Rice admits first students of Class of 2022 through Early Decision program

Rice admitted the first members of next year’s freshman class Dec. 14 by offering admission to 371 high school students from across the country and around the globe through the Early Decision program.

Yvonne Romero da Silva

“These talented and accomplished young men and women are the first members of the Rice University Class of 2022,” said Yvonne Romero da Silva, who became Rice’s vice president for enrollment in August.

A record number of applicants — 1,916, which is a 19.5 percent increase over last year — applied to Rice through its binding Early Decision program. “The increases in the Early Decision applications were realized broadly across the six undergraduate schools at Rice and from multiple geographic regions,” Romero da Silva said.

Of the 371 admitted students, 165 are from the state of Texas and 165 are from other parts of the U.S., including one student each from the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and Guam. International students represent 11 percent of the Early Decision admitted class.

“We are so fortunate to be in the city of Houston, the most diverse city in the country, and the state of Texas, both of which develop incredibly talented and highly sought-after aspiring college students,” Romero da Silva said. “At the same time, we are thrilled to see increased interest in Rice from top scholars across the United States and internationally. The fact that these young men and women see Rice as their top choice is both humbling and inspiring.”

Of the 330 domestic admitted students, one-third are Caucasian, one-third are Asian-American and one-third are from traditionally underrepresented college-going populations, including African-American, Hispanic, Native American and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.

Rice has long been a member of the QuestBridge Scholars program, which aims to “connect the nation’s most exceptional, low-income youth with leading colleges and universities,” Romero da Silva noted. Through this program, Rice was matched with 51 QuestBridge finalists who are counted as part of the Early Decision class.

Rice University is committed to meeting the financial need of admitted students through its need-based financial aid policy. So far, 61 Early Decision admitted students from low-income families have been identified as being eligible for Pell Grants, and another two dozen or so students may qualify as Pell-eligible once they complete their financial aid applications. Rice’s Office of Financial Aid will continue to process applications once families have submitted all the required forms.

“Rice’s Early Decision admitted students are the foundation for the Class of 2022,” Romero da Silva said. “They represent a broad spectrum of accomplishments, interests, experiences, perspectives and faiths. They reflect the best of America and of the world. We look forward to welcoming them to campus in the fall.”