Rice or Princeton?

PimpDaddy1
Tue, 19 Apr 2005 22:30:04 +0000

Princeton.

Yes, Rice has an excellent program in the sciences but if you’re majoring in physics, you’re turning down what is (with a handful of other programs) the best physics department anywhere. If you were a bit turned off by the student body, thats understandable but you really have to get to know them first and there will be tons of kids at Princeton you will definately get along with (the physics majors are a fantastic bunch of kids).

On the note of eating clubs, you have three options, going independent, staying in a residential college or joining an eating club. Of the eating clubs, most are determined by lottery. Even if you arent accepted by an eating club, you can still go to most of their parties and everything so I just dont see the negative aspect. And you don’t try out to make friends, you join a club WITH your friends. For example, Tower has a group process where either everyone in your group gets in or noone does. Exclusivity at eating clubs is not at all worse as exclusivity that naturally forms on campuses whether it be through cliques, frats or sports.

And lets toss out these ivy league stereotypes, as a student here, I can say that the students, for the most part, are not prestige whores or arrogant or elitist. Sure we have some, but every school does. This whole self-selection theory seems a bit shady because Rice, unlike Chicago, has a ~16% acceptance rate and a number of applicants comparable to Princeton. Rice is an incredibly prestigious institution so I also don’t quite buy this whole “no prestige whore” argument.

And sure, you can get a good feel for the campus’s atmosphere when you visit, but all these admitted student days must be taken with a grain of salt. You really are not seeing the “real” Princeton

Both schools have happy students and I assure you that either will be excellent choices, however, If I were in your position I would pick Princeton on academics and opportunities alone. However, if Rice is throwing money at you, I would say Rice Rice Rice!