<p>HYPOTHETICAL SITUATION: I definitely want to get a PhD in physics and become a professor and whatnot, but I also love the idea of getting a good liberal arts education. Would going to a liberal arts college hurt my chances of getting into a really good university for grad school, or set me back in my career?</p>
<p>Not sure if this is in the right category..</p>
<p>Not at all. Good LACs have some of the highest percentages of eventual PhD recipients, including in the physical sciences. I’m sure someone will post the list here soon. In addition, many LACs offer research opportunities to their undergrad students that are hard to come by for undergrads at large doctoral universties, where grad students soak up much of the research.</p>
<p>Investigate carefully but don’t initially assume a LAC is the wrong path for you.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>no! I also am thinking of going as far as PhD in physics and I’m seriously considering Vassar and Wesleyan.</p>
<p>Quite a few LACs (Wesleyan comes to mind) have incredibly strong science programs. Not only will you be granted opportunitities for research with professors that might be reserved for undergrads at bigger univerisities, but you can always intern at big research Us during the summer.</p>
<p>Reed. [REED</a> COLLEGE PHD PRODUCTIVITY](<a href=“http://www.reed.edu/ir/phd.html]REED”>Doctoral Degree Productivity - Institutional Research - Reed College)</p>
<p>Thanks Erin’s Dad. I knew someone would have that list handy. Reed is the standard bearer for LACs that produce PhD recipients but that chart is absolutely full of such schools: Carleton, Grinnell, Swarthmore, Kalamazoo, Pomona, Lawrence, Wabash, Minnesota-Morris, Wesleyan, Wooster, etc. Clearly a motivated student will have no disadvantage in that regard by going to a good LAC.</p>
<p>Not at all! LACs are great training grounds for PHDs in all subjects. When adjusted for enrollment size the following schools (LAC and Universities combined) produce the most PHDs in the life and physical sciences:</p>
<p>California Inst of Tech
Harvey Mudd Coll
Massachusetts Inst of Tech
Carleton Coll
Swarthmore Coll
Haverford Coll
Harvard Univ
New Coll of Florida
Reed Coll
Princeton Univ </p>
<p>So, you’ll notice several LACs: Harvey Mudd, Carleton, Swarthmore, Haverford, New College, and Reed. Also Williams, Grinnell, and Wesleyan are high up on that list as well.</p>
<p>I know at William & Mary many students are actually publishing with professors as undergrads. This access isnt always available at the larger, research focused schools.</p>
<p>Rhodes has incredible research partnerships because of its location in Memphis. Students have also had really good luck with national research programs (partnerships with NASA, students going to meterology internships in DC, economics summer seminars in Boston, I could go on all day long.</p>
<p>paintmuffin,</p>
<p>Agree with the above- LACs can provide a great opportunity to do research directly with professors and get an authorship on publications (publications are also certainly doable in large Us too) but at LACs, especially if there is not a graduate program, you may have greater access to work directly with faculty). Best of luck!!</p>
<p>As far as Science facilities go, Middlebury has some of the best in the country, along with great opportunities for research. Can’t go wrong with Midd. It’s one of the best LACs out there.</p>