<p>How's the physics department at Vassar? It seems to be a kind of artsy school---is Vassar good for the hard sciences?</p>
<p>Do they like students from New Mexico? :)</p>
<p>Physics is small but good. My son is studying computer science, math and chemistry. Chemistry is excellent. His classes have less than 15 kids, comp sci has 6. He loves the attention and the fact that you don't have to fight for space in popular classes. The science buildings are old but adequate. There are plans to renovate in the next few years or build a new science center. Bio is very popular and the building is nice. Lots of pre-meds. yes, Vassar is arts oriented but there is plenty to do in the sciences and in sports if you are interested.</p>
<p>I second barbie123's post. Be sure to research carefully what courses are being offered though. This year's freshman class is being screwed by the lack of a Organic Chem. class in the Spring that was listed in the Orientation materials.</p>
<p>Naturally this warning applies to any school. Most now post their schedules on the web.</p>
<p>Check - <a href="https://secure.vassar.edu/cgi-bin/geninfo.cgi%5B/url%5D">https://secure.vassar.edu/cgi-bin/geninfo.cgi</a></p>
<p>To see the classes offered and class sizes at Vassar in recent years. Click the Submit button to see the enrollments the links at the top just display the entire schedule without enrollments.</p>
<p>Good luck and I hope they do like students from New Mexico. My freshman daughter loves Vassar so far and so do all her friends.</p>
<p>Vassar is a top 10 LAC and is a nationally renowned institution. Ultimately, all of its programs will be strong and decent. At a place like Vassar, the humanities and fine arts are particularly strong, yet it is different at a place like Swarthmore, where (from what I've read) sciences are strong. </p>
<p>Though the sciences may not be Vassar's most popular program, nor the college's strength, you can rest assured that they are very good.</p>
<p>And Vassar is desperately trying to break away from the excessive amount of new england and california applicants, so being from New Mexico (or anywhere in the southwest really) helps in the admissions process. Being male helps too.</p>
<p>I applied ED and am a guy from AZ...</p>
<p>Actually, depending on what science you're talking about, they can be quite popular at Vassar. The biology department, for instance, is quite large and very active (as well as strong), while Chemistry is a bit smaller, but still a very strong department. This is due mainly to the amount of pre-med students, I'd imagine. </p>
<p>I don't know as much about physics, but I'd agree with barbie123 and ctParent2006 in saying that the department for it is small but good. If you're interested in what specific classes are offered I suggest you take a look at the course handbook (Physics</a>, Vassar College Catalogue 2007/08) and the physics/astronomy department website (Vassar</a> College Department of Physics + Astronomy) in addition to what courses were offered in the past few years as ctParent2006 suggested.</p>
<p>I read from one old thread in which someone said that physics is weak at vassar.. i think chem and bio are good tho</p>
<p>I doubt that Physics is weak at any college, especially top schools like Vassar, that offers the major but it may be less popular at some than others. </p>
<p>Professors, even most graduate students, will know far more than any undergraduate about Physics. It is the number and quality of the other students in the subject that makes for higher quality learning environments for most, but not all, students. </p>
<p>In departments with fewer majors those majors will likely work more closely with the faculty and get more attention but may lose the collaborative learning larger departments have.</p>
<p>You should try to consider what sort of environment you think you will learn best in.</p>
<p>I will say that larger universities will have far more hardware to play with than smaller colleges and that may be a consideration but I think that is more important for graduate students who concentrate in specialty areas than for undergraduates who are just learning the broad foundations of the any particular subject.</p>
<p>I don't think Physics will be the most popular major anywhere, except places like MIT and Caltech. But I don't think that means it isn't strong.</p>
<p>So far, I like schools where there are fewer physics majors. I like the whole individualized, personal, more attention thing, with less competition, more opportunity. At least that's how it seems.</p>
<p>But I still want the department to be good.</p>