<p>Nope. I went to a small LAC and I’m at Columbia now for a PhD. Professors at small LACs do research, too, especially at top LACs like Pomona and Barnard. The other thing is that since LACs don’t have grad students, you often do more intensive tasks as an undergrad: LAC professors are required to show how they would use undergrads in their research before they get hired. In my Ivy lab the undergrad research assistants (typically juniors) start off doing lit searches and mundane tasks; at my LAC I started off (as a sophomore) analyzing data and helping my mentor pilot a study. Of course they aren’t doing world-class research like at MIT, but the truth is, the majority of times undergrad students don’t really get to participate as fully in those world-class projects. The top professors can attract top postdocs and grad students, and they do the majority of the work; most likely, you will be directly mentored by one of them instead of the professor himself.</p>
<p>The other thing is that if you attend an LAC that is in a city with other universities, you can have the best of both worlds. I went to a small LAC in Atlanta, and in addition to doing research with professors at my own LAC a lot of my peers did research with professors at Emory, Georgia Tech and Georgia State, as well as some hospitals in the area. There are also summer research programs at large universities, which give you a chance to get a taste of that world-class stuff.</p>
<p>I am of course biased because I loved, and believe in, LAC education - I had small classes, close relationships with my professors, and an intimate campus environment that felt like a family.</p>
<p>Also keep in mind that since you said you love science and the humanities, the job of a liberal arts college is to integrate the fields. Liberal arts education is centered on the belief that the liberal arts fields are intertwined and inextricable from one another, and a well-rounded education produces better scholars in all fields. It’s really the perfect place for a scientist who loves English and history, too, as it encourages that kind of exploration. If you like Pomona, check out other top LACs - Amherst, Swarthmore, Williams, Haverford, Carleton, Bowdoin, etc. Although they are small LACs, professors there are expected to keep up a competitive research portfolio and win grants and awards. It seems like you might me a young woman with the interest of Barnard - obviously Barnard is a great choice because of the proximity of Columbia, a large research university. But also consider places like Smith, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, and Wellesley. Wellesley has the obvious advantage of being a SLAC while still being close enough to Harvard and MIT that you could get involved in research there simply by hopping a bus. Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore are also relatively close to Penn, and have a relationship with Penn, so you can go there for research. But all of those schools have great researchers in their own right who are itching to teach you how to do research and get you into grad school!</p>