Chemistry Schools

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Ok, I just started my junior year of high school. These are my stats (as of now). Please keep these in mind when suggesting colleges. </p>

<p>4.0 GPA (unweighted)</p>

<p>Class rank:1/50</p>

<p>My projected ACT score is about 30-32.</p>

<p>Quite a few extracurriculars, wonderful accomplishments in all, officer positions, etc.; community service activities, freshman mentor</p>

<p>I have participated in my state's Governor's school program. I also already have laboratory experience at my state university (Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry)- will have recommendation from mentor.</p>

<p>I am looking for a university that offers undergrad research opportunities and (preferably) has a faculty/student ratio around 30 or less students per teacher. A good undergrad chemistry dept. is a must. On the more social side of things, students with a true passion for learning (not just grades) would be nice, little to no party scene (this may not be overly possible at a college, I'm not sure...), and overall a quirky, intellectual student body. I am currently looking at the following schools and would appreciate feedback (from current or prospective students of one of these colleges) or recommendations for other schools that aren't on my list. I want a good mix of schools that are safeties and reaches- I think I have a lot of reaches right now...
Anyway- in no particular order (and I realize that I have a wide range in types of schools- LAC, state, top tier research university, etc.- and some are A LOT more difficult to get into than others)
Oberlin
Hamilton
Vanderbilt
Reed
Lawrence
Harvey Mudd
Georgia tech
Scripps
Northwestern
SUNY- Stony Brook</p>

2

<p>Most good solid colleges will also have good solid chemistry programs, and the chemistry programs across small LACs are likely to be quite similar.</p>

<p>If you’re interested in Oberlin, Reed, Lawrence, Hamilton, check out Grinnell, Macalester, Williams, Swarthmore, Amherst, Haverford, and Pomona. Some more match/safety schools might be Kenyon, Occidental, St. Olaf, Vassar, Marist, Elon, Furman, and Lewis & Clark. I think Occidental and Vassar are known for also having quirky student bodies, and pretty much all of these schools are noted for the intellectual bent of their students, especially the ones in the first list.</p>

<p>If you like women’s colleges (Scripps) also check out Mount Holyoke, Smith, Wellesley, and Mills. Mills is known for a very quirky and liberal student body. Smith is as well, and is also a great place for women in science. Smith could be a match whereas Mills might be a safety (not necessarily financially, though).</p>

<p>If you’re interested in places like Georgia Tech, you may also be interested in Rochester Institute of Technology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Colorado School of Mines, and perhaps MIT and Caltech. These STEM-focused schools are not really known for a partying scene and are kind of notorious for the nose-to-the-grindstone atmosphere, although I think RPI has a reputation of being slightly more artsy than the others. You may also be interested in Carnegie Mellon; it’s not really a STEM-focused school per se, but seems to be really strong in the science and tech fields while still having strong offerings in other fields.</p>

<p>Other schools to just throw out there that may be more along the lines of Northwestern and Vanderbilt are Emory, Duke, Wake Forest, Case Western, and Notre Dame. Wake Forest and Case Western I think would be more matchy/low matchy for you.</p>

<p>More safety for you could be CUNY City College or Hunter College (you would be a lock for Macaulay Honors, which could net you a scholarship), and if you are an NYS resident you could also apply to Binghamton, Old Westbury, and perhaps other smaller campuses like New Paltz, Geneseo, Fredonia, Oswego.</p>

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<p>Be aware that lower division chemistry courses will be relatively large at any school, due to all of the pre-meds taking them, although LACs and the like will tend to have smaller sections than huge universities. If that is a concern, check the on-line class schedules for each school to see actual class sizes – do not rely on “average class size” or “student to instructor ratio”. Also, pre-meds have to be obsessed with grades.</p>

<p>You may want to see if there are separate lower division chemistry courses for chemistry majors (versus biology majors and pre-meds), or if there are honors lower division chemistry courses, at each school. This might separate the grade grubbers from those more deeply interested in chemistry.</p>

<p>You may want to check for ACS approval of a school’s chemistry major. If you are interested in chemical engineering (which has better job and career prospects than chemistry), look for ABET accreditation of that major.</p>

<p>If you want to avoid party/alcohol scenes, you may want to check the characteristics associated with higher alcohol use and be especially careful investigating schools which have these characteristics: [High-Risk</a> Drinking in College: Understanding College Drinking From a Multidimensional Perspective](<a href=“http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/niaaacollegematerials/panel01/highrisk_05.aspx]High-Risk”>http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/niaaacollegematerials/panel01/highrisk_05.aspx)</p>