<p>Hmmm, I didn’t know schools admitted people off the waitlist before May 1… Anyway, I would say you should consider quality of life, since both schools’ academics are similar (though Rice’s engineering is better). Rice students tend to be VERY happy (as you can tell from people on this forum). Plus, Houston > St. Louis. I talked to a WashU alumna who said that “St. Louis wasn’t [her] favorite city…”</p>