I was going to say the same thing. Rice has a super collaborative culture and there is a reason why they are always on the lists of happiest students. There is a girl on tik tok who is a current Rice student who makes some great videos about the school and the culture. I can track down her name if you’d like.
Like @somethings, my daughter recently graduated from Rice. She was hesitant about applying because it was in Texas and she was unsure about a school so “southern”. When she was admitted we quickly planned a visit since it was one of the only schools she was seriously considering that she had not visited yet. She was surprised by how un-Southern it felt. You really don’t see cowboy boots or hats in Houston and really don’t hear accents either. It just feels like a typical city. It’s very diverse and has amazing food. The campus itself is gorgeous. I would recommend a visit before you rule it out. I would say Houston feels less southern than Nashville does. Probably because of the whole country music thing. It does not have a “bay area vibe” though if that is what you are seeking. For that - I really think you pretty much need to stay in California.