<p>Ok, well I’m sort of glad that you’re afraid of Chicago, because UChicago is the one school mentioned that I know very little about…haha.</p>
<p>From what I gather, the Rice environment encourages undergraduates to “study hard and play hard.” You want a balanced undergrad experience? Juggling an active social life (You decide the definition of such) and maintaining an excellent academic record isn’t easy, especially at an institution with the prestige you seek; however, what many consider to be one of the most appealing facets of the Rice experience (residential college system) is what allows you to do just that.</p>
<p>My friend the Cornell attendee is only a freshman and he already raves about his amazing experience in Ithaca; however, he is also very forthcoming with information that simply confirms the commonly-heard complaints of other Cornell students: the weather (you won’t be complaining about having to trudge across mounds of snow on your way to morning classes at Rice), the size (granted, one of the aspects of Cornell that initially attracted him was the size of the student body, but he now recognizes that at times the large number of students on campus can be somewhat intimidating), and the competitive atmosphere (I think it was in one of the many research books boasting the “Best U.S. Colleges” that I read this tidbit: “it’s not uncommon to find that pages which presumably contain valuable information relating to one of your courses have been torn from the spines of library books.” From what I’ve heard, while it’s possible that this is simply an exaggeration, the academic environment at Cornell is indeed a cutthroat one.)</p>
<p>In short: if you are looking to have an extraordinarily unique undergraduate experience at a prestigious university that boasts excellent research opportunites, a collaborative academic environment, and an intelligent and down-to-earth student body, look no further than Rice :)</p>
<p>(All of this is what I have gathered about Rice through reading about other CCer’s undergrad experiences and through my own visit to campus; I will of course be able to provide a more personal description after school starts up in August.)</p>
<p>Good luck as you make your decision and remember that Owl Days (Registration may have closed as it is this Thursday & Friday and I recently received an email from Rice Admissions about the loads of people who are eagerly snatching up their spots) and Admit Days are rapidly approaching! It would probably benefit you to attend these events and interact with the student body for yourself! :)</p>