuts, but she likes the work and has other sources of income. Occasionally she picks up a 3rd class to help out when enrollment is up in her department. It drives her nuts when she looks at what she gets paid vs what the tenured profs get paid for the same teaching loads - again noting the difference in research responsibilities, which U’m sure vary from one faculty member to another.
That may be a dangerous game to play when applying to selective holistic admissions schools. If the EC’s, awards and LoR’s don’t really line up with the intended major, especially those perceived as less popular, the AO’s may view those apps unfavorably. The best strategy is to be truthful about your interests because those generally align with your EC’s, awards and classes taken.
I agree.
In general, Im skeptical that any selective school (even those that dont admit by major) would take someone whose grades are below the 25th percentile of the class.
Even if they wanted more English majors, I assume they have to be academically in line with the majority of their students.
I agree.
Standardized test scores are rated by Rice as a “very important” factor in their admissions. This student’s SAT composite would place him roughly in the top 1/3 of admitted students to Rice.
With regard to gpa, we don’t know what his gpa would look like after Rice recalculates it to their own standards. We also don’t know how competitive his high school is, which may be a mitigating factor. We do know that Rice considers rigor to be an”very important” admissions criterion. So, depending upon how they view the rigor of his high school courses and how they recalculate, his gpa, he may have a chance if they see his SAT compensating for his grades. His 3.8 gpa isn’t that far off.
Rice is clearly a reach school for anyone, but it was his choice to put it on his list and to take a shot. He has to hope that things break his way.
Not sure about the way Rice calculates GPA but they do have class rank as very important (I assume most Texas public schools have class rank where other parts of the country doesnt?)
According to their CDS:
91.4% graduated in the top 10% of their class.
OP’s class rank would be in the bottom 8.6%.
I assume some of the 8.6% admitted (below 10% class rank) may be athletes? If you took out the athletes, Im not sure what the percentage is for everyone else below the top 10%.
Yes, I was aware of that, which was why I posted what I did.
What we don’t know is how significantly Rice regards that 8.6th percentile, especially when the difference between his grades and those of the students they accept are probably just a few B’s. We also don’t know what subjects those grades were in, or what year in high school they happened, or what his gpa will look like once Rice recalculates it - which they will do.
Again, Rice is a reach for everyone applying there. And certainly for him. My personal - albeit limited - experience with Rice is that their Admissions process is indeed holistic and has resulted in a surprise admission in at least one case I’m familiar with.
I have also spent a little time on the resource management side of a university.
I think at a high level, in the long run colleges and universities tend to try roughly match department size to demand. Now, demand can include research and grad students (as relevant) as well undergrads, but that still means profs are not sitting idle. And not all undergrad student demand need be primary majors–secondary majors, multidisciplinary majors, minors, and not least non-major curriculum requirements may help fill out student demand.
That said, I also think there can be transition periods where demand is increasing for some departments, decreasing for others. Again, in the long run I think this will lead to reallocation of resources, but there can be sources of friction.
But trying to profit from all that by applying as something you are not seems more risky than it is worth. Just to begin with, you may guess wrong about where they are in terms of the matching of resources. And then you may also fail to convince them you are something you are not.
Let’s return focus to assisting the OP
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