<p>OK, so Williams has a better Art History department. What departments at Amehrst are better than Williams’? Which departments at Amherst are particularly well-known for their excellence?</p>
<p>Amherst has majors in Neuroscience and LJST (Law, Jurisprudence, and Social Thought) which are not offered by Williams.</p>
<p>Unless my Williams Neuroscience major friends are executing an extremely elaborate lie (which is not out of the question)...I'm pretty sure Williams has that major. =D</p>
<p>However, LJST is all Amherst.</p>
<p>Neuroscience is a concentration (read: minor) at Williams. It is an excellent program and the research they do is amazing.</p>
<p>Technically, neuroscience appears to be a "concentration" at Williams, rather than a "major". Most of the students in the neuroscience program are probably biology or psychology majors with a concentration in neuroscience, rather than "neuroscience majors". This probably makes little difference in practice. </p>
<p>You can reasonably assume that any top LAC will offer high-quality undergraduate-level instruction in any major. So in general, there is no point in trying to figure out whether LAC A is stronger or weaker than LAC B in specific subject C (although collegeconfidential posters constantly try to do so). The differences in campus culture and setting are usually much more significant, e.g. the isolation of Williams vs. the 5-college atmosphere at Amherst. </p>
<p>Sometimes a certain academic program at a certain LAC will really stand out as unique, but this is the exception rather than the rule. Examples might include art history at Williams, LJST at Amherst, engineering at Swarthmore, or foreign languages at Middlebury.</p>
<p>I stand corrected. Good job researching more thoroughly than I ever do.</p>
<p>Apparently those jokers have put on an elaborate hoax...;) Kidding.</p>
<p>Corbett wrote:</p>
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<p>Sometimes a certain academic program at a certain LAC will really stand out as unique, but this is the exception rather than the rule. Examples might include art history at Williams, LJST at Amherst, engineering at Swarthmore, or foreign languages at Middlebury.<</p>
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<p>to which I would add Film Studies at Wesleyan. :)</p>
<p>I agree with Corbett entirely. I would add one more key point. The odds of students actually majoring in what they think they might major in as high school seniors are less than 50%.</p>
<p>Very few college applicants should be basing their selections on individual departments. Those who should be considering individual departments are students with strong interests in fields that typically have smaller departments. It's really not an issue for the bread 'n butter departments. </p>
<p>It's also important to note that large departments can often lead to a less rewarding undergrad experience. I doubt that many students at any of these colleges would view their Econ departments as the most student-friendly department on campus. A large department must, by definition, focus its attention on its most serious majors, sometimes to the detriment of a student who, for example, wants to dabble in a few art history survey courses for the pleasure of it as opposed to an eye on a career in curatorship. </p>
<p>If an applicant intends to consider individual departments, it's important to be very specific about the goals and objectives. For example, a student wishing to enjoy participation in musical ensembles during college might have very different requirements for a music department than a student actually planning a career as a professional musician.</p>
<p>I agree with Corbett and Interested Dad, that unless a student has a very well-defined area of interest that is offered at only a few schools (e.g., film studies, archaeology) or is especially attracted to a noted program of a school (like some mentioned previously), this should not be a primary factor on the decision of which college to attend. I think this is true at the undergraduate level, and even more so at a LAC, where students are encouraged to get a broad education that spans many different academic areas. The educational philosophy of Amherst and most LACs is that a broad liberal arts education which emphasizes the development of strong writing and communication skills (and in most cases quantatitive ones, too) is the best preparation for graduate/professional school where one can later specialize in a particular area. These skills also carry over to the working world as well.</p>
<p>I know that Amherst has some pretty famous law and polisci professors, though I wouldn't be able to give a comparison to Williams.</p>
<p>Trailer living and an appreciation for the silent h.</p>
<p>hmm i am guessing soho314 has a slient h then?</p>
<p>soho314, the trailers are no longer going to be used because of the construction of a new freshman dorm, which will be completed for next year's freshman class.</p>
<p>Amherst has the Five College thing going for it = Variety = Change of scenery.</p>