Rice University Top Questions

Rice offers strong academics.

It is harder than high school.

The academics at Rice are top-notch, as would be expected from a school of its caliber. I think it is difficult to compare the quality of teaching among top schools, though, since the faculty move around a lot among them. When professors who just arrived from Stanford and MIT teach us, their teaching does not change much. So, are we receiving an education that is better or worse than that of a student at Stanford? Probably not. In nearly every class I've taken here, the professor has learned my name. Rice students regularly chat, dine, and even hang out with our highly accomplished professors. It's also not unusual for them to exchange cell phone numbers and become friends on Facebook. More often than not, profs here have us use their first names, which was somewhat uncomfortable for me at first. But I discovered it makes for a more relaxed intellectual environment in which students are more comfortable with sharing their thoughts. Very nice.

The science and engineering courses are very challenging; organic chemistry and physics are some of the least favorite classes for many students.

Academics at Rice are indeed difficult but that is expected as Rice is a highly ranked university. Students range across the spectrum in terms of competitiveness but are not annoyingly so by any means. One of the best things about academics at Rice is the professors. They are always willing to spend extra time helping you out and you will often see them at events around campus so you can build a relationship with them that transcends the simple student-teacher stigma. The major departments at Rice are Engineering, Humanities, Social Sciences, Architecture, and Music. Engineering and Music are considered to be the hardest while Architecture is supposed to be the most time consuming and strenuous. I am an engineer and feel that the program is challenging but fair. The requirements are more than other departments but you can clearly see the need for each and every course and it reflects the value of your degree when you graduate. The diversity and number of classes at Rice is staggering considering the comparatively small student body. One of the most unique aspects is Student Taught Courses. These are 1 credit courses are taught by a student and can be of any topic they choose. Some examples are classes on Bollywood, Harry Potter, and a class on Jeopardy! Any student can apply to teach a course and they are responsible for making the curriculum, syllabus, and giving out grades as well.

I love the size of most of the classes, they're small and the professors take the time to get to know you and for the most part are easily accessible. The class participation for most of the social science classes at least are common, and although this may have some personal bias some of the best classes are the psychology classes. In particular the social psychology course was the most interesting in both lecture and content. All students are willing to help each other out and are not competitive against each other.

Academics are top notch at Rice. Professors teach all but a tiny handful of classes (no, these are not intro classes - those are taught by professors). Most professors on campus have their doctorate in their field. They are very enthusiastic and want to share their knowledge with undergraduates.The professors are friendly and accessible outside of class. Academics at Rice are not easy. However, there are many resources here to help you succeed. Most courses have TAs (grad students or upperclassmen) that hold weekly help sessions and office hours as well. The spirit at Rice is very collaborative, and students here are encouraged to work together on finding solutions as long as each submits their own work. (This is particularly true in math/science courses.) Students tend to work together with others in their residential college. Professors place a lot of trust in students. You will have take home exams in some classes, during which you are expected to only use the designated resources and stop working at the end of the time limit. These expectations are bounded by a campus Honor Code. The Honor Code is student enforced, and violators will have to face the Honor Council.

Rice divides its classes into three basic categories: D1 (Humanities), D2 (Social Sciences), and D3 (maths and sciences). D stands for distribution. To graduate, Rice has distribution requirements to ensure that you are "well rounded" in all the subjects. For example, my major is political science, a D2. To graduate, I will have to take 12 credit hours (normally four classes) in D1 and D3 classes. The math and science majors complain a lot about distribution because their majors have harsher requirements. For comparison's sake, Political Science is very lenient about required credits and there is a lot more choice for electives than other majors allow. However classes are seriously difficult. Most students here were top of their high school class and quite a few of them are struggling to maintain even a B average. Grading is curved and it takes a bunch of work to get an A. The amount of homework assigned is sometimes unreasonable and whenever exam time comes along, students withdraw into their rooms or library to study. Again, the amount of homework is ridiculous. As a freshmen, I have classes that assign 200 pages of reading a week. Balancing homework is difficult for all majors, and many students think that in Rice's continual quest to be comparable to the Ivy League colleges, they assign more work (apparently more work = better school). There is definitely a lot of pressure to succeed here, and some students don't even eat meals in the cafeteria because they are too busy studying. Studying definitely will take up a majority of any student's time at Rice, but students are not outwardly competitive. Students are friendly and helpful, and it's definitely common to see late-night study groups cramming before the big midterm. Class size honestly depends on the major and the year you are. Engineering/science students have it the worst. My roommate is a pre-med major and his intro Chemistry, Biology, Anatomy, etc classes have over 80 students in them (he describes them as "typical lecture hall classes"). My largest class has been an Intro to Sociology course which had 80 students in it. The luxury of Rice, however, is that these large classes don't last long. Keep in mind that I'm a freshman and one of my classes has 4 people in it. You definitely wouldn't find that at a state university. Rice prides itself on its (I believe) 5:1 student faculty ratio, and it is a great way to build relationships with your professors. Even the professors of our large classes encourage the students to come to their office hours, and I've never had any difficulty talking with a professor about the class/assignments.

I'll just answer the prompts on this question (feeling lazy). Every professor I took at Rice knew my name. Even in big intro classes, if you go to office hours or engage in discussions in class, the professor will know your name. It's a very student-oriented school. My favorite class? Impossible! I loved all my Art History courses. Least favorite? I wasn't a huge fan of the poli sci department. Rice students study...a lot. Well, most do. I had friends who studied 5-6 hours a day (and way more before exams). I studied ~2 hours a day (and way more before exams). But I also had friends who seldom studied. It all depends on your program, your desired grades, and your personality. Rice students are competitive. But you won't really see it on the surface. The sugar-coated claws are key! I did spend time with professors outside of class. I would discuss my work with them (Rice profs are very present), and I would consider a few to be friends. I even still see some socially!

The academics are really strong. Classes tend to be challenging, but it is worth it. Classes are also small, and teachers try to learn your name. Students are hard working, but always willing to help a fellow student.