Bringing The Best To Rice
4/9/2019 4:23:00 PM | Owl Club
Rice Athletics seeks to recruit student-athletes who excel in the classroom, on the field, and in life. Aspiring Owls recruited to compete at Rice are of the highest caliber and must possess characteristics that will enhance their team and the Rice community as a whole. The generosity of donors who support the Owl Club aid all of our coaches with the resources needed to successfully recruit the most extraordinary student-athletes in Texas, throughout the U.S., and around the world. Some students have never heard of Rice University until their junior or senior year of high school while others have always aspired to be an Owl. A few of our student-athletes tells us what the recruiting process was like from their perspective.
"I first heard about Rice when I was a sophomore in high school and a friend/fellow swimmer that was a year older was considering Rice for athletics/academics. Ever since I heard about the school from her I knew I would be interested in going to school here." -Harper Gillentine
Recruiting for athletics is a valuable way for the university to increase its profile in areas across the country which might not be overly familiar with this extraordinary university situated in the heart of Houston.
"Going into my senior year of high school, I had never heard of Rice. Being from the northeast, most of my classmates stayed around the area or traveled down the coast to southern schools. No one had gone to Rice in the past 4 years. All I knew about Rice was that it was a great school in the south, and I had never considered going since it was so far away." -Brandon Cua
The search for talented athletes does not stop at the shores of the United States, students from all around the world seek the opportunity to compete and learn at Rice. "My first introduction to Rice was mostly due to the fact that my dad is American and grew up in the US. I first heard about Rice through my dad and was eager to learn more. I came on a visit my senior year of high school and absolutely loved Rice. I loved the coaches and the team environment!"- Michaela Haet
"Having grown in up in Scotland it may seem that Rice was a far stretch for me, however I have always known that I would eventually end up in Houston. My father completed his Master's degree here at Rice and briefly participated on the football team. My older brother had been recruited to play golf at the University of Houston and I knew I wanted to stay close to him and he had passed a lot of his knowledge about college golf on to me and it was then I started to look into the possibility of pursuing a college career at Rice." -Campbell Gibson
The journey of a potential student-athlete concludes with the remarkable accomplishment of being accepted for admission to Rice University. This formal acceptance is a life changing moment for these soon to be Owls.
"When I received my offer letter that confirmed that I had been accepted into Rice, I remember all I could think about was how fortunate I was. Rice is such an incredible environment to learn how to thrive in, there are so many opportunities that are thrown at you, and there is almost no excuse for failure." –Harper Gillentine
"The happiest moment for me was when I told my parents that I had not only an offer, but that I immediately told them that I had made up my mind to come to Rice. My father was so proud that he could see me represent the school that he once did back when he studied here. It was then that they told me about when I was a child, I always talked about following his footsteps and gaining a degree from Rice."- Campbell Gibson
"What made me choose Rice was the whole combination of excellence and well-roundedness in all aspects. There is not one thing I would change about the school. It is not too large, the residential college system and culture around campus create a really accepting environment and the warm weather (compared to Connecticut) all contribute to the school's unique feel." –Brandon Cua
"I chose Rice University for numerous reasons. It is a very academic school and also great for tennis which is what I was looking for in my dream school. I loved the coaches and the team culture. I liked the fact that Rice doesn't have sororities or fraternities and thought that the residential college system was a great concept! The location of Rice is also ideal, it is in the heart of a beautiful area of Houston." –Michaela Haet
The recruiting process is the beginning of the journey for a student-athlete, our next feature will discuss what it's like to leave home and become a Rice University student-athlete.
You can make a gift to the Owl Club to support our student-athletes and help provide the resources that bring the best to Rice.
Players Mentioned
