<p>St. Olaf and Rhodes are my two top choices for college next year. I am looking to major in biology/molecular biology and major/minor in Spanish and eventually earn a PhD in cancer biology. I decided on liberal arts schools to branch out...I am also coming out of a very rigorous high school experience and looking to relax just a bit (as in- have time to do something on the weekends besides homework :) ), but definitely not slacking!</p>
<p>Does anyone have any information about how St. Olaf and Rhodes compare in terms of academic difficulty/prestige, strength of biology program, or availability of research?</p>
<p>As an undergraduate at Rhodes doing cancer research 8 hours a week at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, I can honestly say that Rhodes College will be your best choice for your field of study as well as the other things you seem to be looking for. As you may know, St. Jude children’s Research Hospital, the #1 Children’s Cancer treatment and research institution in the world, is located in Memphis just a couple miles from Rhodes College. Because of this and the college’s prestigious reputation, Rhodes has a wonderful partnership with St. Jude for undergraduate students to participate in cancer research called St. Jude Summer Plus. This program is highly selective, but after an application process, several students are selected each year to complete two summers of paid research work in a lab at St. Jude under a mentor and the school year in between for school credit. Many students end up contributing to scientific publications as a result.</p>
<p>After my freshman year, I was planning to begin Summer Plus but was diagnosed with pediatric cancer called Ewing Sarcoma. Needless to say, my life was put on hold. I was lucky enough to receive treatment at St. Jude, and after recovering from cancer I returned to Rhodes last fall. I am now participating in the research program, and I love every minute of it. I’m doing, on an undergraduate level, what many graduate school students would kill to do.</p>
<p>As far as Memphis goes, there is tons to do. From swing dancing on the weekends to going downtown for shopping and barbecue to the Orpheum Theatre for plays, the city is rich in culture and activity. Rhodes academics are rigorous, but the professors are all in love with what they do. I literally spend hours a week in my professors’ offices in conversation.</p>
<p>I can promise you that Memphis is the best place to be for what you want to do. Rhodes won’t let you down. </p>
<p>Hi there! I’m a St. Olaf parent who happens to have a PhD in molecular biology and a dozen years experience in cancer research. While I appreciate the proximity of Rhodes College to St. Jude’s, there are a couple feathers in St. Olaf’s hat to consider, too.
From my perspective, the best thing you can do for yourself is learn how to think, not what to do (yet). I am all in favor of undergrad research, but the best thing you can learn at this stage is old-fashioned de novo thinking. Hence, check out the Science Conversation program at St. Olaf. If you can’t think (and it really hurts to learn how), you won’t learn how to be a self-sustaining scientist who discovers new truths.
Next, compare environments. While I haven’t been to Rhodes, I have been on many campuses, and Regent’s Hall is by far the best science facility I have ever seen. Also, look at the research topics chosen by the faculty. I have always been impressed by the research questions asked by the St. Olaf science professors. It is important, well-thought out, and relies entirely on undergraduate involvement. Remember, St. Olaf has plenty of ties to Mayo Clinic, if that appeals to you, too. Good luck to you!</p>
<p>I am a sophomore at St. Olaf majoring in biology with a strong interest in Spanish as well, and I have not had an issue with Olaf at all. There are many, many opportunities for undergraduate research, from summer research internships ([St</a>. Olaf College | CURI 2012 Summer Research Projects](<a href=“http://www.stolaf.edu/academics/curi/summer-research/2012projects.html]St”>http://www.stolaf.edu/academics/curi/summer-research/2012projects.html)) to REU positions to regular semester-length independent research. We do have strong ties to the Mayo Clinic as well, and I’m pretty sure a cancer treatment center was just built in Northfield. </p>
<p>The Spanish department is also excellent. I have had three different professors here and they were all amazing, and I know of several others whom friends highly recommend. St. Olaf also offers many great abroad interim classes in the fields you are interested in, from Spanish in Ecuador, Costa Rica or Spain to Peruvian Medical Experience and tons of other interesting locations and topics. </p>
<p>It sounds like both colleges will offer you great research experiences and strong departments, so I would look more into what flavor of campus life you prefer. Memphis is definitely much larger than Northfield, although the twin cities are pretty close (~40 mins away) if you are into city life. Have you visited them both? Are you okay with the cold winters up here? I agree that a liberal arts college is the way to go. There is so much flexibility and exposure to other disciplines! I don’t think you can go wrong either way, so I wish you luck with your decision!</p>