Anonymous
04/01/2025 23:09
Subject: I go to a top LAC for history and stem. It is overrated.
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.
Anonymous
04/01/2025 23:08
Subject: Re:I go to a top LAC for history and stem. It is overrated.
Anonymous wrote:A family member works in a top 5 worldwide school for STEM in a position where the topic of undergrad study of prof children comes up often. The topic 3 destinations amongst that group’s children are LACs.
That's cool and all, but what do the children do?
Anonymous
04/01/2025 23:06
Subject: Re:I go to a top LAC for history and stem. It is overrated.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: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.
Actually, the opposite is true.
Really? Go take a look at the Princeton math grad student page. It’s going to be very difficult for you to find an LAC grad. This is common knowledge in physics/math. You aren’t going to a top program from a lac unless you’re truly exceptional amongst the truly exceptional.
Math is fairly unique in that practically all students who get into top PhD programs have been taking graduate courses since their freshman year. Most other fields are not like this. LAC students still go to top math PhD programs, but not the tippy top.
Anonymous
04/01/2025 23:01
Subject: I go to a top LAC for history and stem. It is overrated.
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.
Anonymous
04/01/2025 22:57
Subject: Re:I go to a top LAC for history and stem. It is overrated.
A family member works in a top 5 worldwide school for STEM in a position where the topic of undergrad study of prof children comes up often. The topic 3 destinations amongst that group’s children are LACs.
Anonymous
04/01/2025 22:54
Subject: I go to a top LAC for history and stem. It is overrated.
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
Anonymous
04/01/2025 22:52
Subject: I go to a top LAC for history and stem. It is overrated.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I am currently attending a well-ranked liberal arts college for a double major in English and Physics. The small course sizes sounded nice at first, but my English courses have not really evolved past discussions of the same handful of themes (patriarchy/sex or gender, racism/exclusion, identity/perception). The professors are fine, but they are typically not doing active research that invites students, so I have to get creative (aka go to research universities). The department holds a few modernists, a single professor in literary criticism, and a complete lack of translation coursework. I cannot really say the experience has been much beyond discussion with mostly sleepy students, who do not at all care about the text, often not reading it either. I am taking a tutorial next semester, but I won't be holding my breath on increased rigor and interest.
The physics resources and faculty are amazing, but the reality is that getting into a top physics program requires top research experience and heavily biases those with graduate coursework and years of research.
Look, I love small classes and learning in a small community within an idyll, bucolic campus, but I don't think it is worth it over going to a good research university, where you get support for research and have more opportunities with nicher subspecialties.
This makes no sense. You'd probably do better in English if you wrote better.
You might just need to read closely? Those sentences are fine.
Anonymous
04/01/2025 22:46
Subject: I go to a top LAC for history and stem. It is overrated.
Anonymous wrote:I am currently attending a well-ranked liberal arts college for a double major in English and Physics. The small course sizes sounded nice at first, but my English courses have not really evolved past discussions of the same handful of themes (patriarchy/sex or gender, racism/exclusion, identity/perception).
That's no different at the English departments of any US research university. That's all these clowns talk about all day.
That's why people are making fun of English majors.
Oh the humanities! (Sheldon Cooper)
Anonymous
04/01/2025 22:34
Subject: I go to a top LAC for history and stem. It is overrated.
The lack of breadth across research fields amongst the faculty does seem limiting in some subjects.
Anonymous
04/01/2025 22:30
Subject: I go to a top LAC for history and stem. It is overrated.
Anonymous wrote:I am currently attending a well-ranked liberal arts college for a double major in English and Physics. The small course sizes sounded nice at first, but my English courses have not really evolved past discussions of the same handful of themes (patriarchy/sex or gender, racism/exclusion, identity/perception). The professors are fine, but they are typically not doing active research that invites students, so I have to get creative (aka go to research universities). The department holds a few modernists, a single professor in literary criticism, and a complete lack of translation coursework. I cannot really say the experience has been much beyond discussion with mostly sleepy students, who do not at all care about the text, often not reading it either. I am taking a tutorial next semester, but I won't be holding my breath on increased rigor and interest.
The physics resources and faculty are amazing, but the reality is that getting into a top physics program requires top research experience and heavily biases those with graduate coursework and years of research.
Look, I love small classes and learning in a small community within an idyll, bucolic campus, but I don't think it is worth it over going to a good research university, where you get support for research and have more opportunities with nicher subspecialties.
This makes no sense. You'd probably do better in English if you wrote better.
Anonymous
04/01/2025 22:26
Subject: Re:I go to a top LAC for history and stem. It is overrated.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: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.
Actually, the opposite is true.
Really? Go take a look at the Princeton math grad student page. It’s going to be very difficult for you to find an LAC grad. This is common knowledge in physics/math. You aren’t going to a top program from a lac unless you’re truly exceptional amongst the truly exceptional.
Difficult in part because they don't list where the students did undergrad...
Look them up. You can find anyone, welcome to the modern world where we have LinkedIn and university announcement pages.
Anonymous
04/01/2025 22:26
Subject: Re:I go to a top LAC for history and stem. It is overrated.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: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.
Actually, the opposite is true.
Really? Go take a look at the Princeton math grad student page. It’s going to be very difficult for you to find an LAC grad. This is common knowledge in physics/math. You aren’t going to a top program from a lac unless you’re truly exceptional amongst the truly exceptional.
Yes, really. University grads outnumber LAC grads by over 30 to 1. Come back when you haven’t cherry picked one and/or understand basic statistical reasoning.
The rate is higher for university grads to lac grads via the Princeton website. Maybe you should check.
Anonymous
04/01/2025 22:25
Subject: Re:I go to a top LAC for history and stem. It is overrated.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: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.
Actually, the opposite is true.
Really? Go take a look at the Princeton math grad student page. It’s going to be very difficult for you to find an LAC grad. This is common knowledge in physics/math. You aren’t going to a top program from a lac unless you’re truly exceptional amongst the truly exceptional.
+1, this is an underrated comment. Top lacs are nowhere near top research universities in producing students at that level of academic excellence, partially because they don't attract those kinds of students. Being in a lecture hall with 80+ students doesn't bother the type of undergrad who's going into graduate courses after their freshman year. It's not uncommon to see LAC grads in top chemistry, bio, and neuroscience grad programs, but math is not like that; there are more Oxford students currently attending Princeton for a Phd in Math than any liberal arts college.
Anonymous
04/01/2025 22:23
Subject: I go to a top LAC for history and stem. It is overrated.
MacAlester College in Minnesota has one of the highest rates of students getting NSF grants for grad school based on the research they do with professors there. That's a good indicator of the strength of their mentoring students to do research and publish in the sciences as undergrads.
Anonymous
04/01/2025 22:20
Subject: Re:I go to a top LAC for history and stem. It is overrated.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: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.
Actually, the opposite is true.
Really? Go take a look at the Princeton math grad student page. It’s going to be very difficult for you to find an LAC grad. This is common knowledge in physics/math. You aren’t going to a top program from a lac unless you’re truly exceptional amongst the truly exceptional.
Yes, really. University grads outnumber LAC grads by over 30 to 1. Come back when you haven’t cherry picked one and/or understand basic statistical reasoning.