<p>one word: wow. the workload at reed sounds intense, as many others have already called it. I consider myself a good sudent, and reed souds like an amazing school with the perfect student body for me, but the thought of the coarseload almost scares me half to death! how do students handle that? Is it possible. I mean, Humanities 110 reads more books than I've read in the last four yeas in one!</p>
<p>There is a saying about Reed: All they ever do is read. I think they read only most of the time, e.g., Friday night seems reserved for relaxation. This is an academic bunch, hence the high grad school and PhD rates. But there are many schools like this, CalTech, Harvey Mudd, Swarthmore, Carleton, MIT, Bryn Mawr, Oberlin, Grinnell, U Chicago, ...</p>
<p>The senior thesis is indeed mandatory at Reed; roughly 1/4 to 1/3 of the senior "course" load is dedicated to it. I don't know about the other schools.</p>
<p>(Hey, dad, come back, my post looks funny now! :) )</p>
<p>Sorry I stranded vossron. I'd posted that a senior thesis is a highly demanding enterprise which, where it exists, substantially ups the workload ante in the upper-class years. At most colleges students don't routinely, or frequently, write a senior thesis. Some schools offer it as an option, for students to achieve Honors status. At a couple of the above schools, though, it is mandatory for all.</p>
<p>Not to mention the Junior Qualifying Exam. As someone who's getting more serious about Reed everyday, I am really excited about the possible challenge.
Read all the time? Why do anything else? (kidding)</p>