UChicago vs. Rice

lighter
Sun, 22 Apr 2012 03:26:14 +0000

I know that my friends got tired of trying to help me decide between these two schools, so I decided to ask all of you for opinions!

I am a senior coming from a Midwest boarding school that focuses on math and science, and am looking to major in physics in college. I want to have a well-rounded education and college experience.

It would be great to hear about the physics department of each school, difficulty in finding research opportunities, class rigor, quality of professors, etc.

As far as financial aid goes, I received full tuition from UChicago (merit based) and near full tuition from Rice (mix of merit and need based, also including work study). The cost of each will end up being around the same amount per year, so money doesn’t really affect my decision.

I would say that my major concern about UChicago is its academic intensity, which excites me and intimidates me at the same time. However, a minor concern of mine is the lack of social life of UChicago students. I know that at Rice it is mostly ‘work hard, play hard’, which I feel like I would enjoy better. As for Rice academics, I am mostly concerned about the quality of the physics program compared to UChicago’s, as well as Houston’s humidity >.<

I’ve visited both schools, felt comfortable at both, and am having a tough time making a decision.

Any input would be wonderful :)