Where Should I Apply?

College Search & Selection
21

@koenig, a helpful posting that we found last year as our DD was researching potential LAC STEM choices.

8

merc81
Registered User
Posts: 6,431
Senior Member
10-28-2015 at 10:12 am edited October 2015

STEM, of course, includes engineering, so few of your choices are literally strong in STEM. Of your listed LACs, only Union offers engineering directly. However, some LACs on your list would be great choices for science, math, or both.

For physics, of your listed LACs, these have graduated Apker Award recipients (for undergraduate research in physics): Colgate, Hamilton, Haverford, Middlebury, Wesleyan and Williams.

For math, Williams (13%), Hamilton (10%) and Bowdoin (9%) are notable for their high percentage of majors. (USNWR 2015 edition.)

LACs from your list that have alumni who have won a Nobel Prize in a science field: Hamilton, Haverford. (Review for possible omissions.)

For computer science, professors from these schools appear to be the first to have initiated and designed a model CS curriculum for liberal arts colleges: Williams, Hamilton, Vassar, Colgate and Bowdoin.

Rochester and NYU are strong in various fields of science and math.

22

Opps, I wasn’t suggesting that you look at UMass. I was trying to make the point that the many music and other events on campus are open to the other consortium colleges.

I imagine that you’ll get a better buzz from the coffee than you will from the local brew…aka Utica Club Beer.
Cycling to New Hartford is an option. The roads around Hamilton are excellent for road biking. When I ride in the area, I’m always pleasantly surprised how courteous the drivers are compared to some areas of MA
.

23

@CrewDad, I am a competitive triathlete and runner that has run quite a few miles through the glens and on the farm roads around Hamilton, and agree very safe. Good to hear about cycling there as TT training is on my agenda when I go up to watch DD1 run xc/track for Hamilton.

24

Time to get you in a rowing shell. :slight_smile:

25

Yes!!

26

When the rivers and lakes freeze, I move to the mountains and coach skiing. Gotta do something in retirement. You’re welcome to join.

.

27

@koenig Look into University of Rochester. It’s a smallish research university with excellent academics and lots of research opportunities for undergrads, as early as first semester freshman year. And, because of its size and collegial atmosphere, it has a campus feel that appeals to a lot of students who are drawn to LACs. Its reputation is particularly strong in the sciences, including physics (especially optics) and biology. From your post, you sound like a lot of Rochester students I’ve gotten to know.

28

That go by me. When? I’ll update the list.

Hamilton 1994
Williams 1995
Haverford 1996
Swarthmore 1997
Harvey Mudd 1998
Williams 1999
Swarthmore 2000
IL State 2001
Williams 2002
Harvey Mudd 2003
Williams 2004
Bucknell 2005
Harvey Mudd 2006
Oberlin 2006
Colgate 2007
Haverford 2008
Mt Holyoke 2009
Wellesley 2009
Williams 2010
Wesleyan 2010
Augustana 2011
Franklin & Marshall 2012
Wesleyan 2013
Loyola Univ MD 2014
Williams 2015

Wesleyan and Williams have won twice. Curcuitrider wrote:

@Koeing, I believe that you’re interested MHC? MHC won an Apker less than 10 years ago. The location is rural, although the college is located in the Holyoke Mt. range which gives it a unique feel.
MHC is the only school that I know that has an eel ladder. https://www.mtholyoke.edu/mwce/eelway

Both Smith and MHC offer significant merit aid and are less reachy than some of your other schools.

With a little persistence, you can do research at all your colleges
Vassar has a new $130,000,000 science center. This program https://ursi.vassar.edu/ is very unique and can combine many of your interests. Students receive room/board and a stipend

29

@CrewDad, that’s right, one Physics Apker Award in 1994’ and 4 other finalists since then. As you noted, only a handful of LAC’s have won the award since it began in 1978’. That added to a Nobel Prize in science isn’t too shabby for a small LAC…

Agree, that it’s great to see Vassar catching up to others with its new 80,000 SF science building and renovation to existing 75,000 SF building. With the 200,000 SF Taylor Science Center at Hamilton and the 225,000 SF McCardell Bicentennial Hall at Middlebury, they needed to catch up.

30

Regarding Utica and crime, note that context should be considered. Even a relatively high crime town in a given state such as New York may not be notably risky when viewed from a broader perspective. For example, Utica does not appear within even the most dangerous 100 cities when compared to others in the U.S.:

https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/blog/top100dangerous

31

There are ~20,000 cities in the country. The fact that Utica is not included in the .05% of the most dangerous cities in the country is a relief. I’ll feel much safer. Thank you. :slight_smile:

32

I know you said you want to go to a LAC, but I think Rice could be a great reach school for you. It’s small, around 3,500 students, so it has an LAC feel with the benefit of having many research opportunities, which you said is important for you. It doesn’t have Greek life, and is marked by its residential college system that promotes inclusivity, diversity, collaboration, and many of the values you’re looking for. Location wise, it’s much further than what you want but Houston also has a vibrant arts, music, and cultural scene very close to Rice’s campus. Definitely look into it.

33

@Crewdad, Utica is not relevant to the Hamilton College experience. That said Hamilton has many other cities near by - Utica is 10 miles to the northeast, and Rome, which is a quaint and totally safe city, is 13 miles to the northwest. Oh, and that town New Hartford, that’s in between Utica and Clinton, gets an A+ for crime on Areavibes.

Why not stop the pointless flame throwing.

34

Pacific Northwest- The culture here would be a match. For safeties look at University of Puget Sound and Lewis and Clark. Whitman might be a good fit.

35

Seriously? Com’on. the quip was intended to be humorous. Apparently not everyone has a sense of humor.
Are you training too hard?

36

@koenig, to get back to your original posting - all of the top LAC’s have great science programs, so look at all of them.

Some like Bates and Wesleyan are adjacent to small cities, others like Amherst, Bowdoin, and Carleton are adjacent to bigger college towns, and others like Hamilton, Midddlebury, Oberlin and Williams have small college villages.

While all have LAC vibes, the campus looks and feels are quite different - some are more to the left, some are more diverse both ethnically and socioeconomically, some are more jockey, some are more quirky, she are more crunchy, some outwardly embrace community more - there’s something for everyone.

Enjoy exploring them all, and you’ll know which ones are the right fit.

37

The posted data (#30) should be accurate though. The U.S. contains 1290 cities of 25,000 or more, which would comport with the statistics in #29:

http://www.demographia.com/db-city2002.htm

That said, I think Utica should be regarded as an asset to Hamilton (A great museum, hotels, roof-top dining, etc.).

38

@merc81, and its the birthplace of the black and white cookie :stuck_out_tongue:

39

@Chembiodad,Vassar believes that focusing on the quality of the education is of more importance than fixating on size. :)>-

Having said that, I am the first to acknowledge that it was imperative that Vassar make substantial investments in its STEM programs and infrastructure so the college would be able to maintain its cutting-edge, multidisciplinary science programs and research and continue be a leader and innovator in the STEM fields.

Vassar’s unprecedented* $125,000,000+* expenditure resulting in a state-of-the-art STEM facility, along with the addition of cutting-edge equipment and laboratories, demonstrates Vassar’s commitment to continue to be an educational leader in the STEM disciplines .
I’m sure that you’re aware that Vassar is also a >1000 acre arboretum and destination point for many, so I was particularity pleased that restoration of the Edith Roberts Ecological Laboratory was incorporated into the renovations.
The renown Undergraduate Research Summer Institute (URSI) will also benefit significantly from Vassar’s new science commons.

I’m also thrilled Vassar corrected the lousy food problem. :slight_smile:

40

@CrewDad, all true, but realize the higher capital expenditure as compared to Hamilton or Middlebury is due to inflation and not value being created.

And we digress. I’m sticking with my post #35 as my last words until OP comes back with more questions.