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| Quite Bright |
Rice is overpriced and badly located. And that's probably the best of the worst. It doesn't really matter if you try to compare it to other privates, it still costs a LOT. Digits are digits. So where does that money go? Well, it doesn't really go into your education. I'd say it goes in the new efforts to make a bigger, more "Ivy-like" school. I'm not against advancement and progress mind you, it's just that it all seems to manifest itself in new buildings on an already-congested campus for more students who will pay loads of money and not get their money's worth. I guess it also goes into trying to enliven all the sports programs by paying millions for new coaches and other things like that. Hm. So do shiny buildings+failing but bulked-up sports=INCREDIBLE EDUCATION??? Don't get me all excited. You try throwing the two together and see how enriched you get (and I'm not trying to be a prat, I mean enriched in multiple senses). To be frank, you don't really see it much in action anywhere. Well, actually, I guess it is being used behind-the-scenes in all the science labs. That stuff IS expensive...
The school is very heavily biased toward its science departments, so I guess if you're just in it for the whole pre-med experience, you'll have enough to keep you going. But I feel that's appliable to any school - seriously, what university doesn't highlight their science programs? ...which may make you ask, why am I expecting otherwise? Oh right, paying more than anyone could hope for.
Rice likes to boast a diverse and well-rounded feel, but that's pretty bogus. It's more of a "scratch my back, THEN I'll scratch yours," so if you don't fit into their mold of pre-determined success your size isn't detectable enough to warrant any aid. I think Rice would be a great fit for people who know EXACTLY what they want in the future, have determined that road including all the faculty to ingratiate themselves with and all the internship positions they need to land etc. all to culminate in a big bright burst of material and/or esoteric success (and then they can add you on to the list of assets, I mean names, that makes Rice so great!). Too bad most 18-year-olds would like a little more room to maneuver and HAVEN'T determined the iron steps to their great and glorious destiny, thank you very much (honestly, if you were that driven, the majority of you wouldn't be at Rice). Not to mention a little more warmth and humanity in the working out of it. Think I'm being a sap as a humanities major? Hey now, remember I'm still going off the money I paid, so isn't that rational enough? :D I took my share of science classes, mind you.
A small private university is SUPPOSED to give you the support, flexibility and opportunities you won't get elsewhere, no matter where you're going or what you're exploring (within reason, of course). That's why you're coughing down the big price tag and looking at the student:faculty ratios. Here, it's enough to get you the semblance of help with all the nice trimmings and polite embellishments of courtesy and exactly zero of anything else, leaving you with an equally empty feeling (unless you are great at and very willing to kiss multiple butts or are so super brilliant that the university can obviously see it'd be a mistake not to ingratiate themselves with YOU - are you there?). Maybe you don't know if you're at Rice, maybe I just don't know how it compares to other schools, but I know of a LOT of students who have gotten so depressed during their undergrad experience that they literally have to leave and continue their education elsewhere.
Generally, students are nice enough, but like the rest of the campus's overall package, don't expect to find anything too stimulating, challenging or long-lasting. The only impact I was left with was wishing I had never gone there. That sounds a lot more bitter than I mean it to be. I think.
If you think lack of plus points in the academic/on-campus experience can be compensated by the surrounded cosmpolitan, you're way off the marker. Houston is so big you need a car with lots of gas to get anywhere, or want to go anywhere, sweltering weather sucks a lot more when it's filled with the puff-bite-inducing mosquitos, and basically it relates back to the university: a lot of things may be said to be going on, a lot of things may even be going on, but once you get there you find out how not worth it the effort was. Rice - didn't enjoy the university, didn't enjoy the city. You know how a class goes when you hate the material and the teacher is NOT the kind to make anything better, AT ALL? - it's like four years of that. Even though I came out with a decent grade, I'd want to go back and do it somewhere else. | Perceived Campus Safety: B+, Individual Value: D |  | | |
| | Apr 25 2009 | 4th Year Female --
Class 2009 | | Blog it!Blog about this comment from your webpage or Blog, or MySpace account:
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| Bright |
Don't expect to see any of the 50G's that you fork up each year go toward anything student life related (clubs, food etc). As far as I can tell, they spend it on building stuff on every last green spot on campus and hyping up a sub-par athletics program.
The quality of (the majority of) dorms on campus is horrible and so is the quality of the food, which is due to the food budget continuously getting cut (see above). When you put in work orders to have faulty equipment in the dorm fixed, sometimes it gets done and other times Housing and Dining just ignores the request completely. There is no way to get food past 11pm unless you have a car (the closest food is about a 25 minute walk from the dorms, and while being on campus is plenty safe, not many people want to walk 25 minutes through dimly lit streets at midnight). The car idea goes for any planned social outing as well, it is generally tough to get anywhere worth it without a car, unless you want to take your date on a bus.
The students are generally social misfits from high school desperately trying to recreate themselves and generally become arrogant/obnoxious in doing so. Don't expect to do anything fun on campus unless you want to get drunk out of your mind, as almost every social event on campus (one of the few wet campuses) involves alcohol and loud music, which can be fun, but not on a weeknight at 2am when you are trying to sleep/get work done.
One good aspect of the university is the academics. The faculty are generally nice and approachable, and the majors present enough of a challenge to be interesting while not being unbearable. Only thing is, if you're thinking about mechanical engineering and don't necessarily want to work for an oil company, don't come here. It's not easy to get jobs with companies such as Boeing, Ford, Honda, GM etc that don't know that Rice exists. | Scholastic Success: A, University Resource Use: F | | | |
| | Nov 28 2008 | 2nd Year Male --
Class 2010 | | Blog it!Blog about this comment from your webpage or Blog, or MySpace account:
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| Bright |
Out in the field, Rice has not helped, and has only hurt me.
Rice is a regional school. It has little to no recognition outside of Texas. If you are looking for a job elsewhere, or ever intend to work elsewhere, Rice will score you zero points. Compare to this to a school that is less selective, such as Hopkins, Cornell, or Brown, which are known nationally.
Career opportunities coming out of Rice are scant. True, the major consulting firms and banks do recruit there, but regardless you will be stuck in the energy field, in some capacity, in Houston.
Career Services at Rice is small, and not very informative or helpful, either.
I recommend you not attend, or, if you are already, network with professors. They are your only ticket out of there. | Starting Job: Research associate, Preparedness: F, Reputation: F | | |
| | Jan 26 2008 | Alumnus Male --
Class 2000 | | Blog it!Blog about this comment from your webpage or Blog, or MySpace account:
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| Super Brilliant | the food is horrble the people are so self absored | Education Quality: A+, Innovation: B+ | | | |
| | Jan 17 2008 | 5th Year Female --
Class 2012 | | Blog it!Blog about this comment from your webpage or Blog, or MySpace account:
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