Submit Rice University's application online with the required application fee by the deadline printed in their Admission Calendar. Fees may vary from one department to the next. Generally speaking, as of 2011, the application fee for Rice University graduate school programs is $70; however, Jones School of Business requires a $125 application fee. If you have an approved fee waiver, you will need to mail it in with any other documentation required by the graduate program you apply to. While the university prefers online submission of the application, it will accept hard copy via mail. All required applications are available at admission.rice.edu/ApplicationForms.
Send certified copies of your high school and undergraduate transcripts, sealed and signed. If your program requires a portfolio or an audition, make sure all materials are submitted before the deadline. If any of your materials fail to follow department guidelines, it could delay the processing of your application. For example, Rice's School of Architecture requires portfolios to be done in Microsoft PowerPoint.
Complete Rice University's financial aid package, available on the university website, by the deadline published in the Admissions Calendar. While financial aid for graduate school is usually awarded as fellowships with stipends, additional financial aid options are available through Rice University's Financial Aid Department. The school requires you submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, and the CSS Profile through Collegeboard.
Wait for an email from the school. While final decisions are made several months after application submission, the university will email you a link with a user name and password to the "Employee and Student Tools, Help, and Electronic Resources" website. Also known as ESTHER, this site allows potential students to track their application status. If you don't receive an email after a month, contact Rice University's Department of Admissions or the department you've applied to.
Log in to ESTHER with the assigned user name and password once you receive the email from Rice University.