@blueskies2day - What is URM
URM = Under Represented Minorities
The waiver email seems to be sent to those that took SAT Subject tests and likely some score threshold. Since Rice requires 2 SAT Subject tests with the SAT it makes sense to target students that have taken the Subject tests already. Applying to Rice was iffy for my D but she took a look at the supplement and it’s not overly taxing so she might end up applying there.
Full disclosure, neither myself nor my best friends at Rice were social science students so I wouldn’t consider myself an expert there.
That said, I knew people who were of course. While Rice is most known as a STEM school, obviously there are tons of students who are not. I know many people who seemed quite happy with their social science experience, many went on to elite law schools and are doing quite well. Some went on the get their PhD at top ranked universities in the field.
The math/econ major in particular (which is offered through the school of social sciences)I know was pretty well enjoyed. People found it gave a great education and a great preparation for seeking a career and many students went on to do quite well. There are internship opportunities through the Baker school and others geared towards social science students.
@Dimnarion - thanks for that insight. The Math/Econ major was exactly where I thought my S would fit in. He is focussing his efforts on good business schools and a school that offers a math/econ major is a good fit as well.
@mathewjn My son is a sophomore at Rice. He is a double major in Econ and Policy Studies and a minor in business. Social sciences school has a very strong reputation. The Dean of Social sciences used to head of Economics department at Wharton (UPenn). The school has recruited over the past 3 years a team of 5 Econ professors from UPenn and other elite programs. The Econ department is now ranked in Top 15 in the nation. The Policy studies program at Rice is among the best. James A Baker Institute is in the top 5 public policy schools in the nation behind Harvard, Stanford, Columbia and Princeton.The business school is ranked among the top 25 in the nation. The Political science program is also very highly ranked. The business minor teaches classes that are MBA level classes and therefore prepares you well for a future MBA program. My son is also looking to graduate and after a couple of years apply to a top level MBA program. Hope this helps and sheds some light on the School of Social Sciences at Rice.
But most importantly, students at Rice love the school and are able to take classes in various disciplines as Rice curriculum is very flexible (second only to perhaps Brown).
@TinTintoo - that is some excellent feedback. Thank you very much. The more and more I hear about it, the more I am pressing my S to (at the very least) fill in an application for admission.
Rice sent that waiver because the lower our admission rate, the higher we rank on US New’s list. There’s not much to it other than that. That being said I’ve seen students with numbers like that be admitted.
It should also be noted though that competition this year is looking pretty stiff so no one can say for sure. But I can say Rice has no-undergraduate business degree. We have a minor. So if your son knows the only thing he’ll want to focus on in school and would be miserable studying anything else, McCombs is the school for him.