For the last few years, college has been a big part of your decision-making process: it's occupied your thoughts, your time and your energy. You've expended a good deal of effort filling out applications, visiting schools and taking tests. Now that you've decided on Rice and you're packing, saying good-bye and thinking about what lies ahead, we want to give you a glimpse of your future.

Rice has some great stats: you've seen the viewbooks and surfed the Web site, but the actual experience is much more. You're in an environment designed to push you until you've worked harder and learned more than you ever thought possible. And you're doing this with some of the most amazing people in the world. Everyone here is smart, quirky, motivated and passionate about something - it's a wonderfully unique atmosphere with endless opportunities to be involved. No matter what your interests are, there's always a way to express that passion around Rice and Wiess.

And as for the best college at Rice: we're energetic, loud, close and full of spirit. Wiessmen anxiously await your arrival whether you love ultimate frisbee, theater, organic chemistry, classic movies or something more unique to you. As Wiessmen, we'll comprise your study groups, your roommates, your student leaders, your fellow actors, your teammates and some of your best friends. We have a spot reserved for you in our community, not just for the next four years, but for life. College may sound a little scary sometimes, but O-Week starts you out with a great team of allies and friends. The Rice community has built a system that will introduce you to your classmates, upperclassmen, professors and the Rice way of life. Wiessmen will always be there to help you crack that math problem, edit that term paper or just talk about what's on your mind.

The two of us were freshmen once. We loved it and we want you to love it too. So, get some sleep this summer because O-Week is jam-packed. We'll see you in August well-rested, with lots of luggage and enthusiasm.