Anyone with knowledge about William and Mary's Physics and Biology departments?

[Anonymous]

for undergraduate school? Seen the rankings. Looking for first hand or second hand (child) experience.

[Anonymous]

I am a biologist, and W and M is definitely not a powerhouse in most areas of research within either Physics or Biology, with very few investigators that are receiving substantial NSF or NIH funding. The most activity is in conservation biology/marine biology. But for undergraduate, what really matters is the quality of the teaching/talent of other students, and sometimes the lack of many graduate students actually increases the access to research for undergraduates, which doesn't have to be particularly expensive or high powered. Can do summer experiences at NIH or NASA or somewhere with a bigger research profile. So if this is for undergraduate, and someone who is looking at premed versus eventual grad school in the sciences, it would be fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a biologist, and W and M is definitely not a powerhouse in most areas of research within either Physics or Biology, with very few investigators that are receiving substantial NSF or NIH funding. The most activity is in conservation biology/marine biology. But for undergraduate, what really matters is the quality of the teaching/talent of other students, and sometimes the lack of many graduate students actually increases the access to research for undergraduates, which doesn't have to be particularly expensive or high powered. Can do summer experiences at NIH or NASA or somewhere with a bigger research profile. So if this is for undergraduate, and someone who is looking at premed versus eventual grad school in the sciences, it would be fine.

I am a physicist and I have the same response as the biologist. There are a couple of very highly regarded professors in the physics department but it is not a powerhouse. The best in the area is actually UMCP.

[Anonymous]

Are thinking Bio as a stepping stone to a career in something like veterinary medicine? Or just getting a BS in Bio and not going any further with it?

[Anonymous]

I think the strength of biology at William and Mary is that the department is relatively small and have classes taught by professors, whereas other Virginia schools (like UVa and Tech) that receive more research grants have giant classes with lots of graduate student TAs. Physics is a pretty small department at most schools, so you don't see as much differences.