My daughter, a single mom (widow) is taking my grandson, who is an academically high-achieving HS freshman, to visit Rice this weekend, flying in from South Carolina. They have a meeting with Admissions and he will be sitting in on two engineering classes. He is excited about Rice, but my daughter called me today and asked, "For a school where the annual cost is $60,500+ a year and has billions in endowment, why does a prospective student have to pay $12 in parking to visit Admissions and tour the campus?"

1. If anyone has some insight as to how I can get her free parking, please post it.

2. If this applies to all prospective students, what kind of a message does it send and is there anybody in the higher echelon of the administration who knows this is going on and would like to make free parking spaces for prospective students?

She is already paying for airfare, hotel, meals ,and a rental car, so an additional $12 is a nit, but certainly an annoyance.

I agree with your general point, but as the school grows and parking supply stays flat (or shrinks with new construction), prices are bound to rise. Rice parking is actually reasonable when compared with most city schools (especially those in the northeast).

But here are some tips:

-You can park in Greenbriar lot west of the stadium for $2/entry. You can then walk 15-20 minutes to the academic quad, or take the free bus.
-Or (and I never told you this), you can park illegally in South Lot, Lovett Lot, or North Colleges Lot, and Rice parking may or may not ticket you. Even if they do ticket you, since the rental isn't registered with Rice, just throw the ticket in the trash. They don't report the tickets to the state or anything, and don't tow unless you're in a fire lane. This is probably the route I'd go.

(10-19-2016 10:40 PM)grOWLer Wrote:  My daughter, a single mom (widow) is taking my grandson, who is an academically high-achieving HS freshman, to visit Rice this weekend, flying in from South Carolina. They have a meeting with Admissions and he will be sitting in on two engineering classes. He is excited about Rice, but my daughter called me today and asked, "For a school where the annual cost is $60,500+ a year and has billions in endowment, why does a prospective student have to pay $12 in parking to visit Admissions and tour the campus?"

1. If anyone has some insight as to how I can get her free parking, please post it.

2. If this applies to all prospective students, what kind of a message does it send and is there anybody in the higher echelon of the administration who knows this is going on and would like to make free parking spaces for prospective students?

She is already paying for airfare, hotel, meals ,and a rental car, so an additional $12 is a nit, but certainly an annoyance.

A visit to Harvard is similar:
http://college.harvard.edu/admissions/vi...ns-parking

(10-19-2016 10:40 PM)grOWLer Wrote:  My daughter, a single mom (widow) is taking my grandson, who is an academically high-achieving HS freshman, to visit Rice this weekend, flying in from South Carolina. They have a meeting with Admissions and he will be sitting in on two engineering classes. He is excited about Rice, but my daughter called me today and asked, "For a school where the annual cost is $60,500+ a year and has billions in endowment, why does a prospective student have to pay $12 in parking to visit Admissions and tour the campus?"

1. If anyone has some insight as to how I can get her free parking, please post it.

2. If this applies to all prospective students, what kind of a message does it send and is there anybody in the higher echelon of the administration who knows this is going on and would like to make free parking spaces for prospective students?

She is already paying for airfare, hotel, meals ,and a rental car, so an additional $12 is a nit, but certainly an annoyance.

Show up on a game day. It's $5 in West Lot and free if you give to the Owl Club at a certain amount.

I can understand the parking predicament with parking in the medical center being such a premium. Perhaps have your daughter send the admissions office a note to see if they validate parking somehow?

BTW, the weather this weekend should be beautiful! And they may get to see Rice's first win of the year if they come to the game. Or maybe not - don't guarantee anything.

(10-19-2016 10:52 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  I agree with your general point, but as the school grows and parking supply stays flat (or shrinks with new construction), prices are bound to rise. Rice parking is actually reasonable when compared with most city schools (especially those in the northeast).

But here are some tips:

-You can park in Greenbriar lot west of the stadium for $2/entry. You can then walk 15-20 minutes to the academic quad, or take the free bus.
-Or (and I never told you this), you can park illegally in South Lot, Lovett Lot, or North Colleges Lot, and Rice parking may or may not ticket you. Even if they do ticket you, since the rental isn't registered with Rice, just throw the ticket in the trash. They don't report the tickets to the state or anything, and don't tow unless you're in a fire lane. This is probably the route I'd go.

I have some extremely expired Rice parking stickers on my car and I've never been ticketed in South lot. Not sure if it's luck or lack of caring by the parking staff. Like you said the tickets are only meaningful if your car is registeted with Rice. They will hold official transcripts and such until you pay them. I've heard 3 tickets and they tow if you aren't registered.

Slap a R on the rental and they won't ticket during homecoming weekend I'd guess.

(10-20-2016 05:24 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Perhaps have your daughter send the admissions office a note to see if they validate parking somehow?

Making a polite, personal request instead of complaining on the Internet? Don't you know this is 2016?!?!?!

I'd recommend taking an uber from the hotel. You will be able to avoid the homecoming parking mess as well.

(10-19-2016 10:40 PM)grOWLer Wrote:  My daughter, a single mom (widow) is taking my grandson, who is an academically high-achieving HS freshman, to visit Rice this weekend, flying in from South Carolina. They have a meeting with Admissions and he will be sitting in on two engineering classes. He is excited about Rice, but my daughter called me today and asked, "For a school where the annual cost is $60,500+ a year and has billions in endowment, why does a prospective student have to pay $12 in parking to visit Admissions and tour the campus?"

1. If anyone has some insight as to how I can get her free parking, please post it.

2. If this applies to all prospective students, what kind of a message does it send and is there anybody in the higher echelon of the administration who knows this is going on and would like to make free parking spaces for prospective students?

She is already paying for airfare, hotel, meals ,and a rental car, so an additional $12 is a nit, but certainly an annoyance.

(10-20-2016 10:41 AM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(10-20-2016 05:24 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Perhaps have your daughter send the admissions office a note to see if they validate parking somehow?

Making a polite, personal request instead of complaining on the Internet? Don't you know this is 2016?!?!?!

Twitter, Yelp ... need I say more?

My daughter and I (a junior) visited on Monday. I think this is a great opportunity for kids to visit the campus and see what classes are like. She was looking for one of the classes and heard some students discussing chemistry, confused about some point, but she knew the answer. She also got to tour the Rice Engineering Design Kitchen, and I was really impressed at the opportunity that it provides. It also helped me understand why tuition has gone up so much.

BTW, while she was in class, I went by the tennis center. It looks very nice!

We used to live a few blocks from campus. I remember there was typically a reasonable amount of street parking in the surrounding neighborhoods.

(10-20-2016 11:53 AM)I45owl Wrote:  BTW, while she was in class, I went by the tennis center. It looks very nice!

Especially court 13

Harvard is bound to be much worse for parking. The answer for Harvard and MIT is take the Red Line train. It is best not to have to drive in Boston and Cambridge.

BTW, I do not think A&M, Texas and UH would have free close in parking.

(10-19-2016 11:52 PM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(10-19-2016 10:40 PM)grOWLer Wrote:  My daughter, a single mom (widow) is taking my grandson, who is an academically high-achieving HS freshman, to visit Rice this weekend, flying in from South Carolina. They have a meeting with Admissions and he will be sitting in on two engineering classes. He is excited about Rice, but my daughter called me today and asked, "For a school where the annual cost is $60,500+ a year and has billions in endowment, why does a prospective student have to pay $12 in parking to visit Admissions and tour the campus?"

1. If anyone has some insight as to how I can get her free parking, please post it.

2. If this applies to all prospective students, what kind of a message does it send and is there anybody in the higher echelon of the administration who knows this is going on and would like to make free parking spaces for prospective students?

She is already paying for airfare, hotel, meals ,and a rental car, so an additional $12 is a nit, but certainly an annoyance.

A visit to Harvard is similar:
http://college.harvard.edu/admissions/vi...ns-parking

(10-20-2016 05:59 PM)75src Wrote:  Harvard is bound to be much worse for parking. The answer for Harvard and MIT is take the Red Line train. It is best not to have to drive in Boston and Cambridge.

BTW, I do not think A&M, Texas and UH would have free close in parking.

(10-19-2016 11:52 PM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(10-19-2016 10:40 PM)grOWLer Wrote:  My daughter, a single mom (widow) is taking my grandson, who is an academically high-achieving HS freshman, to visit Rice this weekend, flying in from South Carolina. They have a meeting with Admissions and he will be sitting in on two engineering classes. He is excited about Rice, but my daughter called me today and asked, "For a school where the annual cost is $60,500+ a year and has billions in endowment, why does a prospective student have to pay $12 in parking to visit Admissions and tour the campus?"

1. If anyone has some insight as to how I can get her free parking, please post it.

2. If this applies to all prospective students, what kind of a message does it send and is there anybody in the higher echelon of the administration who knows this is going on and would like to make free parking spaces for prospective students?

She is already paying for airfare, hotel, meals ,and a rental car, so an additional $12 is a nit, but certainly an annoyance.

A visit to Harvard is similar:
http://college.harvard.edu/admissions/vi...ns-parking

Texas does not even have free parking on the weekends on campus. All of the reserved/permit spots on campus are ticketed even during the summer, weekends included. Permit spots on the periphery of UT campus are free on the weekends as long as there is not an event going on, so you park there and walk to the center of campus. Parking garages are always for a charge.

(10-20-2016 11:37 PM)mbrindley Wrote:  

(10-20-2016 05:59 PM)75src Wrote:  Harvard is bound to be much worse for parking. The answer for Harvard and MIT is take the Red Line train. It is best not to have to drive in Boston and Cambridge.

BTW, I do not think A&M, Texas and UH would have free close in parking.

(10-19-2016 11:52 PM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(10-19-2016 10:40 PM)grOWLer Wrote:  My daughter, a single mom (widow) is taking my grandson, who is an academically high-achieving HS freshman, to visit Rice this weekend, flying in from South Carolina. They have a meeting with Admissions and he will be sitting in on two engineering classes. He is excited about Rice, but my daughter called me today and asked, "For a school where the annual cost is $60,500+ a year and has billions in endowment, why does a prospective student have to pay $12 in parking to visit Admissions and tour the campus?"

1. If anyone has some insight as to how I can get her free parking, please post it.

2. If this applies to all prospective students, what kind of a message does it send and is there anybody in the higher echelon of the administration who knows this is going on and would like to make free parking spaces for prospective students?

She is already paying for airfare, hotel, meals ,and a rental car, so an additional $12 is a nit, but certainly an annoyance.

A visit to Harvard is similar:
http://college.harvard.edu/admissions/vi...ns-parking

Texas does not even have free parking on the weekends on campus. All of the reserved/permit spots on campus are ticketed even during the summer, weekends included. Permit spots on the periphery of UT campus are free on the weekends as long as there is not an event going on, so you park there and walk to the center of campus. Parking garages are always for a charge.

The other guys do it is not an excuse. They should issue her a temporary permit and/or reserve some spots near Lovett for interviewing students.

I don't know where she parked, but my grandson absolutely has loved his visit. He sat in on two engineering classes and a Chinese class. He is now on his way to the Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen. (Kenny Oshman was a friend - two years behind me). He made a comment to my daughter that he was amazed how cohesive and friendly the student body was. She was, too.

Good visit! And thanks to the Parliament members who gave helpful comments!

Hoot! Hoot!

(10-21-2016 03:24 PM)grOWLer Wrote:  I don't know where she parked, but my grandson absolutely has loved his visit. He sat in on two engineering classes and a Chinese class. He is now on his way to the Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen. (Kenny Oshman was a friend - two years behind me). He made a comment to my daughter that he was amazed how cohesive and friendly the student body was. She was, too.

Good visit! And thanks to the Parliament members who gave helpful comments!

Hoot! Hoot!

Good to hear!

Parking is free this weekend!

I parked in front of the RMC for several years when I lived off campus in the 70's and just threw away the parking tickets. They didn't do a thing. Maybe my car wasn't registered on campus, I don't even know. Park wherever you want and they won't bother you a bit. Don't be such a PUSSIE!!

(10-22-2016 10:28 PM)OWLmanz Wrote:   I parked in front of the RMC for several years when I lived off campus in the 70's and just threw away the parking tickets. They didn't do a thing. Maybe my car wasn't registered on campus, I don't even know. Park wherever you want and they won't bother you a bit. Don't be such a PUSSIE!!

They threatened me with suspension for unpaid tickets in the mid-60's.