ED to Tufts or Rice
Hello I’m debating EDing to Tufts or Rice as a Civil Engineering major. I have never been the Northeast before, but I have toured Rice and loved it. My only thing is from my experience of traveling to Texas on a yearly basis, I hate the environment and don’t feel like I connect with the community. My college counselor said that I won’t really do much outside of campus and to not worry, but I feel like something is off about it. Everyone I know that has gone to Rice has said they loved it, so I’m really conflicted.
On the other hand, I love how open the Tufts community is and its location in Boston, which is good for the career I want to go into. The people seem more friendly and I love their school traditions and study abroad opportunities.
Rice is 15k a year for me whereas Tufts is 24k. It’s quite the difference, but I’m so conflicted because I’m willing to work extra jobs to support my education as needed + scholarships.
I feel like my application is also better suited for Rice, but that could be because I am more aware of their application process and how it works. If I don’t get into one of their EDs, I might do the other. My app really emphasizes community especially within my essays and extracurriculars but my grades are mid-tier (probably going test optional too). What should I do? Anyone have any opinions on the schools