<p>Which college has a better neuroscience program- Brown or Amherst?</p>
<p>:-/ I dunno, but I would pick Brown because it's in the city and there are many research opportunities. If you're a good enough student, you can take graduate courses at Brown.</p>
<p>brown, without hesitation</p>
<p>I think I'd have to disagree. Both programs have great strengths. </p>
<p>The presence of a graduate school is both an advantage and disadvantage. Undergraduates will compete with graduate students for lab positions, and for the attention of the PI's in the lab. And you need to understand that sometimes undergrad and grad neuroscience programs don't interact so smoothly - there's a lot of administrative bureaucracy that doesn't always serve the "little guy" (you) well. Furthermore, even at Brown, there is substantial pressure on Profs to generate grants $$ and publications, and this means that teaching skills and time must suffer. </p>
<p>At Amherst, teaching undergraduates is the focus. That's all they do. When faculty get reviewed for tenure, grants and publications are discussed a bit, but the real emphasis is on teaching evaluations. That's what Amherst professors do: they teach. They spend lots and lots of time honing their message and their lecture and their delivery to make sure that it conveys the facts and excitement of the field in the most effective way. You can't do that if you're writing grants and publishing papers to survive the next review cycle.</p>
<p>Your goal as an undergrad neuroscience major should be to learn as much as possible, and this is always best accomplished with a great teacher, who can dedicate time and energy to mentoring you, particularly in small classes with individualized attention. As a product of the Amherst Neuroscience program (and now an MD/PhD Neuroscientist and Professor at a top Neuroscience grad program for over 15 years), I can tell you that I regularly interact with other AC Neuroscience grads, and they are among the most productive and influential scientists in our field. To a large degree, this reflects the fantastic teaching and mentorship of AC faculty, like Steve George, Al Sorenson (now retired, but who shaped the program in ways that still impact its effectiveness), Lisa Raskin, and more recently, Sarah Turgeon, among others. </p>
<p>I recently co-taught a Ph.D. neuroscience course with another AC Neuroscience grad, and though we left AC almost 30 years ago, we consciously shaped this new course content and instructional style after courses we took under Al Sorenson and Steve George. If anybody wants a real treat, and has any interest in neurobiology, just go sit-in on one of Steve George's lectures. You'll be blown away. Even his final exams were amazing learning experiences. </p>
<p>Brown has great opportunities for learning as well. I've reviewed graduate school applications from many Brown students, and they're generally outstanding. But I can guarantee you that you won't find a Neuroscience program anywhere that can offer you the kind of individualized and high caliber mentorship that you will find at Amherst College.</p>
<p>Thanks for the informative post, AmherstAlum81E. As an Amherst prospective with an interest in neuroscience, I appreciate hearing from someone with first-hand experience of the program. :)</p>