Contrary to Beyonce, this is Texas, and if you are looking for a great engineering school in the Lone Star State, Rice’s George R. Brown School of Engineering should be on your list. Located in Houston, TX, this private research university is an excellent choice for students interested in STEM. Rice is especially known for its great science programs, and one of its most popular majors is Mechanical Engineering. Rice doesn’t publish a separate acceptance rate for Brown, but their overall acceptance rate is around 8%. That number is probably lower for popular majors like the ones offered by Brown. Either way 8% is a highly competitive rate, and if you hope to get into Rice, you need to be a top candidate. But how? We are glad you asked! There are a couple of steps you need to take if you want to be a great Rice applicant.
Get the Grades
When looking at elite colleges, the first thing you need is excellent grades. There is really no way around it. You will need an unweighted 4.0 or very close to it to be considered a strong applicant. At Rice, 89% of admitted students come from the top tenth of their high school graduating classes, meaning they aren’t just looking for good grades; they are also looking for strong transcripts. They want applicants who are challenging themselves in their classes. This means signing up for Honors, IB, AP, Accelerated, and/or Dual Enrollment courses. You want to take as many challenging classes as you can while still maintaining a high GPA. The highest level math and science classes are the bare minimum for engineers.
Rice is currently test-optional, but submitting strong scores will help your application. Last year, around 70% of applicants submitted test scores, and if we had to guess, it might even be higher for hopeful engineers. We generally recommend submitting scores (even at test-optional schools), and you should be shooting for around or higher than the 50th percentile of submitted scores. Last year, that was a 1540 on the SAT or a 35 on the ACT. These are impressive scores, but if you can get similar or ideally higher, it will help your overall application.
Build a Niche
Brown has 18 undergraduate engineering majors. It should be clear which one you are pursuing. Rice makes you choose an intended major (with two backups); however, even if they didn’t, your resume and academic history should make it obvious what you want to study. By defining and pursuing your academic interests, you can establish what we call an academic niche. The better your history of involvement with your academic passions, the stronger of a niche you will have and the stronger a candidate you will be. Rice is looking for academically serious and committed applicants, and there are a couple of ways to help define that niche.
Courses and Reading
The first step in building a niche is learning as much as you can about your academic interests. We recommend starting that journey by simply reading books. You don’t need to be an English major to read, and there are many books about engineering and STEM fields out there. These are great resources. While you can supplement your reading with podcasts, scientific journals, etc., some books should 100% be on your reading list. Books will make you better at speaking and writing about your academic interests and will start to build the kind of knowledge base that you need to craft a strong niche.
Another great first step is taking online classes. Many universities offer pre-tapped, often free, courses through platforms like Coursera. You can also check for community college classes and university summer programs. Taking a class outside of your normal school day builds a history of academic curiosity and enrichment. Again, these are your basic building blocks and will be expanded on.
In-School Extracurriculars
Your application should tell a story; part of that story should be intentionally chosen clubs and activities. Your clubs should connect to and prop up your academic niche. Popular clubs for future engineers include robotics teams, science Olympiads, mathletes, STEM tutoring clubs, solar car teams, computer science societies, etc., depending on your niche. If your school doesn’t have these types of STEM-based clubs, ask about starting one.
But, simply signing up for clubs isn’t enough for Rice. You need to commit to the activities that mean the most to you. You should be spending time and effort on these clubs. Ideally, you should also try to take on leadership roles in your clubs.
Out-of-School Extracurriculars
Just like your in-school activities should be connected to your academic interests, your out-of-school extracurriculars should be strategically chosen. You can (and should) do out-of-school extracurriculars all year long. However, maximizing your summers is especially important to building a Rice-level resume. Starting freshman year, we routinely work with students to ensure their summers are strategically planned.
There are a lot of opportunities that can help build impressive summers, but for Rice-level applicants, summers will likely include a mix of research, internships, and academic programs. These activities should also be connected to your academic interests. For example, internships might be at tech companies, science museums, STEM foundations, etc. Finding the right opportunities can be a little tricky. If you don't know where to start, we can help.
Build Something Cool
Show off your real-world skills by building something cool. Engineers need hands-on skills; whether you program or fabricate, show off what you can do. We have previously worked with applicants who have built drones, apps, solar panels, computers, robots, and so much more. You can really make anything, and we can help you! Follow what you are passionate about. If you have to learn some new skills, all the better. Challenge yourself and see what you can make!
Apply Early
While Rice’s overall acceptance rate is around 8%, its ED acceptance rate is actually higher. Last year, it was around 16%. If you are a qualified applicant, ED is your best chance at getting in. You need to heavily consider applying early if Rice is one of your top schools. You should have a strategic plan for application season, and that includes an ED choice. Especially for our rising seniors, you need to make a plan. Dates will come up faster than you think!
Rice is an elite school, and its engineering school is popular. This means hopeful Rice engineers need to be competitive. You need to put the work in and start planning. If you don’t know where to start, we've got you covered!
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