<p>Today I received an Early Write letter from Amherst and started to think about whether or not Amherst would be for me. I’m going to visit once I find out which colleges I’m accepted to; but as for now I’m curious as to whether or not Amherst can cater to students that are mainly interested in math and science. I’m not a total math/sci nut, but I understand that -from what I’ve heard so far- that Amherst is more of a Humanities oriented college. So my question is, is it feasible to go to a college like Amherst to pursue classes mainly along the lines of: Math, Biology, Physics, Philosophy and Some Religion. Sorry if this is a dumb question, but as of now my only two acceptances are Georgia Tech and Amherst and I’m curious to see if Amherst is a feasible choice for me. Thanks in advance! (Sorry for my horrible writing)</p>
<p>I second the Amherst science question, I'm a Comp. Sc. major (probably) (also probably majoring in something along the likes of English with a writing concentration or psychology or religion or philosophy or some other humanity) - what are the Amherst science departments like?</p>
<p>(I have not been accepted to Amherst.)</p>
<p>While Amherst is definitely geared more toward the humanities, the common belief that it has little to offer in the way of the sciences is completely incorrect. They have world class faculty teaching cutting edge courses; in addition, they offer superb research oppurtunities working closely with professors. Their facilities are top-notch...you can't go wrong at Amherst. COME. </p>
<p>Check out the Amherst course catalog for insight into the courses taught: <a href="https://catalog.amherst.edu/amherst/frmstudentsdefaults.aspx%5B/url%5D">https://catalog.amherst.edu/amherst/frmstudentsdefaults.aspx</a></p>
<p>I am an Amherst alum who majored in Chemistry. I definitely think there is a place for the student who has a strong interest in science at a liberal arts college. In fact, it could be argued that, for, a particular student who is interested in a liberal arts education as well, it is preferable to a school that has a lot of student majoring in sciences such as M.I.T. The pluses are small class size after the intro courses (which you may place out of with AP courses). Even the intro courses are typically no more than a 100 students and all the sections are taught by professors rather than T.A.s. As you proceed further in your major, there is much more opportunity to interact with your professors whether it be a tutorial or research project. I took a one-on-one seminar in advanced organic chemistry with a professor (nowhere to hide if the assigned work wasn't done!), and it was a very memorable experience. I appreciate the Prof literally created a course for me based upon my interest and background. Moreover,the Profs do not have graduate students or post-doctoral fellows so they depend upon you to push forward their research. They generally are interested in teaching-perhaps even more so than research, and can be strong mentors. There have been several studies that have shown that the top 50 LACs do much better in training future Ph.Ds in science than many top private and state universities. The National Science Foundation and private foundations such as the Kresge Foundation have provided significant support to schools like Amherst to train future scientists. One potential down-side is that since it is an undergraduate college, you do not have the opportunity to work in a large research university setting which is more typical of life as an academic scientist. I would suggest working at a university or government research facility (e.g. NIH, Los Alamos) to gain a broader perspective.</p>
<p>Profs also know you and become your biggest boosters. You also have the opportunity to go to some of the top graduate programs later. Two of my my junior year roomates were physics majors. One went on to grad school at Yale, and became a professor at Princeton and UVa. The other obtained a M.B.A from Columbia and is in finance. Among Chem majorsin my graduating class (about 12), the top students went to graduate schools went to Harvard M.D./Ph.D., Harvard Ph.D., Yale, Ph.D. and one chose to go to Cornell Ph.D. to work with a Nobel Prize winner. The remainder were mostly pre-med and went to Harvard, Hopkins, NYU, Jefferson, UConn. Can't remember the rest.</p>
<p>I liked the idea of going to a school in which there was a student body of diverse talents-musicians, writers, athletes, etc. in addition to scientists, and wanted to be in a smaller college community. Also, as future scientist you have the opportunity to get a superb liberal arts education in addition to your preparation for your future career. Last,in some ways it is easier to distinguish yourselves among faculty and classmates in a college like Amherst as you do not have to compete with grad students/fellows for resources and Prof's time.</p>
<p>Thank you for the detailed response.</p>
<p>@zspot: I never said Amherst had little to offer in the sciences, I know that's not true, I just wanted to know what the departments were like.</p>
<p>no, i know you didn't say that, but many people think that LACs are weak in science..sorry if i sounded accusatory ;)</p>
<p>I just got into Amherst a few days ago, and I am reasonably sure that I will major in Biology. However, my interest is in structural biology and proteomics rather than ecology/evolutionary biology, and I was wondering if a LAC like Amherst has the kind of extensive laboratory equipment needed to do research in that field. I looked at the courses offered and also at recently published undergraduate research, and it seems that the main focus of the biology program at Amherst is wildlife biology/animal behavior. Does anyone have first hand experience with MolBio at Amherst? Also, Pmyen, you mentioned working one-on-one with a professor. How common is that in other departments? Is it something one can reasonably expect to do at Amherst? Thanks!</p>
<p>@zspot: yeah, people seem to forget that most research in big universities is given to grad students, anyway.</p>
<p>I also would like to add that four Amherst graduates have received Nobel Prizes for their scientific research (Physics, Medicine, two in Economics) including this year's recipient in Economics. Swarthmore and Haverford also have multiple winners, too. I think it is remarkable that schools of this size can train scientists of the highest calibre and it is a testament to the strengh of LACs as training grounds of future scientists.</p>
<p>Gatha, Congratulations. Would suggest contacting the head of the Bio department or Prof. Steve George who is the premed advisor. There also are courses, resources, as well as laboratories in the 5 college area. There may be some 5-college interdisciplinary majors in place ?Immunology outside the Biology major Otherwise, something could be set up. I also would think that UMass would have a proteomics laboratory. I used to work at a major government research institute, and have had Amherst students work in my lab during the summer. I also have known of Amherst students who worked for a year after college continuing something they had started at our institute before going on to medical or graduate school. As I said earlier, I think it would be worthwhile to pursue such summer experiences to get a better feel for how major research labs function and what the day to day life of a scientist is all about. I would also emphasize that undergraduate science training is learning how to do science, how to think critically and analytically, and how to communicate your ideas verbally and in writing. The specific techniques you learn in science can be acquired later in graduate school or fellowship, and are constantly changing. Moreover, in my work as a physician-scientist, I have learned to rely a lot on others with expertise outside my own area of research. On the other hand, the critical thinking and communication skills, and I believe, the nurtured love of science, were strongly shaped by my Amherst experience.</p>
<p>Skeet daddy, I hope you didn't use that screen name when applying to colleges...I also hope that's not your email name. Dunno if colleges see it or not, but still, funny.</p>
<p>Haha I'm not that stupid =p.</p>
<p>There's a discussion on the Williams board that you might find useful: astrophysicsmom is asking about Williams vs. MIT for her daughter.</p>
<p>The recent Amherst Magazine has an article about Sean Prigge '91 who, after additional necessary testing will find out whether or not he has found a cure for malaria. A biophysicist, he speaks glowingly of his time doing research at Amherst. Check the Amherst cite for the whole article. The edition also lists all the grants given to the profs that will affect the students, in most cases, giving them further opportunities.</p>