<p>Hi all,
I am a high school senior. I believe I want to go into biological research, so I am looking for schools which have good programs.
For various reasons, I have been looking at liberal arts schools. I like the small classes, and I think it would be easier to get the opportunity to work in a lab in a smaller program.
What LACs have good reputations for science and research?
Also, what drawbacks are there to studying science at a small school?
Thanks</p>
<p>Oberlin has a particularly good reputation in biology among the LACs.</p>
<p>Pomona, Haverford, Swarthmore, Williams, Carleton.</p>
<p>Just for Pomona (because I go here 
)
Offers both molecular biology and general biology, which is unique for an LAC.</p>
<p>Has three biology academic buildings, which is a lot for an LAC. Top notch facilities too. Pomona’s facilities are among the best of any LAC.</p>
<p>Sponsors 247/1560 students each year to do paid summer research at Pomona.</p>
<p>Course options expanded through being in a consortium with Harvey Mudd (especially computational biology)</p>
<p>Every professor does biology research and it’s easy to do research during the school year.</p>
<p>Our graduates do extremely well in terms of placement to the top PhD programs for science.</p>
<p>Molecular bio and bio are the 4th and 5th most popular majors, respectively, which makes for a great community of scholars.</p>
<p>Pomona sponsors unpaid internships over the summer for students, including those with biological research.</p>
<p>Pomona College Internship Program links students to internships in socal and pays for the internship as well as travel during the school year. Research is included in this.</p>
<p>Great ecological research areas owned by Pomona such as the Rancho Botanical Gardens and the Trail Ends Ranch</p>
<p>Study abroad options for biology: Molecular biology at the University College of London, Biochemistry at the University of Oxford, Ecology in University of Capetown, Ecology at Quito Ecuador, Tropical Biology at Australia and Costa Rica</p>
<p>I believe Wesleyan is the only LAC in the country to offer a Ph.D in Molecular Biology-Bio Chem and probably because of that receives more outside funding than any other LAC, as evidenced by this recent article in the New Haven papers:
[Researchers</a> at Yale and UConn Health Center take home state stem cell research money | Business News](<a href=“http://business-news.thestreet.com/new-haven-register/story/researchers-yale-and-uconn-health-center-take-home-state-stem-cell-research-money/1]Researchers”>http://business-news.thestreet.com/new-haven-register/story/researchers-yale-and-uconn-health-center-take-home-state-stem-cell-research-money/1)</p>
<p>William & Mary is excellent in the sciences.</p>
<p>If the LAC you’re considering is in a consortium it’s also important to count that in among potential research opportunities. For example, at Pomona, students can also do research at Keck Science Center (Pitzer, Scripps, Claremont McKenna) and at Harvey Mudd, which greatly enhances the number of opportunities. The link above is great- I’d recommend reading articles about the grants that schools have received and more importantly what the grant money is used for. For instance, I just read about this now: [The</a> Claremont Colleges Receive $3.6 Million Grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to Prepare Leaders in Science and Medicine - Pomona College](<a href=“http://www.pomona.edu/news/2012/05/24-hhmi-grant.aspx]The”>http://www.pomona.edu/news/2012/05/24-hhmi-grant.aspx)</p>
<p>and didn’t realize Pomona just created High Achievement Program-
“Central to these efforts will be the High Achievement Program (HAP) at Pomona. HAP will begin with a pre-freshman, four-week summer component involving mentored research and coursework. The program will continue through the students’ freshman year with mentoring, advising, workshops sponsored by the Office of Black Student Affairs and the Office of Chicano/Latino Student Affairs, and the building and nurturing of a supportive peer community across the five colleges.”</p>
<p>Might look at Holy Cross-great science program and strong relationship with nearby UMass Med School.</p>