<p>zachman - what is the financial situation? A full ride to Michigan is a good deal, especially if Rice is not financially comfortable.</p>
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<p>The Rice degree carries a lot of prestige, but it is slightly more localized than say, MIT. It gives you a huge leg up in the Houston/TX area when it comes to job hunting. Big Oil and consulting companies (I work at one now) hire a lot of our grads.</p>
<p>What engineering does your son plan to pursue? This will make answering your questions in detail a lot easier.</p>