Is Level of Interest Considered?

r-crispie
Sun, 29 Apr 2007 16:09:16 +0000

I think the answer is still “yes”, somewhat. In my generation, the then required interview, which included interest level, would quite possibly make or break you. Rice has somewhat de-emphasized the interviews since then. I was fortunate, I did not know I was being interviewed. I was just a 16 y.o. visiting out of state for what seemed like a very distant future hope, being helped out in the admissions office by a nice young assistant director (a Rice graduate 4 years earlier who disappeared, ahem, into the US State department later that summer) who had given me campus directions an hour earlier in the parking lot.

Some schools appear to strongly use interest factors on a yield calculation basis, WashUStL comes to mind. I doubt Rice plays that way. Traditionally two of Rice’s larger yield considerations were 100 National Merit scholarships and low tuition (once no tuition). Things have changed and are changing. Rice is growing, adding more professional schools. It is not quite as small as a university as before although the faculty to student ratio is much lower now. Also, I would not call the current tuition schedule low, although I understand that financial aid is considered plentiful.

Your maximum effect might be to take a tour to Houston this summer, see what Rice’s summer school looks like (I don’t know), check in at admissions and just talk with one of the directors.

A small university, Rice has strong engineering and architecture programs. My first girlfriend at Rice was a math major through the first year honors math course, graduated BS MechE and decided to get an M Arch on top of that.

I would recommend that S#2 consider some LACs. CMC or Harvey Mudd at the Claremont colleges might provide the right size environment and flexibility in courses or majors. A possibility of a future Arch or Engineering major or career would be an important factor to review with any LACs’ programs, e.g. 3-2 connections or cross enrollment. Good luck.