Rice University Top Questions

By answering this question, I would reinforce stereotypes. No need to do that.

I don't think it is helpful to talk about stereotypes. What kind of a question is that?

Lots of smart kids, obviously. I think in general Rice students are a little weird. You'll definitely find the "popular kids" like anywhere else, but many quirky people, I think most people settle into a niche pretty easily.

Most students at Rice tend to be stereotyped as sort of nerdy people. However this stereotype turns out to be much too broad. Everyone at Rice is certainly smart, but the vast majority of students are very well rounded and are good at being involved in more than just academics. As a result campus has a thriving inter-college and intramural sports scene, a surprisingly lively social atmosphere, and an amazing amount of students involved in a wide range of projects around campus.

The most famous stereotype is that Rice is filled with nerdy, Asian students. However, this isn't true; the school is still very diverse in general, and it has the same proportion of Asian students as other top tier schools.

Having talked to many high school students that are looking at Rice and referred to me by friends and family, a general trend I've noticed is they are concerned that they won't have fun because Rice students don't seem too social or fun to be with. This is completely untrue as I've noticed Rice, especially considering the caliber of students that go here, is an extremely sociable campus and actually defeats this stereotype that many have about highly ranked schools. The vast majority of students are very outgoing and never fail to find a good balance between academics and their social life.

Two of the most common stereotypes I heard about before coming were that the kids here were all the same (white, rich, snobby) and that they were nerds who never had fun. From the first day here during orientation week I found out how wrong both stereotypes were. Don't get me wrong, people do care about their academics but they also know how to have fun! Due to the college residential system and Rice's rich traditions there are more than enough opportunities to have fun and relax. Secondly, one of the greatest things is the diversity of the student population. You don't have to go very far to find someone who comes from a completely different background with their own unique perspective.