<p>Any feedback on high ranked Neuroscience programs? where are they located. Thanks, currently coinsidering Dartmouth, Brown, Vanderbilt and Oberlin.</p>
<p>Add WuSTL, Emory, JHU</p>
<p>Ucsd, Jhu, Wustl</p>
<p>It's important to decide what you want in a neuroscience program. There are different approaches to the field. Do a search & read the schools' descriptions. You'll get a feel for the different types of programs & be able to narrow down the list from there. A good bet is a school where undergrads can do research. Remember, too, that this is a field that will require a masters (unless it's for med school, of course). Try to figure out an undergrad/grad combo --- two schools that would provide complementary approaches, leading to a well-rounded candidate for a good job (the ultimate goal).</p>
<p>I'm a high school senior who's intensely interested in neuroscience. I want to have the opportunity to do EEG/MEG and fMRI lab work as an underclassman, specifically to gain insight into how information from the senses gets processed into actions, desires, memories, concepts, etc by the brain (yes, it's a big project, and I'm not planning finishing it in 4 years, I just want the chance to get started). I've been working with neurotransmitters in a research project (which has been unsucessful so far though) for the past 2 years. Here are my picks:</p>
<p>Dartmouth: Excellent neuroscience faculty (Michael Gazzaniga), and excellent resources (several fMRI labs, EEG, TMS). In addition, their biology and psychology programs are excellent. The best thing about D-mouth though is their size. They have top-notch facilities, but they're small enough and so focused on undergrads that undergrads have tremendous research opportunities. That's what's best about them for me, and what's most important to me in my search, the opportunity to actually work in state-of-the art labs as an undergraduate.</p>
<p>Oberlin: They are very focused on undergraduates, and have tremendous options for undergrads due to their LAC status and small size. They were pioneers in neuroscience, one of the first schools to offer a neuroscience major. The BIG downside for me is the fact that they don't have the expensive cognitive neuroscience equipment I want to use (the big fancy brain scanners). But, they do offer great opportunities for undergrads and provide excellent preparation for graduate work. They're excellent for turning out Ph.D's. </p>
<p>Vanderbilt- I looked at Vandy, and crossed it off my list. Yes, they do have decent neuroscience programs, but the school honestly wasn't for me. Dartmouth, Wustl, Oberlin, Brown, Northwestern, UPenn, Rice and others are probably better bets.</p>
<p>Other schools to consider (or at least I am):</p>
<p>Brown- Their neuroscience opportunities are similar to Dartmouth's, but even better. They have top-notch staff (like guys who design brain-computer interfaces like Professor Donoghue for instance) and excellent resources. They also allow undergrads into the labs in large numbers. They're tops in neuroscience.</p>
<p>UPenn- UPenn has been a force in cognitive psychology for years (if I'm not mistaken, Aaron Beck, one of the most influential Cognitive-Behavioral Therapist researchers set up his labs at UPenn). Their medical schools have excellent labs and there are many research centers at UPenn dedicated to exploring the mind and brain. Penn is much bigger than Dartmouth or Brown, and that could potentially take away from vital research opportunities for undergrads. But, Penn has the University Scholars and Benjamin Franklin Scholars programs, which allow undergraduates to engage in research starting freshman or sophomore year. From what I understand, BFS is very hard to get into, but potential researchers apply for UScholars at the end of freshman year and there are many spots open and most applicants with a plan and a A- average or better get a spot (this info comes from a UPenn rep I spoke with).</p>
<p>Wustl- Excellent all around. Wustl was one of the first places to begin doing brain imaging research with PET scans back in the 70's. The have top-notch PET and MRI labs, and I could be mistaken here, but I thought I read on their website that they are upgrading their fMRI machines. Wash U actively encourages undergrad involvement in research. They have one program (which I really want) which allows freshman cognitive science students to take a year-long class in basic cognitive science and neurology freshman year, and then complete a year-long research project. They're also one of the best.</p>
<p>I like Northwestern nuero too, but it's stronger at the other places I listed (except Oberlin, because of its lack of infrastructure only, not the quality of its faculty or its abundance of research opportunities). Check out Carnegie Mellon too. I haven't done much research into other schools discussed here, but I've heard UCSD, Rice, Emory, JHU, Columbia (which I have looked into a little bit), Case Western, Stanford, Harvard and Yale are very good too. All of those schools are worth a look. And if you're not into brain scanning, check out some LACs too. I know nuero at Amherst, Colgate and Williams to be very good too. </p>
<p>Kelsmom- "Try to figure out an undergrad/grad combo --- two schools that would provide complementary approaches, leading to a well-rounded candidate for a good job (the ultimate goal)."</p>
<p>-This is excellent advice. I'm approaching this my college search with this idea clearly in mind. It's hard to do anything with neuro besides get a Ph.D in it or go to med school. Keep that in mind. </p>
<p>Good luck with your searching and PM me with any questions.</p>
<p>brown has one of the strongest undergraduate neuroscience programs in the country. the introductory neuroscience class is so good it is one of the most popular at the university (1/4 of all undergrads apparently take it before graduating). the professors who teach this class also happened to have written the textbook, which is among the most widely used in the world.
<a href="http://neuroscience.brown.edu%5B/url%5D">http://neuroscience.brown.edu</a></p>
<p>it's a small but very strong department. undergrads work closely with highly accomplished faculty including people like John Donaghue (who is running the first human clinical trials in the world with implanted brain chips that allow paraplegics to surf the web and move artificial limbs with thoughts alone), David Berson (who recently discovered the eye's third photoreceptor), and others. i wrote my undergrad thesis with nobel laureate Leon Cooper and had the opportunity to work closely with him for almost three years.
<a href="http://www.technologyreview.com/read...629&ch=biotech%5B/url%5D">http://www.technologyreview.com/read...629&ch=biotech</a>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Berson%5B/url%5D">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Berson</a></p>
<p>other bonuses: brown just built a $100 million building for neuroscience which houses one of the strongest fMRI machines in the world
<a href="http://www.brown.edu/Administration/InsideBrown/2006/093006d.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.brown.edu/Administration/InsideBrown/2006/093006d.html</a></p>
<p>neurobiology
Colby</p>
<p>biopsychology
Earlham
Washington U St Louis
Barnard
Hamilton
Vassar
Bucknell
Carnegie Mellon
Franklin and Marshall
William and mary</p>
<p>neuroscience
Claremont McKenna
Pitzer
Pomona
Scripps
Colorado Coll
Wesleyan
Northwestern
Bates
Bowdoin
Colby
Johns Hopkins
Amherst
Boston U
Brandeis
Harvard
Smith
Wellesley
Macalester
Washington U St Louis
Dartmouth
Colgate
Columbia
Cornell
Hamilton
NYU
Skidmore
Duke
Allegheny
Bryn Mawr
Franklin and Marshall
Lehigh
U Pittsburgh
Brown
Rice
Washington and Lee
Lawrence</p>
<p>Thank you all for the feedback! (Admitted 1's Dad is my dad too ^^)</p>
<p>I am so impressed. You have really thought about what you want to do, and you obviously have researched it. I would suggest emailing (or even picking up the telephone & calling, if you are comfortable) professors at some of the schools in which you are interested. Establishing a dialogue with a few profs will not only help you decide where to go, but it should give you an edge for admission (and then research). I am guessing you probably will end up as a researcher, and that is wonderful. By talking to profs, you will get a good sense of the types of research available to you at the various schools. Best of luck!</p>
<p>Thanks all, excellent information!</p>
<p>I find it odd that Brown and Dartmouth don't have higher ranked graduate programs in neuroscience. I would think schools with great undergrad programs, would also have strong graduate programs. Is this not logical? Perhaps the schools have come up in the rankings recently?</p>
<p>Illi Kid - Where do you aspire to do graduate work?</p>
<p>Keep in mind, I'm just a HS senior, but it seems to me Brown and Dartmouth aren't ranked that highly because they put so much focus on undergraduates. </p>
<p>Where do I want to go to grad school? Well... I'm thinking about that now, but I still have to get into UNDERGRAD first. For grad, I need to be in a city and I don't want to work on the west coast. I think Harvard, MIT or Columbia would be great for me for grad (there's NO WAY I can get into Harvard undergrad, not even bothering applying). But... first I need to get into undergrad. I'm planning on trying to get an assistanship in an MRI or EEG lab as soon as possible freshman year (I REALLY want to get started), and doing a ton of research as a UG. I'm also planning on working very hard as a UG (something I need to do more of now). I want to go to an elite university (or potentially LAC) in order to prepare myself for grad work, and I want an elite grad program to prepare myself for a career in research. </p>
<p>Yes, I have done tons of research into schools and I know what I want to do. But do you really think emailing profs is ok/not a little too I don't know... needy? I'm doing it for Northwestern, because I took Psychology of Personality there and my prof gave me contacts of other NU psychology/cognitive science people he knew, but is it ok to just randomly email a prof out of the blue?</p>
<p>Personally, I would steer clear of a school that has profs who would feel put out by a prospective student emailing them with questions! Only you can decide what is right for you. However, you might want to do some research into your top schools to see if the profs are truly focused on undergrads. Do internet searches, read posts on this site (archives, too), go to the library & look at what the college guides have to say, etc. I have heard of students who went to elite schools, only to find that the profs really don't have time for their undergrad students (too busy with research, etc.). Dig around and try to find out more ... and stay overnight, if possible. That will give you a much better feel than just visiting. Students tend to be pretty honest after you hang out with them for awhile. You are correct about Oberlin ... schools like Oberlin with well-deserved reputations for student-faculty interaction are what you should try to find. Also look for schools that have good advising programs set up, as well as health-field internship opportunities (they should have an office for that).</p>
<p>I would suggest going to a UCSD since they have a strong neuroscience program. With good grades there, and SOLID research experience from top rate professors you can easily get into top tier Ivy League universities. I would personally choose to go to more of a research oriented school that LAC because of the ability to get involved with cutting edge research. With strong recommendations and publications in top science journals you will have your pick of top graduate programs.</p>
<p>I know UCLA has a neuroscience pogram as well.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I find it odd that Brown and Dartmouth don't have higher ranked graduate programs in neuroscience.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>although the highly ranked places are all excellent, a few caveats about these rankings.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Most important, they are rankings of GRADUATE programs. Some of the things that make for a high ranking are irrelevant for undergraduate education, and many of the things that matter for undergraduate education count for nothing in the graduate rankings.</p></li>
<li><p>The way they are constructed, the rankings strongly favor large programs. One can debate whether this is appropriate, there are arguments both ways. However, it does mean that small programs always are penalized. </p></li>
<li><p>Following on #'s 1 and 2, more undergraduate-oriented programs will come up short on these rankings. Note that there are no LAC's on this list, although the elite LAC's have neuroscience majors, and their students do very well.</p></li>
<li><p>By far the best data on reputations comes from the NRC research doctorate programs survery. However, this was published in '94, from data that was 1-2 years old at the time. Although perceived program quality changes slowly, this information is over a decade out of date.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>If you are headed to a graduate program in neuroscience, then you want the opportunity to do research as an undergrad. The size of the faculty is less important than the true opportunities for undergrads to get involved. Places with huge graduate programs can be all over the map on this score. Some also accomodate large proportions of the undergrads, others focus mainly on the graduate students. </p>
<p>I don't know of anyone who collects comparative data, but you might want to try to find out how many of the undergrads do research, and how many publish. For "do research" the departments may have this information if research is required of all majors, or for those majors who get a BS degree, or to apply for a degree with honors.</p>
<p>If you are headed to medical school, then you want as good an undergraduate education as you can get, research is nice but hardly required.</p>
<p>NYU has a large and outstanding Center for Neural Science,
<a href="http://www.cns.nyu.edu/%5B/url%5D">http://www.cns.nyu.edu/</a>. The Center offers an undergraduate major in neural science, <a href="http://www.cns.nyu.edu/undergrad/%5B/url%5D">http://www.cns.nyu.edu/undergrad/</a>. In addition, a double major is possible in combination with the NYU Dept. of Psychology,
<a href="http://www.psych.nyu.edu/psychology8.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.psych.nyu.edu/psychology8.html</a>, whose undergraduate courses
cover cognitive neuroscience. There is ample opportunity for, and emphasis on, research by the undergraduate students.</p>
<p>thanks!
how is neuroscience at pomona college?</p>
<p>i just posted this on a similar thread, but thought i'd reiterate here... princeton has just dumped a TON of money into its undergraduate neuroscience program and I've heard fantastic things about the research currently going on there.</p>