If costs are close, go to Rice for an accepted student visit if you can.
@momcinco Will definitely update on the final decision! Hopefully I will somehow receive enough scholarships to decide on UT (going to apply to as many as possible).
!
Well my Rice grad son didn’t meet his wife in college. She went to an Ivy.
Sorry, but that’s a silly reason not to select a school. Rice is small. UT is HUGE. Which do you prefer?
@jym626 As I stated previously, it was only a very small observation I made…not really a reason. I listed all other reasons above. Also, I don’t know which I prefer. Both are good.
Anyway, I have a dilemma now…I just received my Rice Fin Aid (UT received yesterday). Total budget for first year is $61 K and they gave me $51 K .
For UT, I have $14 K in loans the first year (total cost is around $24 K). Well, that’s not including the fact that my tuition might be paid first year since I’m Valedictorian. However, I’m assuming that’s how it will be the following three years if my parents’ financial situations stay the same. The $10 K left for Rice…well, I’ve already applied to three $2500 scholarships, and I’m going to continue to apply till the summer…
So…now I’m pretty conflicted. Rice fin aid is great! But I love UT more. 
Oh, forgot to mention…UT gave me grants/scholarships worth $10 K + $14 K LOANS.
Rice gave me enough grants + the Trustee Scholarship, which will leave me with just $10 K to pay on my own (which I might just get through scholarships by summer time).
** I should probably start a different thread since this is a completely different topic/situation**
Just thought I would post this for you in case it would help. Outside scholarships will whittle away at aid offered in this order:
Federal Stafford Loan (Subsidized)*
Federal Perkins Loan*
Federal Work-study*
Rice Tuition Grant
Other institutional need-based grants/scholarships
State and Federal grants*
This is from the Rice website
You said “I love UT more.” When you first posted this thread, I read the beginning couple of pages and didn’t get the impression you liked UT that much … Of course I have skipped most of the intervening pages, so maybe you already gave more reasons than attractive male specimens. 
Isn’t Rice considered more prestigious than UT? Or at least on par with UT? If so, then perhaps you can appeal for more FA from UT to get your cost of attendance down to the same level as Rice.
FWIW, when my s was at Rice, he received several scholarships (awarded for his performance - not need based) from the engineering department during his years there. So there is a chance you can get additional (departmental) $ that will further reduce your COA. And yes, several of the summer internships pay very, VERY well. Surely there are great summer internship opportunities at both schools, and hopefully the career counseling office at UT is as strong as Rice’s.
I am biased, but especially if finances are an issue, it’d be a real shame to turn down that incredible offer from Rice. And rest assured, even if you get placed in a residential college you think you don’t like, you will quickly develop an undying allegiance to it.
The opportunities at Rice were stellar. DS’s senior project team went to France to present his project, he was very active in Engineers without Borders, travelling to South America, and he has a close group of friends all over the country that get together annually for a reunion.
Go back and spend some time on campus. Rice isn’t UT. But it shouldn’t be. It’s a very different, very unique educational opportunity.
@jym626 To be honest with you, there wasn’t anything technically WRONG with Rice…I just felt more at home/comfortable at UT. This probably has to do with the fact that so many people from home (my closest friends included) are going there too and with the fact that my family is much closer. Also, Austin > Houston. I feel like Rice and UT are almost equal in opportunities (study abroad/ internships)…Now for sure I will feel extremely guilty if I decline Rice. I never thought I would get almost a full ride to anywhere, ever! Rice is technically a full ride the first year since the $10 K that is missing I am almost certain I will cover with some of the scholarships I applied to. UT might also be a full ride the first year since Vals get paid tuition first year and I have $10 K in grants (plus scholarship money I might get from those that I applied to). The difference is in the following years…it will be the same with Rice but different with UT (since the Val tuition law no longer applies).
I already paid my enrollment deposit at UT and have been telling all my family and friends that I’m going there (not that this matters, but this is just to show you how set I was on UT already). Rice is an amazing school, which makes this decision 100x harder. Plus they are giving way more than UT ( more than $40 K more ). That’s a LOT of money to decline. How would I decline that??
I definitely have to re-visit, but…gosh.
It doesn’t matter how much any school is giving in grants. What matters is how much $ you will pay out of your pocket (or will owe in loans after graduation).
UT Austin: $14,841
Rice: $10,285
That’s what I will have to pay (if I decline UT loans, which I probably will the first year).
That is per year? What is the total expected out of pocket cost to you for each school? Didn’t you say UT is giving 17K/year in loans? Did you recalculate based on the expectation of the first year covered as Val?
oops, I misread-- it’s 14, not 17 in loans/year. I see you have started a thread in the FA forum. Good idea.
@jym626
Here are the details:
UT total cost of attendance year: $25,656
UT total grants offered: $10,815
UT total loans offered: $14,841
So, basically, I will have $14 k of loans with UT & the rest of the cost is covered by grants.
Rice total cost of attendance year: $61,433
Rice total grants offered: $26,648
Rice Trustee Scholarship: $24,500
So, I have NO loans and only have to pay $10 K from my own/parents pocket.
I havne’t included that UT offers to pay tuition to Valedictorians the FIRST year. However, I’m sure that (if my parents financial situation doesn’t change), the packet will be like the above for the following 3 years.
Also, the RICE TRUSTEE scholarship is $ 98 K TOTAL for the four years.
And when does your brother graduate from college? Will that cause a lower EFC/ higher COA and less aid at UT when he graduates? Are Rice’s grants fixed for all 4 years?
@rasofia
Not much overall difference inthe cost when you factor in 1st year tuition scholarship and overall 4K higher cost for 3 years. I say go for UT if you like it more. Are you planning on going to grad school? Getting into grad school could be harder from Rice if you want to do somethng competitive like med, which may be another reason to go to UT
Say what?? Getting into grad school is harder from Rice? Where did you get that idea?
Wow @rasofia that is fantastic!!! The Trustee scholarship is something that you’ll have on your resume when you graduate, too, and you are going to get an amazing education if you go there, with a 6:1 student/faculty ratio. Not to mention, NOT having $15k *3 = $45k of loans when you graduate. Rice has been a top 20 university for many years, and is ranked #1 on princetonreview’s quality of life survey.
Nothing against UT, but this offer is really hard to beat! They really want you there.
@jym626 He is a freshman right now. So, he graduates in 3 years. Not sure how that would affect the EFC. Also, I’m not so sure how to figure out whether Rice grants are fixed.