Is Rice really THAT selective?!?

Question

Hello!!! This year I'm a senior in high school and I'm really worried about getting in to the university I want. Ever since I began my college search I knew that I wanted to go to Rice University here in Houston, TX. From what I've heard this school is EXTREMELY selective. I'm not the smartest kid in school neither am I in top ten percent or am I in any advanced classes... well except for this year I am in a few. I do pretty good on my on level classes. So I'm probably a little bit above average. Also I've been in a few extra curricular activities and work... Now my only hope are my SAT scores!!! I'm really worried because I have high hopes of getting accepted and so does my family and friends and I just dont want to disappoint them! Now you can see why I'm worried! So my question is.... Is Rice as selective as they say? Do I even have a chance?

Answer 1

I'm sorry, but Rice is very selective, and a little bit above average is just nowhere near enough for them. According to their College Board statistics, 87% of admitted students are in the top 10% of their class, and 95% in the top 25%. They only admit 24% of those who apply. The middle 50% of their students have SAT scores as follows: Critical Reading 650-760, Math 680-780, and Writing, 640-740.

Let's say that you do really well on your SATs. The problem you have is what that says about you. It basically says that you are smart, but an underachiever, which doesn't bode well for your performance in college.

Rice looks for character/personal qualities, class rank, essay, extracurricular activities, recommendations, rigor of your secondary school record, SAT, talent/ability, and GPA..

Answer 2

U.S. News and World Report is one of the go-to resources for college rankings and information.

According to that resource, Rice is tied with Emory as the 17th best University in the nation. This means that it is easily among the most selective schools to which you could ever apply.

The schools above Rice are the Ivy League schools, Stanford, MIT and Cal Tech, Northwestern and Duke. NOBODY should have high hopes of getting into these types of schools unless they are valedictorians of their high school. For everyone else, it's a shot in the dark. Schools like these have surely rejected countless 4.0 students who play multiple sports and volunteer weekly. It's just that competitive.

Based on what you tell me, you don't stand a very good chance, but that does not mean you are a disappointment. I am a fairly smart dude, but I would never have made it into Rice.

If you don't make it in, you'll attend another university that isn't as selective, apply yourself and get some good grades, and then could apply to a graduate program at an even better university.

Answer 3

Why would you want to go to a school named after a food? lol...but seriously i don't think that school is too selective. How the hell can they convince somebody not to go to the University of Texas?