7.5% acceptance rate marks lowest in Rice history
Rice admitted 2,439 students from 32,459 applicants March 26, according to Vice President for Enrollment Yvonne Romero da Silva. With a 7.5% admit rate, this is the third consecutive year of record-low acceptance rates. The Thresher previously reported 7.7% and 8.56% acceptance rates for the Class and 2027 and 2026 respectively.
This cycle saw 4.5% more applicants than last year’s 31,049.
Despite shrinking acceptance rates, Rice continues to expand its undergraduate enrollment to a projected 4,800 by Fall 2024 and begins construction of two new residential colleges, which would raise undergraduate on-campus capacity to over 3,500.
Rice has remained test-optional for the class of 2028. 22% of this year’s admitted students did not submit test scores, compared to last year’s 21%. While some universities, such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Georgetown University and Dartmouth College have reinstated test policies, Rice will maintain its test-optional policy for the 2025 application cycle.
“This was another spectacular class for Rice, and the newest admits represent the most selective class in Rice’s history once again,” Romero da Silva wrote in an email to the Thresher.
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Campus closed Jan. 21 for winter weather
Classes and normal campus operations will halt on Tuesday, Jan. 21, due to a winter storm watch, Rice Emergency Management announced Jan. 19. Houston is forecasted to receive sleet, two to four inches of snow and possible freezing rain. The Rice Memorial Center, Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center and Fondren Library will be closed. Campus bus service will be suspended until roads are safe to travel.
H&D rolls out new spring dining schedule
Housing and Dining unveiled a restructured dining schedule for the spring semester, introducing extended meal times and continuous weekday dining. Lunch and dinner times are staggered at different serveries — for example, Baker offers lunch from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., while Seibel offers lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Under the new plan, at least one servery will be open at any given time between 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on weekdays.
Rice accepts 13% of record-setting ED applications
Rice accepted 13.2% of Early Decision applicants in its first round of admissions for the class of 2029, said Yvonne Romero, vice president for enrollment. With 2,970 total applicants, this year saw yet another record-high; a 3% increase from last year’s previous high of 2,886. An additional 100 students gained admission through the Questbridge National College Match program, an uptick from last year’s 77.
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