Popularity of Rice

llamapyjamas
Tue, 18 Jan 2005 23:32:30 +0000

I live in Austin, and I’d choose an Ivy. I’ve heard fantastic things about Rice from students there (my school sends quite a few people there; about five or so a year), and my choice isn’t based upon academic offerings. I have no doubt that Rice is academically similar to an Ivy League school. In the hands (mind?) of the properly motivated student, there’s no difference. Their U.S. News ranking is lower probably because they’re not as well known so get fewer applicants and have a higher acceptance rate. I also love the fact that their residential college system is more like Yale’s than Harvard’s.

I want to go to an Ivy because Texas is too safe and comfortable. It would be nice to stay close to home and enjoy the Texas weather for four more years, but I’m ready for new things and new people. Plus, Houston is close enough to Austin that my parents may randomly drop by on weekends, which would totally be not cool.