What motivated you to apply to Rice University? Please be specific and limit your response to 200 words.
My biggest challenge in finding an outstanding university has been choosing between small liberal arts colleges and large, research-oriented institutions. Coming from an over-populated and impersonal high school, I want a school with small, professor-taught classes in which I can explore topics in depth and with personal attention. Furthermore, I want to research neuroscience and other psychology disciplines as an undergraduate. Thus, I had a dilemma. While small schools provide individual attention, their size limits the range of faculty specialties and research options. Conversely, huge universities offer an impressive variety of majors and faculty research projects; however, classes commonly have hundreds of students, and most research opportunities are reserved for graduate students.
Upon reviewing its various assets, I realized that Rice University is the perfect school for me. It offers the small class sizes, accessible professors, and personal attention of a liberal arts college, as well as the resources and diversity of a large institution. Not only would Rice help me perform research, but the superb Shepherd School of Music would let me continue my musical education. Furthermore, Rice's residential college system will foster my growth and motivation, allowing me to become an important member of the Rice community by providing me with a supportive group of friends and mentors who, in addition to Rice's phenomenal professors, will allow me to reach my full potential. (225).
My largest concern with this essay is that it sounds fake and uncomfortable. I genuinely want to go to Rice--I don't want to sound like I just copied facts from their website. Furthermore, I am definitely not a stiff, stuffy person, and I don't want to convey that notion in my writing.
Thank you for any feedback!
I would talk more about how you would fit into the student body, or how the SPECIFIC qualities of Rice appeal to you. Colleges like it when you are specific. Generally at liberal arts school you have small classes but what is that one thing that makes rice special?
