What You Can Do
Information sessions
Rice information sessions are led by admission officers and are excellent ways to learn about our academic programs, student life, application process and financial aid options.
General Information Session:
Jan. – Mar.: 2 p.m. (M, W, F)*
Apr. – Dec.: 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. (M-F)
*Note: Between January 1 and March 1, Admission Officers are not available to visitors to answer questions or offer Information Sessions on most Tuesdays and Thursdays. Campus tours, lunch with a student, and the option to attend a class are available on those days however.
Saturdays
Sep. – Dec.: 9:30 a.m.
Apr. – May: 9:30 a.m.
Note: Admission officers are not available on Saturdays from January through March and information sessions are not held. However, tours are available at 10:30 a.m. and you are welcome to visit the Admission Office from 10 a.m. to noon and speak with a Staff Assistant.
Engineering Information Session:
Mondays
Year round: 2 p.m.
Tours
Student-led walking tours of the Rice campus are available year-round and depart from entrance C of the Admission Office at Lovett Hall. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes for the hour-long tour, which allows you to explore classrooms, labs, Fondren Library, athletic facilities and the student center. You will also learn about our residential college system with a visit to a dining hall and a student room.
Tour times:
Year round: 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. (M-F)
Academic year: 10:30 a.m. (Most Saturdays)
*Additional tour times have been added to accommodate Spring Break visitors:
Monday, March 12 - Friday, March 16: 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Saturday, March 17: 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
Group tours
High School Groups
The Admission Office offers special tours for high school groups with seven to 40 students. Requests should be made at least two weeks before your planned visit. Group tours are scheduled on weekdays only in the late morning and early afternoon and are not available on weekends. Self-guided tour brochures are available if your group cannot be accommodated during these times.
Rice University is closed on major holidays. Please review our maps and directions when planning your visit.
Middle Schools, Community Organizations and International Visitors
The Rice Welcome Center offers special group tours for middle school students, community organizations and international visitors. Contact the Welcome Center to schedule your visit.
Lunch with students
During the academic year, we invite prospective students and their families to learn more about Rice University while dining in one of our eleven residential colleges. Dining with one of our current students in a residential college is a great way to learn firsthand about campus life at Rice. Your student host will meet you at noon at the Admission Office. Lunch is $7.00 per person (cash or check). Please bring cash or a check made payable to Rice University when you arrive in the Admission Office for your campus visit.
Attend a class
During the academic year (September to April), prospective students are encouraged to sample the dynamic academic opportunities that define the Rice experience by visiting classes at Rice. A class listing will be available at the Admission Office when you check in for your campus visit.
Classes are NOT available during the first and last weeks of the semester, during final exams or on the following student holidays:
Spring
Jan. 16, 2012 (Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday)
Feb. 25 - Mar. 4, 2012 (Spring break)
Mar. 22 - 23, 2012 (Midterm recess)
Fall
Oct. 10 - 11, 2011 (Midterm recess)
Nov. 24 -25, 2011 (Thanksgiving)
Most classes are scheduled from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday - Friday. Classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays typically last 50 minutes. Classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays last about an hour and 15 minutes. As a courtesy to our students and professors, visitors are asked to be present for the entire class.
All classes posted on the Admission Office website (typically by the end of August for the academic year) have been approved by our faculty. You do not need to register to attend class. If you would like to attend class without attending an information session or campus tour, we still ask that you stop by the Admission Office to let us know you are here.
Please introduce yourself as a visitor before class begins and do NOT arrive late.
Course meetings/locations are subject to change at the discretion of the instructor.
Please respect our professors by turning OFF your cell phone, staying for the duration of the class and not causing any disruptions.
Class Lists for Spring 2012: Mondays Tuesdays Wednesdays Thursdays Fridays
The following activities are available for high school seniors only:
Overnight visit
An overnight visit in one of Rice's eleven residential colleges is a great way to experience life at Rice firsthand. During the months of September through the beginning of April, we recommend that seniors consider staying overnight at Rice. You might even room with someone from your home state or region. So grab your sleeping bag and come spend the night at Rice!
Please request an overnight visit at least two to three weeks before you would like to visit. You will meet your student host in the Admission Office between 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Monday - Thursday)
Overnight visits are NOT available during the first and last weeks of the semester, during final exams, and on the following student holidays:
Spring
Jan. 16, 2012 (Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday)
Feb. 25 - Mar. 4, 2012 (Spring break)
Mar. 22 - 23, 2012 (Midterm recess)
Fall
Oct. 10 - 11, 2011 (Midterm Recess)
Nov. 24 - 25, 2011 (Thanksgiving)
Interviews
Although not required, we recommend that freshmen applicants schedule an on-or off-campus interview. This is an excellent opportunity for us to get to know you and for you to learn more about the university.
On-campus interviews take place in the Office of Admission with an admission representative during the months of June through December. Off-campus interviews take place in or near your hometown in a variety of settings with trained Rice alumni representatives. Alumni interviewers are currently available in 48 states and 41 foreign countries.
Request your on-campus interview today!