VISIT

Meet Our Owl Guides

Rice is full of amazing students who come from a diverse set of backgrounds and interests, and we are so excited for you to meet some of them! Our owl guides are passionate about sharing their Rice experience and eager to show you a glimpse of what it’s like to be a Rice Owl.

Megan '25

Columbia, Maryland

Residential College: Brown

What is your favorite Rice experience?
My favorite Rice experience is simply existing with the people at my residential college, Brown College! I've made some of my best friends there and everyone is wonderful. Whether it's hanging out in Vator (our 1st floor lobby), having dinner in Commons, or walking over to Hermann Park, I've genuinely enjoyed every second of my time with these people. It's so easy to get to know other Brownies and the culture we've created definitely makes it feel like home.

Interests: ARTS, CULTURE, MUSIC, RESEARCH
Melissa '26

Pearland, Texas

Residential College: Hanszen

What is your favorite question to be asked on tour and why?
I love to be asked about the languages department here at Rice. Even as a non-major, there are so many opportunities available and I've loved taking their classes and attending events.

Interests: COMMUNITY SERVICE, CULTURE, ENVIRONMENTAL, RESEARCH
Michael '26

Sugar Land, Texas

Residential College: Duncan

What is your favorite Rice experience?
My favorite Rice experience is participating in the Civic Immersion Program the summer before the start of my freshman year. Civic Immersion is a program sponsored by the Center for Civic Leadership that introduces incoming freshmen to various social issues specific to Houston communities and exposes students to community partners that they can get involved with during their time at Rice. Although I grew up around the Houston area, I was not familiar with many of the communities and social issues of the city. It was truly inspiring to engage “beyond the hedges” of Rice’s campus and familiarize myself with the vibrant communities and wonderful diversity that make up the fourth largest city in the country! Additionally, I met so many amazing people from all over the state/country who are now some of my closest friends.

Interests: COMMUNITY SERVICE, CULTURE, MUSIC, RESEARCH
Milton '26

Sacramento, California

Residential College: Wiess

Why did you choose Rice?
When I visited Rice as a prospective student, I immediately felt a sense of community on the campus. Everyone seemed very genuine and always happy to help whether they were helping another student or just a random stranger. Even though Rice is far from my original home, I felt that I could establish a new home for myself on campus.

Interests: COMMUNITY SERVICE, ENVIRONMENTAL, RESEARCH, STUDENT LEADERSHIP
Miroslav '27

Houston, Texas

Residential College: Sid Richardson

What is your favorite Rice experience?
One of my favorite Rice experiences was the De Lange conference I attended in my second semester. One of the guests lecturers was Dr. Frances Arnold, who is the 2018 Nobel laureate in Chemistry and one of the people whose work inspired me to start doing Chemistry on the very first place. She also participated in two episodes of The Big Bang Theory, which is my favorite show. Thankfully to Rice, that day I took a picture with one of my greatest idols.

Interests: ENVIRONMENTAL, RESEARCH, STUDENT LEADERSHIP
Nikhil '27

Singapore, Singapore

Residential College: Hanszen

What is your favorite question to be asked on tour and why?
My favorite question to be asked on tour is, "What makes Rice different from other universities?" because it allows me to showcase the unique aspects of Rice that truly set it apart from other top universities. I enjoy discussing how Rice's collaborative spirit, supportive community, and commitment to inclusivity create an environment where students not only excel academically but also grow personally and form lifelong connections. This question presents an opportunity to convey why Rice isn't just a university but a transformative experience that nurtures both intellectual curiosity and individual well-being.

Interests: COMMUNITY SERVICE, CULTURE, ENVIRONMENTAL, MUSIC
Princess '27

Atlanta, Georgia

Residential College: Brown

Why did you choose Rice?
I chose Rice because of the extensive resources available to students, and the welcoming atmosphere which allows students to be more collaborative than competitive.

Interests: COMMUNITY SERVICE, RESEARCH, SOCIAL JUSTICE, STUDENT LEADERSHIP
Priya '26

Dayton, Ohio

Residential College: Sid Richardson

Why did you choose Rice?
I chose Rice because of the amazing Pre-Med opportunities and for the close knit student body.

Interests: ATHLETICS, COMMUNITY SERVICE, CULTURE, RESEARCH
Radhani '26

Katy, Texas

Residential College: Sid Richardson

What is your favorite Rice experience?
My favorite rice experience is not necessarily just one moment but the many late nights I’ve spent with friends cooking or doing Karaoke. I have found that I have the most fun on these random unplanned nights where we just get to relax and take a break from schoolwork.

Interests: ARTS, COMMUNITY SERVICE, CULTURE, MUSIC
Rahul '27

Cupertino, California

Residential College: Martel

Why did you choose Rice?
I chose Rice because of its unique Sport Analytics major, the vast network of connections that the sport management department has, and its reputation of having the “happiest” student body (which I find to be very true).

Interests: ATHLETICS, MUSIC, RESEARCH
Ramon '27

Chicago, Illinois

Residential College: Duncan

What is your favorite question to be asked on tour and why?
My favorite question to be asked on tour is which residential college I am part of. This gives me the opportunity to show incoming applicants the strong ties associated to the residential colleges. The meaning it holds to be part of Duncan and how it's now part of my identity.

Interests: COMMUNITY SERVICE, CULTURE, SOCIAL JUSTICE, STUDENT LEADERSHIP
Rima '26

Accra, Ghana

Residential College: Brown

Why did you choose Rice?
It has a small tight-knit community and a lot of options for STEM majors.

Interests: ARTS, CULTURE, ENVIRONMENTAL
Rita '25

Herndon, Virginia

Residential College: Lovett

Why did you choose Rice?
I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted to study, but I felt reassured that Rice had top-caliber academics in virtually all departments that were accessible to anyone. I wanted to go to a school in a big city that still maintained a safe and homey campus. I hoped to discover the sense of tight-knit community that I could always lean on that sounded too good to be true. Now I'm here, and I have found just that.

Interests: COMMUNITY SERVICE, CULTURE, MUSIC, STUDENT LEADERSHIP
Rocio '27

Houston, Texas

Residential College: Wiess

What is your favorite Rice experience?
My favorite Rice experience is so far has definitely been O-week. Being placed into my home college, Wiess, and getting to know everyone was such a fun time. We all bonded and although it was a very intense few days, they were definitely memorable. Since everyone was new, we all branched out of our comfort zone and learned about ourselves and people around us. The friendships and memories created during that week are ones that I hold onto dearly.

Interests: ATHLETICS, CULTURE, MUSIC, RESEARCH
Ryan '26

Ocala, Florida

Residential College: Jones

What is your favorite question to be asked on tour and why?
What is your favorite class that you have ever taken because the classes I give are one unrelated to my major and it is super fun to see everyone's reactions.

Interests: RESEARCH, STUDENT LEADERSHIP
Salvador '27

Florence, South Carolina

Residential College: Duncan

Why did you choose Rice?
Plain and simple, I chose Rice for the amazing community. Any college has the opportunity to provide you an education that can take you far in life, but not a single other college provides an amazing education in a way that changes you for the better. Everything at Rice is about the students! Even housing is designed to bring people together through the residential college system! Very blatantly put, Rice gives you a stellar education while also giving you a community that will build you up.

Interests: ATHLETICS, ENVIRONMENTAL, STUDENT LEADERSHIP
Sara '26

Wrocław, Poland

Residential College: Hanszen

What is your favorite question to be asked on tour and why?
I am often asked where I am from, and then how I ended up studying in the USA and at Rice. I like being asked this question as my background demonstrates that students at Rice are very unique and come from all over the world. I also like this question because my journey of coming to the States is interesting and special.

Interests: ATHLETICS, CULTURE, RELIGION
Scott '25

Houston, Texas

Residential College: Sid Richardson

Why did you choose Rice?
I chose Rice for many reasons, but the primary reason was the strong sense of community. The residential college system is such a fun and unique way of meeting people across all different majors, grade levels, and backgrounds, and it has been really nice being able to walk across campus and see familiar faces. When I was learning more about Rice, I got the sense that Rice students were kind and genuinely cared for one another, and I have definitely found that to be true during my time at Rice. In addition, I also knew that Rice had so many opportunities for clubs, research, and extracurriculars, which has definitely enhanced my Rice experience!

Interests: COMMUNITY SERVICE, RESEARCH, STUDENT LEADERSHIP
Siddhi '25

St. Louis, Missouri

Residential College:

What is your favorite Rice experience?
One of my favorite experiences at Rice has been the joy of meeting new people. Despite its simplicity, the campus fosters an extraordinary atmosphere of friendliness and warmth. The people here possess a captivating blend of kindness and quirkiness that's distinctively Rice. I've formed friendships in the most unexpected ways, cherishing the uniqueness of each interaction. From chance encounters to shared interests, every connection feels like a vibrant part of the Rice experience.

Interests: RESEARCH, SOCIAL JUSTICE, STUDENT LEADERSHIP
Swetha '26

Odessa, Texas

Residential College: Wiess

Why did you choose Rice?
Rice has been the best school in Texas and I wanted a fresh start. Here at Rice, the diversity, community, and academics are the main reason why I wanted to come to Rice and considered Rice as my dream school. The diverse community has let me meet so many people whether it be through clubs or my residential college. The academics are rigorous, but is rewarding to be a part of once you study and meet other like minded people in your class.

Interests: COMMUNITY SERVICE, CULTURE, ENVIRONMENTAL, RESEARCH
Tanya '25

Round Rock, Texas

Residential College: Will Rice

What is your favorite Rice experience?
Filling up water balloons for a week leading up to Rice's giant water balloon fight has been one of my favorite experiences. Will Rice is especially dedicated towards water balloons, so everyone comes out to fill balloons at some point during that week. I especially loved the various conversations we had when every spout on the filling apparatus (cherished the "cow") was being used with people I had never talked to before. In the end, we had 58 trash cans full of water balloons and I'm very proud of our efforts :D.

Interests: COMMUNITY SERVICE, ENVIRONMENTAL, MUSIC, RESEARCH