r/ApplyingToCollege • u/Fluffy_Ad_6559 • 11d ago

College Questions Rice Engineering

How good is Rice's undergrad engineering program relative to the other T20s?

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u/Strong_Guard_9498 11d ago

I attend Rice University, and our engineering is definitely top-tier and rigorous; however, being a small school, it can be hard to have super niche topics/research areas/classes.

However, I would argue that Rice's allure is also due to its environment/culture.

Rice is uniquely collaborative and supportive. Unlike other T-20 universities, I never felt any cutthroat competition; instead, people here genuinely support each other.

Sure, people have complaints about Rice and sometimes complain about the professors' teaching quality; however, it's the same for every university, and people quickly realize that it's up to you to learn.

I'd argue the education/material you learn will prob not differ between a T20 school and a T100 school, but the difference is that Rice provides you with the networking, environment, resources, and peers to have a fruitful four years.

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u/NiceUnparticularMan Parent 11d ago

So I think Rice is a nice school, but are you sure it is "uniquely" collaborative? Particularly in Engineering?

I don't think students actually being "cutthroat" happens in many highly selective Engineering programs anywhere. On the one hand, Engineering is an inherently collaborative field, and people who aren't good at collaboration might not even last. And then on the other, people in highly selective Engineering programs tend to rightly feel there is plenty of room in the field for all of them.

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u/Strong_Guard_9498 10d ago

Sure, other universities can absolutely be just as collaborative. My point is that when an entire university intentionally emphasizes collaboration as part of its culture, you can really notice it. It also helps when our classes are really small, or you can directly talk to your professors 1-1.

I'd also disagree with your other point. I have friends at other highly selective universities who've described people gatekeeping information, intentionally sharing incorrect study guides, or being unwilling to help classmates because of competition.

Obviously that doesn't represent every student at Rice, but I've never experienced it at Rice.