<p>Anyone have any information on the Joint Science Department?</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jsd.claremont.edu/%5B/url%5D">http://www.jsd.claremont.edu/</a></p>
<p>what else do you want to know?</p>
<p>sorry....i should have been more specific. what i want to know is how their science program compares with that of other schools, including pomona and harvey mudd.</p>
<p>The science department lags far behind Pomona and very far behind Harvey Mudd. Claremont Mckenna is focused on business and political science kind of majors. If you want to major in science in the Consortium then you should go to Mudd. Unless you are premed, then go to Pomona.</p>
<p>I wouldn't expect such a negative-sounding post from a fellow 5C-er, but perhaps I'm misreading it (in which case, my apologies). Mudd and Pomona offer their own exceptional science programs, but to imply that JSD is unworthy of future science students is unnecessarily harsh.</p>
<p>The JSD is NOT Mudd's science program, but neither is it intended to be. That said, the head of JSD is a former Mudd professor, JSD classes are open to Mudd and Pomona students under certain conditions (and I just had an intro level class with many Pomona students in it), Mudd and Pomona science classes are open to Scripps/Pitzer/CMC students under certain conditions (i.e. the class or department is not offered at JSD), and so forth. </p>
<p>Biology is one of Scripps' most popular majors and I know that pre-med and biology are both very popular throughout the campuses (I don't know the specific info on CMC or Pitzer, sorry). I also know non-Mudd, non-Pomona astronomy, geology, physics, chemistry, bioethics, and neuroscience students. Finally, JSD has EXCELLENT med school acceptance rates (to combat the previous claim that anyone interested in science should go to Mudd, or Pomona if her interest is pre-med...both of these claims are incredibly misleading) as well as excellent research opportunities, from what I hear (and witness, given the number of students who stick around over summer).</p>
<p>I'm not a science student myself, but I've heard only good things about JSD. It's not going to offer you a Mudd science education, nor will it offer you a Pomona science education, but a JSD student will NOT have Mudd/Pomona offerings indiscriminately closed to her, nor will she be ostracized or doomed to failure in her field. I realize I haven't directly answered the OP's post, but consider this my slightly vague defense of JSD relative to the rest of the consortium.</p>
<p>Explore the website and contact admissions to get in touch with faculty (who can give you better info about research opportunities, etc.) if you're interested. If you visit, try to talk to JSD students about their experiences throughout the 5Cs (i.e. whether they feel looked down upon, adequately prepared in off-campus classes, etc.). Good luck!</p>
<p>wow...thanks Student615 for the insight</p>
<p>I didn't mean it to sound negative. Every college in the 5Cs has its own strengths. CMC has amazing economics, business, and political science. If the OP wants to really go into science then it's really wise to go to Mudd or Pomona. I admit that I don't know much about the JSD, but I'm quite confident that it doesn't offer the same level of science education that someone would get at Mudd or Pomona. I'm just trying to give good advice from my perception of the 5Cs.</p>
<p>Agreed, atomicfusion. No, it does not offer the same level as Mudd, and I don't know enough about Pomona's departments to say much one way or the other, but in <em>theory</em> it probably doesn't offer the same level as Pomona's. That said, we're comparing JSD to two of the highest-ranking LACs in the country, so even without living up to their standards, it can still be a great resource in its own right. Not everyone is qualified to attend (or interested in attending, for that matter) Mudd or Pomona, but there is certainly a place for science students on the other three Claremont campuses (although the popularity of science majors does vary between these campuses). My only objection was to the negative implications (which I may have just imagined) of "If you want to major in science...go to Mudd" (and the subsequent sentence). </p>
<p>To the OP: You will have access to a high-quality science education at any one of the 5Cs. However, each school IS different. Each on its own carries a different reputation, different levels of campus support (i.e. career fairs, lecturers, conferences, etc. focused on your interests), different career resources, and so forth, all of which are relevant to you. If you're really looking into Claremont, the things I would suggest thinking about are (1) how serious and <em>sure</em> you are about science as a major (i.e. not a good idea to go to Mudd if you're not pretty darn positive. It happens, but it won't make your life any easier); (2) where you think you can get in; and (3) if you're able to visit, which school feels best and most suits your other interests.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>thanks....i'm planning on applying to both claremont mckenna and pomona, which is why i asked this question. I'm pretty sure i am gonna major in chemistry, but i want to avoid harvey mudd because i don't to be working too hard. I want college to be fun too (i'm not saying mudd isn't fun...i'm just not that fast of a worker).</p>
<p>the med school acceptance rate at cmc is like 85% (i'm a tour guide...info is legit). therefore, jsd must be pretty good if it's turning out those kinds of stats.</p>