I go to a top LAC for history and stem. It is overrated.

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03/09/2026 08:08

Subject: I go to a top LAC for history and stem. It is overrated.

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Anonymous

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you want to do research, go to where the research actually happens. LACs are great for certain subjects where they aren't expected grad coursework or sophisticated research. Mathematics grad school will expect graduate-level courses completed before you finish undergrad

And this is relevant to OP's complaints about physics and...history? English? OP can't really remember...at a supposed real-world LAC that is definitely not a figment of his imagination.

When you start a new thread about math students who dream of doing a Ph.D. at Princeton, then perhaps we can advise on where they should go for undergrad.

Physics is very similar-not in terms of graduate study, but you need very strong research and access to a few grad level math courses if you want to get into a top program, especially for theoretical. This is easier to achieve a top research university.

Hmm -- I don't know anything about physics, but on a tour of Amherst College last year we walked past the physics department. They had a display of recent grads (there didn't seem to be many majors per year, maybe 15?) and their locations. Almost all were in PhD programs at very prestigious research universities. Of course, I can't name the T10 PhD grad programs, but these were marque names. So (with that limited evidence) I call troll.

Amherst is one of the top SLACs, though, so maybe OP is at a lower-level institution?

Amherst College class of 2022 physics majors:
3 working in industry (SWE/data analyst jobs)
1 CU Boulder
1 Berkeley
1 Princeton
1 Stanford
2 unclear (one won a Fulbright research grant, though)

My daughter is an Amherst senior and her boyfriend (also at Amherst) is starting his phd in Math at Princeton in the fall.

This person made this up. No such person exists in Princeton’s records

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03/09/2026 10:32

Subject: Re:I go to a top LAC for history and stem. It is overrated.

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Anonymous

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They’re either a troll or misinformed. LACs send many students to top STEM programs, and many profs at those PhD programs prefer LACs for their own kids. Having a meaningful or lead role in a research project is often better than tidying up for the grad students.

You're much more likely to get into a top stem research program from a research university than a lac. A lot of the top LACs have grads going to decent grad schools, but not the best. It is rare to see a lac grad going to Princeton for a math phd, for example.

Harvey Mudd, Swarthmore and Pomona would like a word.

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03/09/2026 10:36

Subject: I go to a top LAC for history and stem. It is overrated.

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Anonymous

My college BF at a NESCAC was a physics major. Two years later he went to MIT for a phd. And this was 30+ years ago.

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03/09/2026 11:36

Subject: I go to a top LAC for history and stem. It is overrated.

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Anonymous