<p>im currently a junior looking at what colleges I want to apply to, Down the road I want a chem PhD, My main concern is that I have heard there is little to no research being done at reed besides the senior thesis, </p>
<p>is this true? if it is true, will it be sufficient for those highly selective grad school programs, (UC Berkeley). Also, i am some what a middle of the road/slightly reagonesque independent/republican, will I be alienated at reed, (I do have the ability to intelligently support my arguments, and im fairly thick skinned).</p>
<p>The best research at Reed does seem to go to seniors, but you have seen Reed's chem PhD record (top five of all schools, no matter which years are measured), such that it doesn't matter.</p>
<p>If you can articulate your views, and are not an ideologue, you'll do fine, but you may well be challenged!</p>
<p>At Reed you're likely to do considerably more research than at a large university, not just in chem (if that's your major) but in almost all subjects and courses. The senior thesis is the single most time consuming and independently determined and largest project you'll undertake, and it will take a whole academic year (though I knew one genius who did it in a few weeks! and it wasn't just because he was a procrastinator). But if you take into consideration that in many of your science, humanities, and social science courses you will be doing research (perhaps experimental, e.g., in psychology, chem, physics; perhaps in the field, e.g., in anthropology and biology; perhaps in the library, e.g., in history or philosophy; perhaps secondary data analysis, e.g., in political science; perhaps in your mind, e.g., in math), you will graduate from Reed with a wealth of research experience.</p>