<p>Hello! I was originally planning on applying to just one women's college, Wellesley, and the rest co-ed, but upon reading what others had to say about Mt. Holyoke and Smith, I think I am starting to consider all of the top women's colleges...but I would really like to know which college has the best science program overall.</p>
<p>What I'm really looking for is a school that will allow me to really pursue the science in-depth. I am planning to major in Biochemistry and I hope to do medical research. Thus, scientific research opportunities and scientific facilities available at a college are very important to me.</p>
<p>Although I love science, I also love English and French. I may choose to double major in Biochemistry and English--yes, they are quite different from each other, but I hope that the college I attend would encourage me to pursue both if I choose to double-major. I would also like to have room to take a variety of courses that may not be included in my major.</p>
<p>With that said, I don't really mind a core curriculum or course requirements as long as it still allows for flexibility and an acceptable amount of freedom.</p>
<p>I would love to hear your opinions and maybe even first-hand experiences. Thank you all very much.</p>
<p>I myself am a prospective English major, and can tell you that the department's excellent--I get small classes with amazing professors, lots of personal attention, and intense class discussion.</p>
<p>The science faculty at Wellesley are phenomenal. You will have research opportunities, if you choose to take them. One of my best friends, a neuroscience major, wrote her senior thesis on the cardio-protective effects of K-ATP during hypoxia in goldfish. A collaborative project, it was subsequently published in a prominent peer-reviewed science journal. The labs are there, the faculty are there. It's up to you to get involved!</p>
<p>The English department is great. I took a few of the Med/Ren courses and loved them. One year, the Chaucer professor debated the Shakespeare professor as to which writer was more important to English literature. (Chaucer won.) It's a strong, active department.</p>
<p>Double-majors are quite common, often between two apparently unrelated fields. I even saw one student who wrote a senior thesis for each of her two majors. Both departments will encourage you to pursue your interests, and I believe you'll have a separate advisor for each major.</p>
<p>You will take classes outside your majors. The distribution requirements, alone, ensure that you'll get other subjects in there. You'll need classes in epistemology and cognition, religion and philosophy, music, and foreign language, among others. The course catalogue tells what requirements each class fufills.</p>
<p>Dang. I think I posted a reply twice and this stupid board ate it.</p>
<p>The point: Wellesley is pretty balanced between being a math/science school and a humanities one.</p>
<p>Ringer: Was this debate before my time. I did hear about a debate where Ko whipped out his Shakespeare tatoo as evidence. And Shakespeare still lost?</p>
<p>The Chaucer debate would have been my ... junior year. I think. So, in the 03/04 school year. Cappy was fantastic and Ko's main point was, "Shakespeare is so cool, he's on my arm!" It was a brilliant event. It was also the first showdown between Shakes and the newly formed Chaucer Society.</p>
<p>Yeah, I heard about it from someone who is a senior now, so that would have been her first year. She failed to mention that Chaucer won, more that Ko whipped out his tatoo. She did say that Ko did talk about how Shakepeare had permeated the popular culture and hence had the bigger influence. But I wasn't there.I think the whole subject came up because I mentioned having had Ko (for Writing 125 and liked him), but he didn't actually show off his Shakespeare tatoo for us. Shame. Haven't taken any real English classes at Swelles. But they are offering this course called "Writing for Children" next semester which sounds amazing. But the seniors filled it up during the first five minutes of their registration.</p>
<p>Over 30% of Wellesley students double major. I had many friends who majored in a science and in a humanities..this was back in the day and the trend continuses today.</p>