<p>I know that Brown is known for IR, and comp sci, but does anyone know what the chemistry program is like? Obviously with the open curriculum, it’ll be more free than the programs at other places, but it would be really helpful if someone could give me an idea. I checked out Brown’s chem department website, but what I really want to know is how big classes are, how well you get to know your professors, things like that. I’m also looking at Swarthmore as a possibility, but the programs seem so different I don’t know where to start.</p>
<p>some of the chemistry professors are just ok (at least in lecture) but quite a few are the best i've ever had in my life (zimmt, suggs, seto, basu). zimmt is known to jump up on tables to get people excited about orgo at 9:00 in the morning. professor suggs is the faculty fellow for keeney (where most first-years live) and he hosts the coolest study breaks on campus at his house (in the two years i was at keeney, he had everything from politicians to fire-eaters to just amazing desserts)
but i digress...the intro lectures are big (~100 people) but the class size plummets quickly once you get beyond basic physical chem and orgo. most of the interesting intermediate to upper level chem classes have less than ten.
the facilities for undergrad chem at brown are simply unparalleled. macmillan hall is gorgeous--it went up in 1998 for over $30 million and is almost completely devoted to undergrad labs, lecture spaces, and lounges. it's listed on this harvard site as an "architectural exemplar"
<a href="http://people.deas.harvard.edu/%7Ejones/lab_arch/lab_arch.html%5B/url%5D">http://people.deas.harvard.edu/~jones/lab_arch/lab_arch.html</a>
here are some pictures
<a href="http://www.koetterkim.com/proj_edu_brown.html#%5B/url%5D">http://www.koetterkim.com/proj_edu_brown.html#</a></p>