Rice University Reviews

Rice just built a huge new...

Rice just built a huge new athletic facility which looks beautiful. There's also an obscenely large football stadium. The library is great too. Overall, the facilities are extraordinary for the size of the school.

This question is different at Rice...

This question is different at Rice than at other universities, because nobody gets a choice about which residential college they wind up in (unless they have a parent or sibling who's a Rice alum, in which case they can request to be in the same college). The nine, soon to be eleven, colleges are architecturally varied, having been built at various times in the past 60 years, but in general they all offer comparable facilities. Renovations are continual, generally with one or two colleges per summer undergoing major work, so as to keep them all in a good state of repair. Newer colleges tend to offer more suite-like arrangements, with a few single bedrooms surrounding a central common room and sharing one bathroom.

The parking situation is getting...

The parking situation is getting worse everyday, although it is still very much tolerable. Cars are handy at Rice, but you can definitely get around without owning one. Several of your friends (especially those from Texas) will probably have cars, there's a MetroRail, a bus system, shuttles that run all over campus, and even a zip car program where you can rent cars from Rice.

The drug scene is pretty minimal...

The drug scene is pretty minimal on campus. You'll here the occasional drug story, but these are definitely few and far between. You don't have to do drugs to enjoy the social scene at Rice. Many more students choose to drink rather than smoke or take pills.

Weed is very accessible here, and...

Weed is very accessible here, and you probably will not get in trouble for it. I haven't seen any harder drugs here at all, although I'm certain a very small minority does them. You will not notice drugs at all if you or your social circle is not interested in them. Alcohol, on the other hand, is a very noticeable and popular drug. As far as tobacco, smoking cigarettes has caused a little controversy over here in terms of where you can light up.

We don't do Greek life. We are a...

We don't do Greek life. We are a residential college system. It's basically like Harry Potter. It's a really great environment, because there is a great deal of competition between each college, but we are all unified as Rice students. It makes for a great party scene too.

At Rice, we live in Residential...

At Rice, we live in Residential Colleges. Each college is different and is its own sort of family. They're all relatively nice, but setups vary. Some are suites, some are doubles and some have a mixture of both. Arguably, the best residential colleges are the ones at the north part of campus because the servery food is better there.

The newer dorms (Martel and Weiss)...

The newer dorms (Martel and Weiss) are the nicest, with nicer amenities like bathrooms and common rooms in each suite. The older dorms, like Baker and Hanszen, have communal bathrooms in their old sections but the rooms are much more spacious (especially after freshman year.)

I have always felt save here. The...

I have always felt save here. The Rice police are very visible and they are super-friendly. You can call anytime for an escort, which is really great. There is some crime on campus, but overall I feel safe.

The residential colleges replace...

The residential colleges replace Greek life here. In my mind, it gives you most of the benefits of a Greek system without all of the negatives. There is no exclusivity; everyone is a member of a residential college from day one. You have a built-in network of people who are like your family — you eat with them, study with them, and party with them. That's not to say, however, that the residential colleges are insular; it is very possible to transcend the college system while still maintaining an active role in your own college. I'm in an executive position at Lovett, but one of my best friends is at Brown, and my girlfriend is from Will Rice.

Freshmen can bring a car, but...

Freshmen can bring a car, but parking is expensive and most of it is pretty far from civilization.

There is not a lot of crime,...

There is not a lot of crime, although muggings and robberies have been known to happen. Rice has a 24-hour police force accredited with the city of Houston but that has undergone special training to understand college students. They are here to protect us and leave us alone and respect private space.

The teachers are very amiable....

The teachers are very amiable. It’s hard to generalize because they’re varied. But generally, they’re nice people, easy to get in touch with, and willing to help if you have a problem. I find most of my classes here interesting. I’m an English major, so most of my classes are discussion-based, which I really enjoy.

The teachers are excellent in...

The teachers are excellent in their knowledge about the subject, but they give hard exams and are really strict about homework and assignments. Since my major was engineering, I have had the most challenging teachers.

There are an abundance of...

There are an abundance of excellent restaurants for a plethora of moods and occasions in the downtown area. Popular late-night destinations include Taco Cabana and the legendary House of Pies. On the opposite end of the scale, upscale restaurants like Masraff’s and Americas provide unbelievably good food and an incomparable atmosphere for the finest in fine dining.

Incredible. They are inspiring,...

Incredible. They are inspiring, very qualified, and passionate about what they do. They are also very friendly with students. Plus, the classes are virtually all small, so you get lots of personal interaction.

The teachers are wonderful at...

The teachers are wonderful at Rice. They are not out to get you, and they genuinely want to help the students learn the material. As a result, they are very approachable and friendly. All of them hold office hours and will make appointments to see you. Most often, all it takes is a few words after class.

Professors are very approachable....

Professors are very approachable. If you make an effort, you can definitely make sure they know your name. Most profs are willing to help out whenever you have questions—either via e-mail, or if you stop in at their office hours. It was really helpful for me to be at such a small school when I needed to get recommendations for summer programs. I feel like my professors have gotten to know me well. It’s more difficult to hide or get lost at Rice because it is so small.

The teachers make it easy to do...

The teachers make it easy to do well here because they really go out of their way to make sure everyone understands what they need to understand, and they encourage thinking outside of the box, so that you get a well-rounded education on top of it all.

Oh, Houston restaurants are...

Oh, Houston restaurants are amazing. I think we have the most restaurants per capita in the nation, and there are all sorts of awesome foods nearby.

Rice is pretty dorky at first...

Rice is pretty dorky at first glance, but there are a lot of amazing, interesting, intense, and yes, beautiful people out there. If you’re not meeting them at big college parties, try looking at off-campus parties, Rice theater events, and student organizations. I don’t think it’s really possible to characterize the entire male or female population of the school, but there is definitely someone out there looking for what you are looking for, whether that is a serious, deep relationship or a hookup. You’ll probably run into the latter more often than you’d like, but the former is entirely possible and likely within a student body as diversely talented as rice. I recommend the architecture students, personally.

We have something better than a...

We have something better than a Greek system. The whole school can be an active part of it if they choose to. It doesn’t single people out the way Greek life does. College systems dominate the social scene in the way that the same people are at all the parties—these are the people you’ll get to know if you choose to participate. Honestly, the college system is the most unique thing about Rice, and I think it’s a really nice aspect of campus life.

At least the guys are already...

At least the guys are already smart—they have that going for them. They can be somewhat socially inept, though, because they are not used to dating. They’re used to studying. One thing that is awesome about this, though, is that you can develop awesome relationships with guys because they are really good friends. So many guys will become like brothers to you, and that is really cool. I think there are hot guys. But it’s the type of ‘hot’ that comes from getting to know a guy honestly. There are no ‘hot state school guys,’ so you won’t see models strolling around campus, but you will meet a lot of really cool people with the same values and aspirations you might have.

Despite the fact that Rice is a...

Despite the fact that Rice is a Division I school, varsity athletics are not followed as much as at other Division I schools. However, IM sports are huge, especially when Residential colleges are pitted against each other. Most students participate in IM sports as players or fans. It’s a great feeling being out on the field and having friends from your college cheer you on to victory.

I don’t think drug use (that...

I don’t think drug use (that people know about anyway) is tolerated, but drinking is another story. The alcohol policy is brilliant because they realize that college students drink, but by allowing the closed-door privacy policy, things are kept on campus so that safety is at a premium. The Rice police officers are amazing, and they really are here to help students.