Biology Program Comparisons

Colleges and Universities A-Z Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1

<p>Hey, I am certainly applying to MIT (possibly early action) in 2 years. In regard to the biology dep. in general, how does it compare w/</p>

<ol>
<li>Cornell</li>
<li>Caltech</li>
<li>Harvey Mudd</li>
<li>Princeton</li>
</ol>

<p>I know the stats on grad school admission (med), but I want to know your personal opinion. Is the general biology dep. as strong as the biological engineering dep.? As a whole, would you say biological research is one of the distinguishing factors that sets you apart from these schools?</p>

2

<p>I hope I am not sounding condescending… just trying to be concise, I realize sciences at MIT at the top of the world, and it would be my wildest dream to attend MIT.</p>

3

<p>I did my undergraduate work in the MIT biology department and am now a PhD student in biology at Harvard.</p>

<p>MIT’s biology program is the strongest of the programs you have listed – the biology department has one of the top three or four biology programs in the country. Nobody is demonstratably better than MIT in biology.</p>

<p>Almost every undergraduate at MIT participates in undergraduate research, and students in the biology department are no exception. Students participate in cutting-edge research; many are published by the time they graduate. I feel that my research experience was the major reason I got into the graduate programs I did.</p>

4

<p>Thanks for the info! I have seen a similar description on the site, but I just wanted to hear an actual undergrad. Your info/story is very motivating. Thank you.</p>

5

<p>

</p>

<p>Thanks for the info, molliebatmit. Would you mind sharing which other schools have top biology departments?</p>

6

<p>Stanford and Harvard, for sure. Other great programs are at UC Berkeley, JHU, Caltech, Yale, and UCSF (grad only).</p>

7

<p>does duke come anywhere close?</p>

8

<p>I also majored in biology at MIT and agree with everything Mollie has said. The ease of doing research as an undergrad is a big strength of MIT. You can choose between getting course credit and getting paid (I highly suggest the latter option!)</p>

<p>In general, any top school like Duke will have a decent biology program. The relative strengths pertain to the number of Nobel Prize winners, Howard Hughes Investigators, etc. which may be important if you pursue a career in biology/medical research.</p>

9

<p>Regarding Duke Biology…I’d definitely agree that the list mollie provided is accurate (generally speaking), but Duke would probably be one of the next universities added if that list was continued. Duke is particularly strong in ecology and biological anthropology.</p>

10

<p>Thanks for the input!</p>