<p>Rose Hulman ?</p>
<p>I say Case Western, too! I love it here, but we are all big nerds :-)</p>
<p>I've heard that Rice students are fairly nerdy.</p>
<p>Worcester Polytechnic Institute.</p>
<p>Definitely consider Reed... if you can tolerate the prevalent smoking culture. I hear New College of Florida has alot of those intellectual conversation groups too, and it seems you can never be too 'weird' to be socially accepted there.</p>
<p>Reed has a very heavy drug culture that is hard to avoid. However, it's not as liberal as many people think-- the students stay pretty much in an academic bubble. Reed is a good place for nerdy people to experiment with different lifestyles. </p>
<p>The physics department is excellent, but mainly in theoretical physics, and mainly due to one amazing prof.-- David Griffiths. There is no one doing active research in any kind of applied physics at Reed, and the physics labs suck. </p>
<p>-- an alum</p>
<p>My daughter has been a student at Reed since 2001 ( she took last year off) I have visited many times and I have not seen any more problems with substances than can be seen in the local middle schools.
Physics is still a very strong dept at Reed.
<a href="http://collegenews.org/x1335.xml%5B/url%5D">http://collegenews.org/x1335.xml</a></p>
<p>*Reed College physics program recognized for achievements</p>
<p>High numbers of graduates and productive learning environment cited</p>
<p>The American Institute of Physics reported in the July 2002 edition of AIP Report that, of the more than 500 U.S. institutions offering undergraduate-only physics programs, Reed College in 1998, 1999, and 2000 produced the third-highest average number of physics graduates per year: 17. Reed, with 1,350 students, trails only the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy--which offer primarily technical curriculain this distinction.</p>
<p>To put this achievement in context, the report found that, in recent years, the average annual number of graduating physics seniors at a U.S. undergraduate-only institutions is 3.2, and that only 7 percent of these physics programs graduate more than 10 per year. Reed's physics department has maintained its high graduation rate over the past decade; its senior class has consistently numbered in the 15-19 range each year since 1990.*</p>
<p>A study of Reed and its peer institutions regarding drug use showed that allow Reed students used less alcohol than other schools, but they used way more drugs. Marijuana use at Reed was 5 times the average at other small, LA schools. I personally knew students at Reed who were high on pot a lot of time, and heroin was also not uncommon. Reed has a "substance-free" dorm, for crying out loud. And anyone who is uncomfortable with public drug use (and/or nudity) should just leave the campus during Renn Fayre weekend. </p>
<p>Regarding those physics statistics, they are skewed somewhat because Reed has fewer science majors than some other schools-- no geology, no astronomy, no computer science, just bio, chem, and physics. Also, the number of physics majors spikes when David Griffiths teaches the intro course for prospective majors-- he really is that good. </p>
<p>Here is a more balanced perspective on the pros and cons of science at Reed: <a href="http://web.reed.edu/nsfaire/nsfaire_sciencePhysics.html%5B/url%5D">http://web.reed.edu/nsfaire/nsfaire_sciencePhysics.html</a></p>
<p>Don't get me wrong-- Reed is a fantastic school, especially for people who like to live in their head. The senior thesis is an amazing experience that I will never forget. But I'm playing devil's advocate because I think there's a significant difference between Reed's reputation and its reality.</p>
<p>I find it interesting that the general consensus on cc is that the "nerds" are more intellectual, and are driven to schools such as Swarthmore (and some of the other LAC's) for the superior "intellectual" atmosphere. What my son noticed was that the kids he knows who attend such schools are not necessarily any brighter or more intellectual. Rather, many (not all) of them were social misfits in high school that were actually rejected by their first choice colleges. Contrary to popular belief, "Nerdy" does not always equate to intellectual superiority! The kids who attend LAC's are not necessarily more intellectual, or more intellectually curious. From what we have seen, that's a bunch of hogwash.</p>
<p>He has also been told that the drug culture at some of these LAC's is very abundant.</p>
<p>Don't know if it's been mentioned yet, but Carleton has the kind of quirky-nerdy students you're looking for and and excellent, excellent physics program as well.</p>
<p>Olin and Mudd</p>
<p>in a recent study, it was found out that popularity rating of Grinnellians in their High School was on average 4 out of 10. (Princeton Review)</p>
<p>Is Grinnell a school for social misfits or quirky intellectuals?</p>
<p>The Cooper Union</p>
<p>a good amount at william and mary are wierd/nerdy/quirky- lol they're great! And they just got this big magnet for physics (?). And...my tour guide when I went there talked a lot about the physics dept...like updating it with stuff. But she was a bio major.</p>
<p>harvey mudd and reed...definitely</p>
<p>I actually love the social scene here at Cooper Union. everyone is friendly and many people are helpful (and brilliant).</p>
<p>Some classes are hard as hell though (no joke).</p>
<p>I also echo the sentiments about Mudders and Reedies being nerdy/quirky.</p>
<p>Wash.U in ST.Louis</p>
<p>according to studentsreview, these will be:</p>
<ol>
<li>Brown University (compare) 9.0 94 4.5
2 Rice University (compare) 8.9 45 4.4
3 Yale University (compare) 9.0 31 4.4
4 University of Chicago (compare) 8.8 60 4.3
5 Vassar College (compare) 9.0 29 4.3
6 Dartmouth College (compare) 8.9 35 4.3
7 Colgate University (compare) 8.7 59 4.3
8 Ohio Wesleyan University (compare) 8.6 88 4.2
9 Emory University (compare) 8.6 39 4.2
10 Fordham University (compare) 8.6 42 4.2</li>
</ol>
<p>Nah, I would venture to say that Brown actually has very social students. The school is very discussion oriented and the students take very active part in the community. I think your rankings for nerdy students need serious revision.</p>