<p>Hi everyone, </p>
<p>I am wondering what some of the top LAC's are for pure mathematics, and what makes them special. I would love to hear some authentic experiences from anyone who is studying math at one of these institutions. </p>
<p>Thanks! </p>
<p>The question becomes how does one gauge the strength of a math department that does not offer a graduate degree…</p>
<p>Well, I am really leaving methodology up to the poster- as long as they explain. Personally, I would asses mathematical excellence on course breath (particularly with regard to advanced offerings), engaging and thorough teaching, and opportunity for significant research and mentorship. But I am, of course, open to other perspectives and metrics. </p>
<p>Thanks again! </p>
<p>How advanced are you in math courses? If you will complete math beyond the frosh / AP calculus level by high school graduation, you may find that a school with graduate level math offerings is desirable so that you do not run out of course work. Harvey Mudd may be a LAC which lists what it calls graduate level math courses in its catalog, though you may not find many other LACs with such offerings.</p>
<p>But if you are that advanced, note that junior and senior (and graduate) level math courses at big research universities are often small. You can check each school’s class schedule to see if lists class sizes. Small research universities like Caltech and Rice may also be of interest to you.</p>
<p>I’m currently a junior, enrolled in an introductory analysis and proof-based, honors linear algebra course at a local university. I am also self-studying analysis on manifolds and the basics of topology. I plan on completing a substantial portion of the standard undergrad math curriculum by the time I graduate high school and next year will most likely pursue differential geo or modern algebra at the same university. </p>
<p>I am aware that many of these schools have limited offerings, but I am attracted to the liberal arts ethos and find that I thrive in smaller communities. I’m also interested in subjects outside of math and the hard sciences (creative writing, linguistics, philosophy, literature etc) and would like a school where pursuing these fields would be encouraged-and that isn’t exclusively math/science focused. I will certainly look further into Caltech and Rice though- thanks for the tip! </p>
<p>So to return to my original question, are there any LAC’s that would offer advanced, rigorous coursework? </p>
<p>Considering the Ivies are basically just overgrown LACs with professional schools attached, some of them might actually work for you.</p>
<p>Chicago, CMU, MIT, Brandeis, Rochester fit @MrMom62’s universities-that-are-overgrown-LACs. Again, the upper-level math courses at mid-size unis give you the advantage of the LAC and the rigor and course offerings of a uni. I’d go uni every chance outside of Mudd and Reed. On or adjacent to these campuses you will find linguistics, philosophy, literature, and creative writing to make the best LACs proud.</p>
<p>I’d recommend looking into both Caltech and Chicago.</p>
<p>Even though it seems counter-intuitive, it might not hurt to look at some large state schools with good math programs. If you’re looking into taking advanced math classes, you can take graduate courses in math. These will have smaller class sizes than normal lectures, and you’ll be taught by world-renown professors.</p>
<p>Here’s an article on some of the students in UCLA’s math department and their experience with the Putnam competition:</p>
<p><a href=“http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/ucla-s-student-math-team-is-3-246022”>http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/ucla-s-student-math-team-is-3-246022</a></p>
<p>I’ve heard Williams is strong in math - and would fit the other things you’re looking for. But you should look at actual course offerings. The other thing about an LAC is that you can always do tutorials with professors in the areas of interest to you, even if it isn’t offered as an official course.</p>
<p>" I plan on completing a substantial portion of the standard undergrad math curriculum by the time I graduate high school"</p>
<p>You may be interested in Math 55 at Harvard.</p>
<p>Top 25 LACs for PhD Production in Mathematics/Statistics
Source: webcaspar.com (National Science Foundation data)
(PhDs earned in 2003-2012 by alumni of the following colleges)</p>
<p>Number of PhDs Earned by Alumni … College
58 Harvey Mudd
33 St Olaf College
33 Williams College
28 Carleton College
25 Oberlin College
25 Reed College
23 Pomona College
23 Swarthmore College
16 Whitman College
15 Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL)
14 Bryn Mawr College
14 Furman University
14 Haverford College
13 Amherst College
12 Davidson College
12 Grinnell College
11 College of the Holy Cross
11 Lafayette College
11 Macalester College
10 Bowdoin College
10 Bucknell University
10 Spelman College
10 University of Puget Sound
9 Bates College
9 Colgate University
9 Lawrence University
9 University of Minnesota - Morris
9 Wesleyan University</p>
<p>Top 10 university data for comparison …
Number of PhDs Earned by Alumni … College
154 University of California-Berkeley
142 Harvard University
112 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
100 University of Chicago
80 University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
73 California Institute of Technology
72 University of California-Los Angeles
71 Princeton University
66 Cornell University, All Campuses
64 University of Texas at Austin</p>
<p>Of course, most of the above universities are much larger than the above LACs.
The IPEDS site shows the number of degrees conferred in mathematics/statistics at these and other colleges
(<a href=“Use the Data”>http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/datacenter/</a>).
In 2012-13, Berkeley conferred 298 Bachelor’s degrees in math/stat. Williams only conferred 35.
Let’s assume that the number of degrees conferred in math/stat is fairly stable and that 2012-13 was an average year. If we divide the number of PhDs earned by alumni in the past 10 years (figures above) by 10X the number of math/stat degrees conferred in 2012-13, these appear to be the approximate percentages of math/stat majors who go on to earn math/stat PhDs:</p>
<p>31% Harvey Mudd
23% Caltech
19% Princeton
19% Reed
19% Oberlin
18% MIT
17% Cornell
15% Swarthmore
12% Harvard
10% Haverford
9% Chicago
9% Williams
9% Grinnell
9% Stanford
6% Columbia
5% Berkeley
4% Macalester
4% Bryn Mawr
4% Michigan
4% Amherst
3% Holy Cross
2% UCLA</p>
<p>It really depends on whether you want high-level coursework, or more independent projects. Some small LACs will offer more of the latter, while larger research universities offer the chance to take classes with some of the greatest mathematicians working today. I would suggest Harvey Mudd, because it is small, but has the entire Claremont Consortium for more social and curricular variation. Another less obvious suggestion is the College of Creative Studies at UC Santa Barbara, if you want to develop your own projects. I’m presuming that you have the grades and scores to get in anywhere. </p>
<p>Reed College. Small, intense, engaging, and their department has some folks whose curiosities may open your mind. I like the new guy, too. </p>
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<p>For you, school suitability will come down to course offerings and research opportunities. Generalizations about strength of math departments for students who enter college having completed AP calculus at most will not apply to you, since you will be taking advanced undergraduate and graduate level math courses from the start, and will want to look into graduate level research as an undergraduate. Take a look at course listings, faculty rosters, and research project descriptions at each school’s math department.</p>
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<p>The greater course offerings at big universities will be an advantage to you here, although introductory level courses are likely to be bigger than at smaller schools. Neither big universities nor small LACs as a class necessarily encourage or discourage taking a broad selection of courses outside your major more than the other. Different schools have different volumes of breadth or general education requirements, whether they are universities or LACs. For example, MIT and Harvey Mudd have extensive general education requirements, while Brown and Amherst have none beyond writing.</p>
<p>One other possibility to consider would be situations where a research university with a strong graduate math department and a LAC have convenient (in terms of commuting and administrative matters) cross registration agreements with each other, if you need a research university for math but want a LAC for small introductory level courses in other subjects. However, there may not be that many combinations that satisfy the strength of graduate math in your specialty areas of interest, the LAC offering the other subjects of interest, and convenience of cross registration.</p>
<p>Although it’s not incredibly convenient, Haverford and Swarthmore are both in a consortium with Penn and both are on the rail lines that run to Penn, so it’s possible you could do either one, then use Penn for your upper level math. If OP were female, Barnard/Columbia could offer the same thing, with the advantage that they’re across the street from one another. And if I think about it, virtually every Barnard class except a few are open to Columbia students, both male and female, so you could take many of your classes at Barnard.</p>
<p>or Bryn Mawr could offer the connection to Haverford, Swat, or Penn. They’re all in it together. Haverford and Bryn Mawr are a short shuttle ride away from each other, and there’s lots of cross-registration.</p>
<p>Despite its tiny student population (2000 students) and tinier math department, Williams has ranked in the top ten in the Putnam competition. Williams math is remarkable, and several math profs have won national teaching awards.</p>
<p>Look for titles and descriptions of recent undergraduate thesis papers (although not all programs require one). Examples:
<a href=“Theses - Math & Statistics Department - Reed College”>http://academic.reed.edu/math/theses.html</a>
<a href=“http://www.math.cornell.edu/m/Research/SeniorTheses”>http://www.math.cornell.edu/m/Research/SeniorTheses</a></p>
<p>Some schools provide online information about faculty research interests. Example:
<a href=“http://www.math.cornell.edu/m/Research/faculty_areas”>http://www.math.cornell.edu/m/Research/faculty_areas</a></p>
<p>Wesleyan and Bryn Mawr are the only selective LACs with doctoral programs in Math, <a href=“Courses Regularly Offered, Mathematics and Computer Science - Wesleyan University”>http://www.wesleyan.edu/mathcs/graduate/regular_courses.html</a>
<a href=“http://www.brynmawr.edu/math/graduate/NewGraduateCourses.html”>http://www.brynmawr.edu/math/graduate/NewGraduateCourses.html</a>
As smaller, more intimate schools, I’m pretty sure they’d be accessible to advanced undergraduates.</p>