Newly Admitted Student: Worth of a B.A Degree?

<p>I wanted to ask you guys who are currently or earned a B.A degree from Amherst how valuable that degree is. If I were to attend Amherst College, I think I would pursue a biology major. Where would a B.A in Biology lead me? Would I have to go to grad school to get a decent job anywhere? What are the type of career opportunities presented to you after graduation?</p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

<p>Also, if you can, could you check out my other thread in the Notre Dame section? I’m trying to decide between these two schools and have similar questions for both.</p>

<p>Edit: Sorry, it isn’t a thread in CC, but on Reddit. Here’s the link: <a href="http://www./r/notredame/comments/1c1kzk/workload_at_notre_dame/%5B/url%5D">http://www./r/notredame/comments/1c1kzk/workload_at_notre_dame/</a></p>

<p>Red1125, your question really has 2 parts. The first is: what can I do with a BA in Biology? Well, you can teach jr high or high school if you also get a teaching certificate (some private schools don’t require them) or work in a bio lab or go to med school. These are just a few of the options. These are options for bio majors who graduate from any college–it is not specific to Amherst. To go further in bio, you would most likely need a graduate degree (and this too is no matter which undergrad you attend, including AMherst or Notre Dame). However, the second part of the question (or at least you implied this) is: how would an Amherst degree be advantageous to me? How would it be more advantageious than a degree from another college or university? The answer there lies in Amherst’s character as a small liberal arts college and one of the very best in the country (#2 in the nation on this yr’s U.S. News and World Report list). Coming out of college with an Amherst bio degree, grad schools, med schools, or employers will know that you had a rigorous scientific education. More importantly, they will know that you can think and analyze. Other advantages include the fact that classes are small so you get individualized attention and it is easier to get to do research directly with the professor (not reporting to a grad student; not having to compete w/ grad students for the good research opportunities, etc).</p>