Discovering Rice University

Rice University in Houston, Texas, held a “Discover Rice” event September 3-5 for college access programs and professionals to visit the university. On behalf of LINK, our own Kyle Semper, Coordinator, Programs, attended the 3-day fly-in event to learn about the many resources and opportunities that Rice has to offer for our Scholars.

The program kicked off with a bus tour of Houston, spotlighting many unique ways students can engage with the city to advance their career interests (e.g., the medical district, NASA, etc.). Other highlights included a welcome from Charles Murphy, Executive Director of Admissions, who talked about the diversity on campus as well as the efforts that Rice is putting forth to make access more equitable—most notably the Rice Investment, the university’s need-based financial aid package which ensures that cost is not a barrier to receiving an education at Rice.

Kyle described more about his experience: “After a walking tour of the university led by a current senior, we received further insights from Charles on how to best support Scholars in their efforts in applying for admission to the school. Later in the day we met with the Dean of Undergraduates to learn about social life and other supports on campus. Interestingly, instead of fraternities and sororities, Rice University has ‘residential colleges’—think Harry Potter houses—where students live and have their social community for their entire time at Rice.” (Students are randomly assigned to a residential college beginning in their freshman year so it resembles the make-up of their class’s student body.)

“After that, we heard from the Office of Academic Advising and Student Success Initiatives about the assistance Rice provides to first-gen students to ensure that they feel comfortable and supported on campus,” Kyle continued. “We also heard from a student panel and were able to learn firsthand about student experiences and their thoughts about the university. The “Discover Rice” event concluded with dinner at a popular Houston restaurant—Jonathan’s The Rub—and a presentation from the Houston Tourism Agency highlighting the various social opportunities available to students throughout the city.

If you’d like to learn more about Kyle’s experience at Rice University, make sure to catch him at the next Saturday Academy or drop him an email at ksemper@linkunlimited.org.