Rice (Jones)

I am surprised that Rice is not ranked higher. If you look at their job placement and average salary (why we are all going to be school: to secure jobs and make $$) it should be ranked well ahead of where it is. What is your take on this Hjort?

On top of what you mention, the institution is extremely well respected as an undergraduate school. One aspect of Rice that probably complicated its ranking is has been accredited by the AACSB for less than a decade.

That is funny you should mention that. My attending Rice next year is sort of an end to a long journey. I really wanted to attend Ugrad there, but was unable to. I am hoping the business world recognizes its promise as a school and thus, Rice will rise in the rankings in the future. Although, I would be long gone before any serious rankings rise takes place, so it won't matter to me all that much. Interesting to know it has only had accreditation for such a short period of time. I know it was a newer program but not that newly accredited.

Yes, it is a little like Yale SOM in that they are both the product of high prestige parent institutions and founded within about two years of each other (as I recall, 1974 for Rice and 1976 for Yale). To my knowledge, Rice did not follow the public/private management model of Yale but it did seem resistant to follow the traditional route of accreditation until the late 1990s.

https://www.jonesgsm.rice.edu/jonesgsm/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID387&SnID=1855613987

The Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship (“Rice Alliance”) was recently recognized as the leading university entrepreneurship center in the United States for the creation of successful new enterprises by the National Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (NCEC).

This Alliance is specifically involved with three school at Rice,J ones Graduate School of Management, the Brown School of Engineering, and the Wiess School of Natural Sciences.

They are very active at the business school and we send a few students each year into PE/VC through contacts within the Alliance.

Just thought I would share this bit of information.

I'm putting together my Rice application and stumbled upon this information in the process. This is FANTASTIC news!

Given Rice University's stellar academic reputation, high starting salaries, and now this, I suspect that Rice will move up the ranks in the years to come.

Updated link: https://www.jonesgsm.rice.edu/jonesgsm/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=383&SnID=2

Hello, is anybody who is attending Rice still around? PM me if you wish to pass me out some tips n tricks

Rice is obviously the best school in Texas and with the best momentum according to latest 2010 FT rankings.

That argument is very much debatable. Jones is a good school and well respected in Texas, especially in Houston. It has good inroads with the energy industry. But to argue that "Rice is obviously the best school in Texas" is hard to back up, especially considering that it ranks well below UT-Austin (McCombs) and even SMU (Cox) in USNWR and BW.

In my opinion, McCombs is the hands down best b-school in the Southwest region. It has all the benefit that Jones has, but with more national reach and broader alumni network.

Agreed. It is generous to call it debatable. EnergyFin trolls various boards convincing himself that Rice is the next H/S/W. I have a friend, 2010 grad, on the student adcom, who told me that he regrets not going to UT. Due to its size Rice (like SMU) doesn't attract as many big recruiters. It does have the benefit of being in the 4th largest city in the country so it gets some banking recruiting but still not going to beat out McCombs. It is the SMU of Houston. A great choice if you know that you want to stay in Dallas/Houston (and they give you some money), but not at the level of UT, if for no other reason than resources.

If you say so

I'm new to gmatclub and not sure if this is the best place to post this but I'm hoping to get some advice. I received a full-tuition scholarship to Rice and also a fellowship to Texas A&M (covers entire estimated cost of education plus an extra $4k so not just tuition). Does anyone have an opinion on which would be the better option? I'm interested in concentrating in finance. Do I take the Rice offer (I know they have a slightly higher starting salary) and incur about $40k in debt for living expenses/fees/insurance/etc over the 2 years or do I go to Texas A&M (Mays) and not pay a dime? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Also if this post would be more appropriately placed elsewhere, let me know. Thanks!

I would highly challenge the notion that you would incur $40k of non-educational debt at Rice. You say you won't "pay a dime" with a $4,000 stipend (at TAMU), but without such a stipend you will need $40k to live...in Houston? Not sure how that works.

Putting that issue aside, I would go with Rice over Mays. I am not sure why it is but Mays is just....weird. It is obviously well regarded from a rankings perspective but just does not get nearly the pub that Rice, SMU, and UT each receive. I think its location causes it to suffer. Houston recruiters have Rice in their own backyard, and the bigger names also go to UT (and I guess UH is in there somewhere as well). The same is true for Dallas but substitute SMU for Rice, and TCU/UTD et al for UH. No one has to go to College Station.

A&M's strength should be in the all-powerful Aggie network (which should not be underestimated, it is unparalleled), but they keep the program so small that the network power is greatly diminished. I'm sure there is also the perception by real aggie (those who went there for undergrad) hiring manager's that the MBA's don't share the same bond with those who got the full experience as undergrads.

That's just my impression of course. The advice is probably worth what you paid.

Thanks for your quick response merkin! I apologize for not making the aid offer that clear. Basically, the total estimated cost of the Mays Program including tuition, fees, living expenses, insurance, books, etc is $54k. They're offering me $57k (that's where my number about the extra $4k came from). Rice's estimated cost is about $145k and they're offering me $84k to cover tuition. The balance is where I got the ~$40k which would mostly need to be taken out in loans. So the dilemma is paying $40k for Rice vs paying nothing and actually getting paid $4k to attend Mays. Hopefully that makes sense Does it change your response at all?

Ah i see now. Man, i wish i had applied to A&M now, lol. The 3 LOR requirement really turned me off, lazy as it sounds.

Anyway, yes that does change my opinion. I still think everything I said is true but that offer is far too generous to ignore, especially when the more generous offer comes from a school that is technically more highly ranked. It's not like you're looking at Rice v. UH. Just be sure to capitalize on that A&M network.

Have you ever been to College Station? It gets a bad rap but for someone like me it would be fine. I don't need a lot to be satisfied. A few restaurants (including some that are quite good...my wife is a Phd student there), a nice bar scene, and a Barnes and Noble is about all I require. Only real downside is lack of shopping....because with the ridiculously low cost of living youll be looking to spend that extra money. Good luck with the process!

Oh I was hoping it wouldn't change your opinion! I did drive up to College Station but it was on a random Sunday. The campus was pretty deserted and it was a dismal, rainy day so I think I got a bad first impression. As you said, it was just...weird, lol. After that visit though, Rice became my top choice especially since I want to be in Houston post-grad. I'm probably a lot like you...I don't need a lot to be content but I would prefer to be in Houston. Also, since Mays' program is only 16mo, it won't be for that long. I'm still waiting to hear from McCombs but I doubt they will offer an aid package that will compete with these two.

hai guys,

What is the gmat with which admission is secured in Rice and TAMU.

How good is Rice or UT for landing in energy sector ?