<p>And the VAST majority of undergraduates in this country do NOT do research (in any meaningful sense) once they get to college, whether at an LAC, an RU, or one of the LAC-like RU’s. Despite what you may believe reading CC for a while where every kid is either pre-med or wants a PhD in Neuroscience (the more interdisciplinary, the better) the rate of PhD production, the number of kids doing cutting edge research, etc. is a very trivial element in the grand scheme of college selection.</p>
<p>I love the posters who claim that it’s too competitive to “do research” at a place like MIT vs. an LAC (patently ridiculous- MIT maintains a website which lists undergraduate research opportunities, many of which go begging since the professors have more opportunities than there are undergrads.) I love the posters who claim that a kid interested in bio can’t go to Smith or Reed since the cutting edge stuff is being done at JHU and Michigan (true that Michigan and Hopkins are voracious when it comes to getting life science grants… but how many college kids “need” cutting edge if their only interest is in buffing their med school application (where cutting edge is absolutely not required.)</p>
<p>We are all angels dancing on the head of a pin right now!</p>