Rice University Precollege Engineering: Solving Real-World Problems

It's all asynchronous. Rice faculty teach through pre-recorded video lectures on Canvas, which you can open in a browser or the Canvas Student app, and there are no live sessions or required log-in times. After each unit you complete a module assignment, marked Complete or Incomplete with no letter grades, and you can hand work in whenever suits you as long as everything is in before your session ends.

Your mentor answers questions through the Canvas inbox and discussion boards and gives feedback on each assignment and on your capstone before you finalize it. Mentors are most active during daytime hours in U.S. time zones, so if you live elsewhere, expect replies to arrive on U.S. hours. You keep view-only access to the materials for one month after the course ends.

The course was designed by Rafael Verduzco, a professor and associate chair in chemical and biomolecular engineering at Rice, who earned his PhD in chemical engineering at the California Institute of Technology and whose lab works on polymers for uses such as water-treatment membranes. His teaching reaches you through the recorded lectures, so your day-to-day contact is with a mentor.

Rice lists three mentors for this course. Emma has a mechanical engineering degree and is working toward a doctorate in biomedical engineering, Maya holds a master's in space science from Rice and a physics degree, and Steven is a computer engineering graduate studying for his master's while working at a company that makes high-resolution radar modules. Rice says its mentors are real people, not AI, but it doesn't publish how many students each one supports.

Finish at least 70% of the assignments and your capstone by the session end date and you get a Certificate of Completion from Rice University by email. Rice is clear that it isn't credit, since there are no grades, transcripts or college credits, and if you fall short of the 70% mark you get neither a certificate nor a refund.

Rice says you can list the course on college applications as an extracurricular or experiential activity rather than as coursework, and that it gives no preference in Rice's own admissions. The capstone, where you take a module challenge or a new one and work out how several engineering disciplines could tackle it together, is yours to show on later college or internship applications.

You need to be at least 13 and in high school, or within a year of graduating if you're taking a gap year. Rice says the courses aren't meant for college students or adults, and it also says students can start as early as middle school. International students are welcome, and while there's no English test, the application has to be written in English and the course is taught in it.

Rice doesn't publish an acceptance rate or cohort size, and it says applying to several courses at once doesn't affect your chances.

Applications go through Rice's online application, which saves your progress if you can't finish in one sitting.

1. 1

   Fill in the form

   Give basic contact details for you and a parent or guardian, which takes 20 to 30 minutes and needs no transcripts or recommendation letters.

2. 2

   Write your personal statement

   Explain why you want to take this course in writing, video, photos or any other medium, and give it real care, because Rice calls it the most important part of the application.

3. 3

   Pick your session

   Apply by that session's deadline, which for each session Rice currently lists falls one week before the start date.

4. 4

   Ask for a scholarship if you need one

   Click "Apply for a need-based scholarship" on the confirmation page after you submit.

5. 5

   Wait for a decision

   Rice emails a decision within a week, or a few days longer at busy times.

6. 6

   Pay to confirm your place

   Your course login then arrives at least two days before the start.

The course costs $1,795 whichever session length you choose, and Rice says there are no additional fees. You do need your own device and a strong internet connection, which the fee doesn't cover. Tuition is due the day before your session starts, but your place isn't confirmed until you pay, so Rice suggests paying as soon as you're accepted.

Cancel at least seven calendar days before the start and you get everything back. From six days before, the fee is non-refundable, although you may be able to move to another course or session if there's space, paying any difference. Rice offers need-based scholarships for students with financial need and high potential, but it doesn't say how much they cover.