<p>Please rank the schools below on the following criteria:</p>
<p>Seeking BS in neuroscience or biology with goal of entering neuroscience graduate program with career goal of research.<br>
Okay with big or small, urban or rural. Not okay with preppy or strongly conservative. Prefer predominantly middle class student body. Don't need rah, rah. Prefer relaxed setting - not wanting to burn out before getting PhD. Would like to pursue PhD at top neuroscience school.</p>
<p>Thanks for any and all responses!</p>
<p>U Texas Austin
Colorado College
University of Rochester
University of Pittsburgh
University of Southern California
University of Miami
Kenyon
Hamilton
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Boston University</p>
<p>As far as setting, student body, and academic attitude go, I'd say Colorado College would be a good match. It's in Colorado Springs, a city of about 400,000 nestled up against Pikes Peak, and is near the downtown which is definitely the most interesting part of city. CC's student's are generally pretty liberal but are not extremely preppy, so that would seem to fit the bill. Most importantly, CC's science programs are awesome! They have a really good reputation and I have a number of friends who go there who are majoring in sciences, though I'm not sure if any of them are going Neuroscience. But judging from what I hear and know about CC's sciences (my mom was a CC grad and is now a physician), I'm sure their Neuroscience Program is very strong. Now one thing to keep in mind is that CC follows a block plan, so students cover one semester's material in 3 weeks, so it's intense, but it also allows you to focus on the one class that you have without many distractions. It also allows professors to extend classes or labs if needed, which is a major plus for the sciences. They also have big merit-based scholarships for the sciences, I think they may even have a full-ride.</p>
<p>So I hope I don't sound like an infomercial for CC, but it really is a good school according to the people who know it and have attended it, and to rankings (It's ranked 26th on the US NEWS liberal arts college review).</p>
<p>Good luck with your college search and decisions!</p>
<p>P.S. I'm going to tour CC tomorrow so hopefully I can post a review in the college visits section here on CollegeConfidential tomorrow.</p>
<p>In some ways, Hamilton may be the best school on that list, but is extremely preppy and strengths are more in the humanities and social sciences. If you are inclined to Hamilton, you might want to consider Colgate, which is relatively stronger in the sciences; and while as preppy as Hamilton may feel less so in a class of 740 vs ~ 450 @ Hamilton. Also, Hamilton has a much higher % from private school vs Colgate (something along the lines of 47% vs 32%), so Colgate would have closer to the feel of middle class students. URochester would be solid as well, but with more a city feel a completely different type of experience, as obviously UTexas would be.</p>
<p>IMHO, I'd list the schools as follows for their overall undergraduate experience:</p>
<p>Colorado College
URochester
UNorth Carolina-Chapel Hill
Hamilton College
UTexas-Austin
Kenyon College
UMiami
USouthern California
Boston U
UPittsburg</p>
<p>Again, just an opinion based on personal attention, size of typical classes, focus on the undergraduate, etc...plus your not wanting it to be too preppy or conservative, have a good rate of acceptance to grad school, and wanting a good chunk of middle-class kids. I know the list is different for other people. I just don't want to get attacked because I placed URochester above some better ranked schools, or USC below UMiami, or BU below everything but UPittsburg. </p>
<p>People on CC, I would caution, seem to get bent out of shape if a highly ranked USN school is placed out of "order"--nevermind that the rankings change every year and that fit is more important. </p>
<p>I'm looking for similar things as you are (neuroscience, not-too-preppy atmosphere). I would second Colgate, even though it is rather preppy, it is an excellent school with a very good neuroscience program. </p>
<p>If you have top well, everything, Brown, Amherst and Columbia might be good places to look at too. Dartmouth might be a good bet too, they are VERY focused on undergrads, have a very strong psychology/biology and nueroscience programs (they just got a new fMRI machine, and allow their undergrads to work with fMRI) and excellent placement at graduate schools (many of the same things about Dartmouth can be said about Brown too). Just, it's a very preppy place. I'm applying to Brown, Dartmouth and Amherst, with Brown being my overall top choice. </p>
<p>Oh, and Wash U might be a good bet too. But I really think Colgate is great.</p>
<p>I wouldn't be concerned with making recommendations based on the rankings. I don't know what the relative ranks of URochester vs. UNC or USC are, but to whatever degree that URochester is lower is not based on the academic quality of its student body, which is just as strong, if not stronger than the other two.</p>
<p>For neuroscience:
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
.............
University of Southern California
University of Pittsburgh
University of Rochester
U Texas Austin
............
............
............
Boston University
University of Miami</p>
<p>I'm not sure exactly where Kenyon, Hamilton, or Col College would fit in, but they're strong in the sciences. Keep in mind that Kenyon is <em>very</em> isolated. </p>
<p>Davidson, Bates, Franklin & Marshall, Dickinson, Gettysburg, and Skidmore could be excellent matches. I strongly recommend Pomona and Wesleyan in particular.</p>
<p>I don't see what these schools have in common. Why would Kenyon be on the same list as U Pitt? They are completely different schools - one urban and big, one tiny and in a cornfield. </p>
<p>These schools are also vastly different prices. Will you need scholarship money? That may be a factor here too. </p>
<p>If you like all these schools, and you think you have the right balance of safety/reach/match and affordable/need money forget about the rankings and start your applications done.</p>
<p>What these schools have in common are undergrad nueroscience programs and a shot (in some cases a long one) at merit aid. The criteria was grad school placement and social scene. Should be happy anywhere with friends and a program that leads to a good graduate neuroscience program. </p>
<p>UNC and Hamilton are reaches. The rest are matches or safeties. </p>
<p>Warblers - You always have such great input. Why is UNC at the top of the list? Couldn't find much info on their undergrad nueroscience program on their website.</p>
<p>Gellino - Thanks for the input on U of Rochester. Looks like IsleBoy agrees.</p>
<p>IsleBoy - Surprised to see Pitt at the bottom. Thought it would be above Miami and Boston? Any issues there?</p>
<p>Since almost all these applications are due Nov 1 to be considered for scholarships - looking to rank them and perhaps cut a few.</p>
<p>Here is how US News ranks them, in case you don't have that. (Although I don't think these rankings are worth a hill of beans. As these are all good schools.):</p>
<p>Universities:
U Texas Austin 47
University of Rochester 34
University of Pittsburgh 57
University of Southern California 27
University of Miami 54
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill 27
Boston University 57</p>
<p>LACs:
Hamilton 17
Kenyon 32
Colorado College 26</p>
<p>I would say that Kenyon and Hamilton are probably more preppy and not middle class than she will like. Kenyon gives out very little merit money (hence, the lack of middle class).</p>
<p>UPitt is a little on the big side, and can feel a little bit intimidating, although the city does have its charms. And, for some reason, my friends at Pitt go home on weekends more than the ones at some of the other schools (exception being UTexas, where its about even).</p>
<p>
[quote]
Why is UNC at the top of the list? Couldn't find much info on their undergrad nueroscience program on their website.
[/quote]
It's true that UNC doesn't offer an undergrad major in neuroscience, but don't let that deter you. The psychology program is top notch and offers several courses in neuroscience, and there's an interdisciplinary cognitive science minor. There's plenty of research opportunities (VERY important for grad school) in neuroscience at the UNC medical center. Duke is also very strong in neuroscience, and UNC students can take one class at Duke per semester. The Robertson bus runs between the two every 30 minutes, making it easy. The UNC student body is very laidback and sounds like what you're looking for. Classes are surprisingly small for a public school (>30 in upper level classes).</p>
<p>I'm not going to bother rating all of them but I would say North Carolina Chapel Hill or University of Rochester the best on your list. Probably Chapel Hill.</p>