I am from NJ about the same latitude as Baltimore. My daughter goes to rice. On the humidity I will point out that you will mostly be in college in the fall and winter. Hot and humid is a drag but don’t forget about cold and humid. Baltimore in the winter can be cold and damp and dreary Edger Allen Poe anyone, whereas at Rice you could still be taking classes outside and enjoying your walks to campus or evenings out. Freshman start at rice in August and that can be brutal but just as bad is a 38 degree drizzle on a damp chilly day in Baltimore in November. My daughter was gloating on her weather compared to her friends on the east coast at least up until this week