<p>
A quick glimpse over the PhD production lists shows that excellent research can be done at many colleges across the nation, most of whom are not on RML’s decidedly incomplete and misleading list. (Research is, after all, the number one prerequisite for graduate admissions.)</p>
<p>I suggest you draw up a list of colleges you like and then evaluate their research offerings. Among other things, I would examine the following:</p>
<p>– Is a thesis required? (Princeton and Reed, for example, require one.) If not, how popular is doing a thesis? (At Duke and Berkeley, for example, very few do one.)</p>
<p>– How much funding is available to students for research, and how competitive is it to secure such funding?</p>
<p>– Is funding available for students in the humanities and social sciences as well? Certain universities allocate all research funding to the sciences.</p>
<p>– Are independent studies available for course credit?</p>
<p>– Are work-study jobs menial labor or actual lab work?</p>
<p>– Are research seminars required or at least available?</p>
<p>– Does the college offer a poster session or undergraduate conference?</p>
<p>– Does the college sponsor any undergraduate journals?</p>