<p>Is prestige in and of itself a worthwhile value? That’s the real question. RML, you seem to believe that prestige trumps all. But do we really want to sacrifice some of our core values so that a few more people will recognize the name Rice?</p>
<p>First of all, I would like to point out that Rice is in the top 17 schools in the nation according to U.S. News; it is right below an Ivy League school, Brown. The differences between the top 10 and the top 20 are very negligible, especially the differences between a school ranked #15 and a school ranked #17. However, that’s besides the point. It’s really hard to rank something that’s qualitative, such as a Rice education. </p>
<p>Therefore, those U.S. News rankings are not very accurate, nor are any of the world university rankings either. Those world university rankings put schools like UTexas, NYU, and University of Washington (not Washington University in St. Louis) above Rice University. With all due respect to these schools, Rice is better academically and student body wise in comparison to these schools. As a result, the strength of the graduate programs, especially in these world rankings, are heavily emphasized in many of these ranking systems. As you already know, Rice is more undergraduate focused, so that could explain why it’s prestige is not as high as HYPSM.</p>
<p>Also, I would like to point out that Rice is definitely a “school on the rise.” You’re asking why isn’t Rice doing anything to make itself better? That’s what they are in the midst of doing! Clearly you have not looked at the Rice webpage. Anyway, the administration is very forward-thinking. President Leebron and the rest of the Rice administration have unveiled a vision couple of years ago to improve the already outstanding university even more. This vision is called the Rice Centennial Campaign. Roflcopter posted the link, but here’s another one in case it doesn’t work: [The</a> Centennial Campaign - Rice University](<a href=“http://www.giving.rice.edu/giving/The_Centennial_Campaign.asp]The”>http://www.giving.rice.edu/giving/The_Centennial_Campaign.asp). </p>
<p>Additionally, I would like to point out that in 2006 (I could not find more recent data), Rice University had a higher endowment per student than Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Duke, and other top-tier colleges. Here’s the link: [List</a> of colleges and universities in the United States by endowment - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._colleges_and_universities_by_endowment]List”>List of colleges and universities in the United States by endowment - Wikipedia).</p>
<p>Moreover, Rice is trying to woo in the HYPSM students through their merit scholarships. Out of all the universities I applied too, I felt that Rice was the most generous with their scholarships.</p>
<p>Finally, you can still enter a top grad program or get a top job with a Rice degree. It’s not like you are making a major sacrifice by choosing Rice over Harvard (although I admit that it is a slight sacrifice in terms of the opportunities you could get with a Harvard degree). In this day in age, it is not enough to have a bachelor’s degree, so you are going to be going to graduate school anyway. And Rice is held in high regard with graduate admissions.</p>
<p>Although not that many people have heard of Rice outside of Texas, it is a very prestigious university in Texas. When I was heading to Rice after landing at the Houston Hobby airport, the airport shuttle driver said that I must be very smart for getting into Rice. And, when I was flying back to Cincinnati, the passenger next to me said the exact same thing. So basically, Rice is probably equal to Harvard in the South and the West, so it does not even have to improve it’s image in those regions. </p>
<p>And, don’t worry, more people now know about the prestige of Rice after the Rice student appeared on Jeopardy and beat the Harvard guy (which Harvard deserves) :)</p>
<p>BTW, I’m not ticked off by your posts. I tend to be quite passionate with debating and such, that’s why I gave such a long rant I totally understand where you are coming from though: I originally wondered why Rice wasn’t up there with those overworshipped HYPSM schools. However, through the lengthy, ardous process of trying to make a college decision in April, I discovered the complex answer to that question, and that’s why I posted a lengthy response. It seems to me that you agree that we can get an equal, and probably better, education at Rice than places like Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, MIT, Duke, Columbia, etc. It’s probably a good thing that Rice doesn’t have the same layman’s “prestige” as Harvard, Yale, and the other schools because then I would not have gotten in. It’s already hard enough to get into Rice anyway:)</p>
<p>Just to let you know, the link roflcopter gave you for A Vision for the Second Century is better… however, I would look at the video on the Centennial Campaign site as well.</p>
<p>As the last few posters have shown (and as I hope RML now realizes) Rice is certainly taking an aggressive approach to its future. The goal (as I see it) is to raise their profile as a research university, which will also positively affect their perceived “prestige” as an undergrad destination. The med school acquisition will be a big part of that. But if you read this forum, you will clearly see that, as an institution offering an undergraduate experience, the Rice “brand” is very strong. The challenge for Rice is going to be to keep that part of its brand untouched by its other efforts. For instance, under their plan, they’re already increasing undergrad enrollment. They need to know how big is big enough without harming the undergrad experience.</p>
<p>I agree with NYSkins. Prestige is overrated and is rarely something to factor in when choosing a college. Rice graduates get their pick of great jobs when the graduate and Rice has no trouble attracting top-notch students. I’m not convinced that the school should do something to change its prestige value. Students choose it for all the right reasons. Even the argument that an ivy league education gets your foot in the door to more job opportunities is debatable. A study was done several years ago (reported in an article in the Atlantic, but I don’t remember who conducted the study) that showed that that was really only true for students who wanted to work on Wall Street or for the U.S. government. In other professions, it made little or no difference. Doing well at any good school was more important than the prestige factor you’re concerned about.</p>
<p>Yes, Berkeley is more well known than Rice, both throughout the U.S. and internationally. However, that has much more to do with their graduate programs and their (our…I live in Berkeley) interesting history. Once again, prestige (or international reknown) would NOT be a good reason to choose a university. It doesn’t speak for the kind of experience you’ll have as an undergraduate or the kind of education you’ll get. </p>
<p>On the otherhand, Rice could always encourage some free speech riots in an attempt to make the school known for something other than its academics. (-:</p>
<p>If everyone chose where they were going to college based on prestige and rankings, there would be no use for CC at all. Fortunately, there’s a lot more to those precious four years of school than that.</p>
<p>By the way, I think it’s your focus on rankings and prestige that’s made for so much heated discussion here (though I hadn’t noticed any “whining”). If you’d asked “Why isn’t Rice more well known than it is?” or “Are there reasons that some students don’t consider Rice when it might be a good fit for them?” or “With a Rice degree is it hard to find jobs outside of Texas?”, many of which have been touched on in other threads, you would have gotten a very different response. I think there’s general agreement among the people responding to your post that rank and prestige are overrated.</p>
<p>roflc0pter: thanks s lot for the link. I took time to read the vision and it was very comforting, even if I didn’t go to Rice. If those goals can be implemented, Rice’s prestige will surely rise.</p>
<p>
No, you don’t get it. Of Rice’s current status, prestige is the only thing that it lacks. Trust me, Rice isn’t on par with the lover ivies in terms of prestige, which I think is unfair to Rice given that Rice’s academic quality is just as excellent, if not even slightly better. So, at this point is time, if we have to trouble shoot Rice, it is in that specific area where we should work on the most as it is in that area where is severely lacks. </p>
<p>Rice is excellent. We all know that. But sadly, it does not have the prestige of its peer schools. The article which was provided by roflc0pter has actually answered my curiosity. All the while I though Rice officials are not doing anything to improve Rice. But they do, and I just found that out now.</p>
<p>
It would be interesting to watch that video. Link to it please. :)</p>
<p>“Rice isn’t on par with the lover ivies in terms of prestige”</p>
<p>I’ve heard that in Texas Rice is the most prestigious school other than HYPSM.</p>
<p>slik nik,</p>
<p>actually, it’s no-good at this point to discuss how good Rice is because we all have already agreed that Rice’s academic standard is excellent – already one of the very best. I am very much convinced that the quality of education you can get at, say, Stanford is the same as the one you can get at Rice. So, let’s not discuss anymore how excellent Rice is. Instead, let’s discuss (if you still want to) how Rice would do it given that all the elite privates (and even the elite publics) are doing the best they can to improve more. The competition is tough on this race so it would be an uphill battle for Rice to succeed. But given its resources, I know it can. As to how it would do it, I don’t know, thus this thread.</p>
<p>“I’ve heard that in Texas Rice is the most prestigious school other than HYPSM.”</p>
<p>In Texas, maybe. But what about on the national level? Can Rice still compete vigorously with the lower ivies? I doubt it. And, I think the case is even worse internationally. </p>
<p>Rice does have the tools to compete with the lower ivies. I would go for Rice for the quality of education it provides. The only thing that make me think twice for not attending is its lack of prestige. Believe me, a lot of people in the NE don’t even heard of this school.</p>
<p>Basically a bunch Rice admissions officers should create a Facebook group clearly and concisely explaining how Rice provides as quality an education as the lower Ivies. Then they should invite everyone on Facebook to join it.</p>
<p>Or Texas could secede from the Union and form its own country. Then Rice would have the extremely impressive of title of “by far the most prestigious university in an entire country.” It would get much more recognition. You think I’m joking, but if Obama continues his rampant spending (no offense), there is a legitmate chance that the mainly conservative Texas will secede. Have you heard Rick Perry? If you have, you’ll understand what I mean.</p>
<p>Rice’s national prestige is actually about on par with Cornell’s in my opinion. Cornell gets so much cr-p for being the least selective Ivy.</p>
<p>“The only thing that may think twice for not attending is its lack of prestige.”</p>
<p>Dude, when you actually get to Rice though you will be THE KING. Everyone will be so impressed with you, and you’ll brim with confidence. Who cares what ignorant people think?</p>
<p>It’s just like with music. The ignorant masses may think that 50 cent is amazing and not even know about people like Nas, even though Nas is a way better rapper. But what you can you do? Some people are just ignorant, and they shouldn’t be bothered with. And people who know rappers will know Nas is just as good, if not better than 50.</p>
<p>just substitute harvard in for 50, rice in for Nas, and rapper in for college, and it will make sense.</p>
<p>^ you are not answering the question and your posts have hints of insecurities. </p>
<p>and, please don’t tell me crap that Rice doesn’t care blah blah… there’s already a program about Rice’s steps to become more prestigious. So, it means that my claims have merits or that Rice officials have acknowledged that it needs to improve more and become more competitive. Your posts on the other hand was nonsense to the topic. it was full of insecurities and was trying to deviate from the real issue.</p>
<p>Rice can do a few things. It can get the science departments to build a time machine and then found Rice in New England in the year 1635(gotta march before H at commencements). It should join then join the Ivy League in the 1950s.
Seriously though, it’s not that big of a deal. The people I know that are going to Rice seem to genuinely like it for the most part whereas the people from Harvard are split.</p>
<p>You can’t make a new bordeaux an old classic now, even though the new bordeaux will eventually be the highest rated bordeaux of all time. Be happy that you own the new bordeaux and one of the best wine investments of all time. You can periodically show evidence that you are a classic, and that is all you can do. Positive well marketed performance over time is all you can do and probably want to do.</p>
<p>I really, really dislike the word “prestige”. Really, really dislike it. However, I’m okay with the word “reputation”. Rice has a good reputation. I like that there’s not a lot of reverse discrimination with a Rice degree. If you have a Rice degree, there is an underlying assumption by people (at least here in Texas) that you are a bright and hard-working person. I like that a Rice degree has a more “of-the-people” kind of reputation (probably dating from when Rice was tuition-free) and doesn’t have an “upper-social class, snooty, over-privileged, sense of entitlement” reputation. Just my two cents. (Which, BTW, doesn’t mean that I think that HYPS are filled with students with the above-mentioned characteristics! Just that the reputation still exists from the past. And you hear it from other posters who say things like, “I don’t want to hire Harvard grads because they’ll think the job is beneath them, or they’ll leave right away, or they’ll lack a good work ethic”, or other such nonsense. I don’t think a Rice degree carries that baggage with it.)</p>
<p>Here’s the link: [“No</a> Upper Limit. Still” video - Rice University](<a href=“http://www.giving.rice.edu/giving/No_Upper_Limit_Video.asp?SnID=187944462]"No”>http://www.giving.rice.edu/giving/No_Upper_Limit_Video.asp?SnID=187944462)</p>
<p>RML- I understand that you agree that Rice’s academics is as top notch as HYPSM’s. However, my main points were as follows: rankings are not calculated correctly (since you cannot numerically rank such a qualitative factor as an education), Rice is prestigious to the people who matter (i.e. grad schools and employers), the prestige of other schools come from other factors (Ivy Leagues-- they’ve been around longer; Rice is probably the youngest member of the “elite colleges”), Rice doesn’t focus on graduate students (unlike most of the Ivies), and Rice is making strides to make itself better.</p>
<p>But, seriously though, who cares? Although I do not attend Rice yet, I get the feeling that the students and faculty at Rice do not give a crap that Rice’s prestige is not the same as Harvard’s. The students, as you probably noticed, are very down-to-earth, witty, quirky, and willing to collaborate. You will probably not find most of these qualities in the student bodies at many of the Ivies.</p>
<p>As someone else aptly pointed out, if Rice tried to be like Harvard, they will lose many of the qualities that make it great.</p>
<p>"There’s already a program about Rice’s steps to become more prestigious. "</p>
<p>There is no evidence that this program is being implemented solely to become more “prestigious.” It could be that the implementers just think that it would improve the overall quality of students’ experience at Rice and the school in general, and the fact that Rice’s prestige will increase is just a nice added bonus.</p>