As of now I am most likely going to attend Colgate. I am planning to major in molecular biology and plan to attend a grad school with a Phd track. My question is how Colgate bio students fare in getting into elite grad/PhD programs? As of now I am between Cornell and Colgate,I am tending Colgate because I feel I would be more successful in the Colgate environment. Would this prevent me from achieving success in a grad school by forfeiting a big name school?
Colgate is a “big name school”. It’s just not big.
Why don’t you contact the Office of Admissions and the Department of Molecular Biology to learn how particular Colgate students distinguish themselves and achieve their postgraduate goals.
Go 'gate!
Not entirely true. I have junior at Colgate and a senior and Cornell. We live in Pacific NW and while both great schools , there is a huge difference in name recognition. By coincidence, I am a molecular biologist and interview our grad student applicants.
There is more to this discussion, from what I read into the poster’s question, than what name recognition may or may not mean to any one person. Or at least I hope there is…
Successful candidates for any position really should be based on assessments of personal achievement, distinctions and references. How else would an applicant to a Pacific NW graduate school program from a top LAC have a chance at a fair assessment? What counts in the baseline of a candidate’s evaluation IS his/her performance AND the quality of the institution certifying that education - from the pedigree of professors, access to particular facilities, attention to the undergraduate as the college’s sole focus, the rigor and breadth of coursework etc.Then you do the overlays. Bottom line: Recruiters might as well do the candidate’s application justice.
As an aside, Cornell, about 90 minutes away, is a fine school. It’s also very large, while its other reputation-shaping aspects, fair or not, can be appreciated at a personal level with a visit and some good research. But it’s not for everyone, is it?
All that said, Colgate has both broad and strong institutional links and niche relationships which perpetuate successful outcomes at graduation- as depicted at colgate.edu and anecdotally with students’ faculty and career services advisors.
I hope both your offspring are enjoying their experiences and will be lookimg forward to great post-grad opportunities!