<p>Great discussion on CMU vs. Mudd -- DS is looking at a math/CS major and Mudd and CMU are on his likely list, so I am eager to hear differing views. We visited HMC last summer and the profs went out of their way in the math dept. to say hello and ask my son if he had any questions (in partuicular, Benjamin and Martonosi). DS is looking at theoretical CS, and he has noticed that there are now three theoretical CS folks there, inc. Pippenger.</p>
<p>We are visiting CMU over Spring Break, and will make another quick trip to HMC in the fall so DS can interview and sit in on classes.</p>
<p>Mudd doesn't get as much love on the East Coast, but that's fine with my son, who would like to keep HMC a secret for as long as possible!</p>
<p>Who really goes to a school for the architecture?!? Everyone makes HMC out to be some G-d awful ugly place, and it wasn't.</p>
<p>Good luck with the search, Countingdown, your DS is making some great choices.</p>
<p>A couple points about CMU, with its grad school right there...my DS '05 was accepted into a concomitant BS-MS degree after sophomore year and could have done that in 4 years (saves a lot of $$). He stayed 5th year for a second bachelors (for him it was Computer Science). My point is CMU has lots of these type arrangements called amps (accelerated masters programs). Also when he started grad classes he worked as a paid TA, didn't teach classes of course but helped the prof mark exams, plus had office hours to help students if they needed it. Looks great on a resume too. So a lot of CMU undergrads get involved with the grad schools for much of their time there. He did paid research from second summer on. (came home after 1st summer)</p>
<p>Don't think for a second there's much "large lecture" stuff at CMU SCS. I think there's about 150 kids per year...I counted 205 professors listed in the department. You learn from the best in the field, the authors of the texts, in any direction you want to go. It's an amazing program.</p>
<p>Like HMC apparently CMU campus is different but I find it very orderly and attractive.</p>
<p>clk, Thanks for the info! Definitely worth looking into, as DS is getting some teaching experience now and is very interested in doing more of it. A few schools he's looking at have a 4 year Master's, and it's feasbile for him because he'll be coming in placed out of a lot of math. I thnk CS placement is going to have to be negotiated personally. It makes the MS program or a serious double major very do-able for him.</p>
<p>what is the better school for computational neuroscience? because i hear that neither are.</p>
<p>yeah bruno
i think ur way wrong</p>
<p>i havent read those rankings, but i can bet that they are for universities, not colleges.
and Harvey Mudd is not a univeristy</p>
<p>um...neuroscience?</p>
<p>HMC is an excellent school for solid undergraduate education. But it is a small and highly selective school and it is not well known beyond people in the field.</p>
<p>Sriharifez...</p>
<p>Neuroscience would be an off-campus major at Mudd. Here's an HMC link for you: <a href="http://www.hmc.edu/academicsclinicresearch/majors/offcampusmajor.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.hmc.edu/academicsclinicresearch/majors/offcampusmajor.html</a></p>
<p>Pomona offers the major, linked here: <a href="http://www.neuroscience.pomona.edu/%5B/url%5D">http://www.neuroscience.pomona.edu/</a></p>
<p>If you choose HMC with an off-campus major, the focus would lean more quantitative. Dr. Cave, I'm sure, would be happy to answer any specific questions for you (he's very friendly). You can e-mail him from the link above.</p>
<p>Be aware that the Mudd core is required for the off-campus major. The core seems to be what trips up most GPAs ;) . If you don't want the quant emphasis, you might be better off looking into Pomona for neuroscience/premed.</p>
<p>HTH</p>
<p>Im a little confused by what you mean by quantitative (vs. qualitative?)</p>