<p>When people say Yale is weak in the sciences, they are talking only about the hard physical sciences and engineering, and they are often comparing it to schools like Stanford, which are very strong in this area. Yale's physical sciences are very good compared to most universities in the country - just not as good as the very top schools and not as good as it's own other departments, especially those in arts and humanities, which they are famous for. Princeton and Harvard, and of course, Cal Tech are stronger in the physical sciences, but Yale's department is still very good.</p>
<p>In the biological sciences, Yale has an outstanding reputation- as good as any top school. (just ask all the pre-meds you find there!) It doesn't surprise me at all that Yale has the most well-regarded neuroscience faculty.</p>