How to Get Into Rice University: Strategies and Essays That Worked
/How hard is it to get into Rice University? Learn admissions requirements and acceptance rates, plus how to write successful Rice supplemental essays
learn how to get into rice university
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Part 1: Introduction
Your child has worked hard and excelled in high school, so now you’re exploring what colleges would be the right fit—somewhere prestigious where they’ll be both valued and challenged. You’re considering Ivy League and Ivy+ universities, but also expanding your search to other selective schools. If your child dreams of making an impact and would thrive in a close-knit, spirited community, they might be a perfect candidate for Rice University.
Founded in 1912, Rice may seem young compared to Ivies or schools in the Northeast, but its Byzantine-style architecture creates a wise, established feel to the campus. Rice is also rich in tradition—including its residential college system. Every new undergraduate student is assigned to one of eleven residential colleges. Each college has its own dorms, dining halls, shared public spaces, and revered set of customs.
The residential college system contributes to social and academic life at Rice. Each college elects its own student government officials, resulting in more potential leadership roles than you’d find at other colleges. The student leaders will arrange lecture series and innovative course opportunities for the members of their college, as well as social events and service activities.
In the classroom, Rice emphasizes research, teaching, and service in its curriculum, with practical application centered on improving the surrounding Houston community. While some colleges seem to exist in an insular “bubble,” Rice students learn to engage their city—both for cultural enrichment and for social activism.
Sometimes referred to as the “Harvard of Texas,” Rice has become more challenging to get into than some Ivy League institutions. It attracts a large number of high-achieving Texas students, as well as competitive applicants from all over the world.
Getting into Rice means accessing a world-class academic and social experience. On any given day, a Rice student might discuss the rising temperature of Earth with a Guggenheim Fellow, walk to the DiverseWorks museum for the latest innovative exhibit, grab fresh produce from the Rice Farmer’s Market, then deliver a health education program to local refugee communities.
And after Rice? The ambition and integrity instilled by four years at Rice will follow your child to any successful career field or further graduate study. Rice graduates use their leadership and analytical thinking skills to improve communities, make groundbreaking scientific advances, and become society’s greatest leaders.
Rice University ranking
Forbes: 22
Niche: 9
U.S. News & World Report: 15
Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education: 44
Where is Rice University located?
Rice is located in Houston, Texas—a large, metropolitan city known for being the capital of space exploration (“Houston, we have a problem”). But beyond the NASA Space Center, Houston boasts a vibrant museum district containing nineteen museums, offering a wide range of exhibits to enjoy. It might surprise you to know Houston also possesses the second-largest theater district in the country (following Broadway in New York City).
Summers in Houston tend to get humid, but with a wide selection of beaches thirty minutes away, residents can easily beat the heat—and enjoy the warm Gulf of Mexico waters. To experience a dynamic music scene and world-renowned Texas barbecue, Austin is the perfect weekend getaway, only a three-hour drive west.
For the same three-hour drive time, students can take a trip to remember Mexican-American history by exploring the Alamo in San Antonio. Or head north to Waco where they can shop and relax at Magnolia Market Silos—the perfect source of inspiration for decorating a dorm room.
Rice University setting
Rice is located on a 300-acre campus in Houston’s urban museum district directly across the street from both the Houston Zoo and the Texas Medical Center. Even though the Houston area houses over forty colleges and universities, you won’t experience the “college town feel” here. Houston is the fourth-largest city in America, and Rice sits near the heart of it.
Houston’s adult population is largely composed of millennials with young children. Because of its diversity, fair taxes, low expenses, and high salary potential, it’s becoming a popular city for professional adults.
As more professionals and young families migrate to Houston, trendy coffee shops and restaurants have followed, leaving Rice students with no shortage of places to explore, many within a short walk from campus.
Rice student population
Undergraduate students: 4,480
Graduate students: 4,085
In March 2021, Rice announced that it plans to gradually increase the size of its student body over the next few years. By Fall 2025, Rice aims to enroll approximately 4,800 undergraduates and 9,000 graduate students in order to meet growing demand for a Rice education.
Rice University acceptance rate
Below are admissions statistics for the class of 2026:
Applications: 31,059
Acceptances: 2,447
Matriculants: 1,125
Acceptance rate: 7.9%
Rice tuition and scholarships
The 2023–2024 cost of attendance at Rice (i.e., tuition, room, board, and fees) is $78,278.
Rice meets 100 percent of demonstrated need for all students, including those hailing from abroad. 57 percent of undergraduates receive financial aid, and the aid award for first-year students is $57,375. 77 percent of Rice students graduate debt-free.
Who gets into Rice?
We’ve compiled admissions and demographics statistics so you can assess your child’s chances of earning an acceptance from Rice. Let’s review the profile of the class of 2027:
GPA: Rice doesn’t release the average GPA of its accepted students.
Rice average ACT score:
25th percentile: 34
75th percentile: 36
Rice average SAT score:
25th percentile: 1500
75th percentile: 1560
International students: 13%
Texas residents: 35%
27% identify as white and 34% identify as Asian American. The next largest group is or Hispanic or Latino students, who comprise 21% of the freshman class. African American students make up 9%.
About 36 percent of students at Rice University study within the engineering school. The next most popular schools are natural sciences and social sciences with approximately 26 percent of students each.
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Part 2: Rice University admission requirements
Rice academic requirements
Although Rice doesn’t list a minimum GPA needed in order to apply, academic GPA is considered a “very important” factor in students’ admission decisions. Also listed as “very important” are factors such as extracurriculars, talents, and character—indicating an emphasis on holistic admissions.
The students with the best chances of getting into Rice will demonstrate academic excellence and a strong commitment to community through their high school career. Their extracurricular activities will prove they possess strong leadership skills and the ability to work well with others. Volunteer work or personal projects devoted to meeting community needs will also help students stand out as competitive applicants.
The rigor of a student’s high school coursework is an important factor in admission consideration. So students who challenge themselves by taking AP, IB, or Honors coursework—even at the risk of getting a “B” instead of an “A”—will have stronger likelihoods of getting into Rice.
Rice requires the following high school coursework:
English: 4 credits
Social studies: 2 credits
Mathematics: 3 credits
Laboratory science (e.g. biology, chemistry, physics): 2 credits
Foreign language: 2 credits
Additional credits in any of the categories above: 3 credits
If your child is applying to the natural sciences or engineering schools, they must complete trigonometry or precalculus, chemistry, and physics.
Rice application requirements
Here are Rice’s undergraduate admissions requirements:
Rice supplemental essays
Optional in 2023–2024: SAT or ACT scores
Optional: SAT Subject Tests
Optional: AP or IB test results
Two teacher letters of recommendation. One should be related to your child’s planned major.
One counselor recommendation
School report, high school transcript, and midyear report.
Optional: Admission interview
If your child is applying to the school of music, an audition profile form or performance recording is required.
If your child is applying to the architecture school, a portfolio and additional supplemental essays are required.
Rice also accepts the Coalition Application.
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Part 3: Applying to Rice early decision vs. regular decision
The deadline to submit an early decision application to Rice is November 1st. Students who apply early decision will be notified in mid-December if they’ve been accepted, deferred, or rejected. Deferred applicants will be reconsidered with the regular decision applicant pool and will receive a second decision of either accepted or rejected.
To improve their chances of being later accepted, deferred applicants can submit significant new information—changes in circumstance or major accomplishments—to the Rice admissions office.
Students who are accepted through early decision must attend Rice and withdraw their applications from all other schools. Applicants can only decline an early decision acceptance if they’re not offered a financial aid award that makes it possible for them to attend. Since Rice meets 100 percent of demonstrated financial need, this situation isn’t likely.
Chances of getting into Rice with an ED application are slightly higher than through regular decision—18.9% vs. 8.9%—but it’s still a competitive process.
The regular decision application deadline is January 4th.
How do you know if your child should apply to Rice early decision?
Your child should submit an early decision application to Rice if it is their top school AND their application is strong before the November 1st deadline.
If your child’s essays need more time or their standardized test scores need improvement to be competitive, it would be better to wait. Applying regular decision with a strong application offers a better chance of getting accepted than applying early decision with a weak one.
(Recommended reading: Early Action vs. Early Decision: Pros and Cons and What Your Child Should Do)
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Part 4: 2023–2024 Rice supplemental essays (examples included)
In addition to the Common App personal statement, Rice University requires three supplemental essays and one image to complete its application. With so many high-achieving students applying to Rice, these essays help the admissions team identify who will be the best fit for the community and who will contribute in a meaningful way.
Your child’s success in these essays will play a crucial role in their chances of getting into Rice. It’s important to share new information in these statements, rather than repeat an achievement discussed in the Common App Essay or elsewhere on the application. The goal of the supplemental essays is for the application reader to gain a strong understanding of who your child is and a conviction they’re needed as part of the Rice community.
Below are the Rice supplemental essay prompts, as well as examples and breakdowns of each statement’s important components.
Rice supplemental essay prompts
Question 1: Please explain why you wish to study in the academic areas you selected. (150 word limit.)
This statement prompt combines “Tell us about your major” with “Why us?,” even if it’s not explicitly obvious. It would be a mistake to write only about academic goals without demonstrating knowledge of and interest in Rice specifically.
Your child should start by doing significant research on what academic majors and programs at Rice most align with their career goals. Rice has a heavy focus on research—75 percent of undergrads participate—so your child would be wise to find and mention current research projects they would like to join.
With such a small word count, including a powerful personal story isn’t possible, but your child has enough space to write an impactful statement containing three main components:
A clear answer to the prompt
Evidence and specifics to support the thesis
Thoughtful self-reflection
Let’s meet our example student and see how he chose to respond to this prompt.
Miguel grew up in a coastal community and has a passion for environmental conservation—specifically the ocean. He’s excelled in his high school science courses, including biology, environmental science, and marine biology. He also took a community college Philosophy course over the summer and has been involved in political activism during high school.
Here’s what Miguel wrote:
I plan to study Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Rice. I fear the ocean I love is disappearing, and I am committed to protecting it. Starting the Ocean Project Club to raise awareness and clean beaches was a start, but I can do more. At Rice, I hope to join the Egan Lab research project focusing on conservation genetics. I am inspired by the undergrad who tracked fish species in the ocean using environmental DNA. I hope to develop a similar project that expands our understanding of the ocean’s endangered populations. But science alone cannot save the environment—public opinion and policy need to align, too. I plan to minor in Philosophy to better understand the social problems preventing change. I want to join the Civic Duty Rice Club to educate and inspire youth to join the fight as political activists. Together we can preserve our resources and my beloved ocean.
What did Miguel do well?
He is clear about his academic interests and career goals. He shows how he’s pursued his passion already in high school and outlines a research goal he’d like to accomplish as an undergrad.
He demonstrates his extensive knowledge of Rice’s Natural Science department, referencing a specific lab he’s interested in and a senior thesis he admires. He also names a club he’d like to join, showing he plans to be active in student life.
He exhibits his well-roundedness by stating his desire to minor in Philosophy. This indicates he’ll be involved in multiple academic programs at Rice.
Question 2: Based upon your exploration of Rice University, what elements of the Rice experience appeal to you? (150 word limit.)
Question 3: The Residential College System is at the heart of Rice student life and is heavily influenced by the particular cultural traditions and unique life experiences each student brings. What life experiences and/or unique perspectives are you looking forward to sharing with fellow Owls in the residential college system? (500 word limit.)
Question 4: Rice is strengthened by its diverse community of learning and discovery that produces leaders and change agents across the spectrum of human endeavor. What perspectives shaped by your background, experiences, upbringing, and/or racial identity inspire you to join our community of change agents at Rice?
Gain instant access to essay examples for every supplemental essay prompt from the top universities and BS/MD programs in the United States.
Rice supplemental image requirement: “Rice Box”
One of Rice's long-standing traditions is “The Box,” a question on our application where we ask all of our applicants to share an image of something that appeals to them. The Box gives you the opportunity to present us with an image that shares something about yourself, your interests or what is meaningful to you. This image is not used for evaluative purposes in the application, but allows you to put your stamp on the application about who you are aside from what you have achieved. Be sure to choose an image that speaks for itself and does not need an explanation. The Box must be a two-dimensional image that is uploaded in the Common Application or the Coalition Application, or uploaded in the Rice Admission Student Portal.
On the surface, this prompt seems fun and relaxed—it’s a break from the strenuous effort your child poured into their supplemental essays. But they should still put some thought into what image to use and what it communicates to the admissions committee.
Your child can use the image to reveal something new about their interests or goals—perhaps sharing a deeper insight into their reach-for-the-stars dream. If your child’s ultimate goal is playing with the London Symphony Orchestra, they can upload a photo of the concert hall or a poster advertising a performance.
Your child doesn't have to use a career-related image, however, if they’ve expressed their career goals well in other parts of the application. Consider which of these other options might provide significant meaning or inspiration to your child:
A childhood toy
A meaningful object
A favorite place
A treasured book
A family member
A role model—historical or current
This prompt offers your child the chance to show a bit more of their personality, but they shouldn’t use an image that doesn't make sense with the overall theme of their application. Remember, they can’t add any words to the image. They don’t want to leave members of the admissions team scratching their heads over what the image is or what it means about your child.
Final thoughts
Rice University is an excellent fit for students looking to combine a top-quality education with an intentional community experience—all in a unique, vibrant location. While admission is highly competitive, following the guidelines we’ve shared on how to get into Rice will make your child a strong candidate.
About the Author
Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on college admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into top programs like Harvard, Stanford, and MIT using his exclusive approach.
THERE'S NO REASON TO STRUGGLE THROUGH THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS PROCESS ALONE, ESPECIALLY WITH SO MUCH ON THE LINE. SCHEDULE YOUR COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION TO ENSURE YOU LEAVE NOTHING TO CHANCE.