Does Rice University have a GPA cutoff for applicants?

So here's the deal, Rice University is kind of my dream school, but I'm slightly worried about my GPA. Does anyone know if Rice has a strict GPA requirement for their applicants, or do they look at the whole application more holistically?

Rice University does not have a strict GPA cutoff for applicants. Instead, their admissions process considers each application in a comprehensive way. They evaluate students based on the totality of their achievements, including rigor of secondary school record, class rank, standardized test scores, application essays, recommendations, extracurricular activities, talents, character, and life experiences, in addition to GPA.

However, it's no secret that Rice is highly competitive, and a strong GPA will definitely be helpful. Rice doesn't share average GPAs of accepted applicants, as how your GPA is evaluated depends on a variety of factors, such as course rigor. But accepted students almost always rank near the top of their class.

If your GPA isn't exactly where you want it, but you've shown an upward trend or have challenged yourself with advanced courses, that can help. So, you may want to try some of the tips CollegeVine has for boosting your GPA, which you can read about here: https://blog.collegevine.com/improve-your-high-school-gpa-with-these-5-strategies

Alternatively, if there is a legitimate reason your academic performance hasn't been as strong as you would like, you'll have the opportunity to explain that in your application. If this is the case for you, you can read about how to contextualize your performance here: https://blog.collegevine.com/how-to-explain-exceptional-personal-circumstances-on-applications/

Good luck!