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I'm planning on eventually going for a graduate degree in genetics. I still would like to go somewhere prestigious for an undergrad (would molecular biology be an appropriate major if i want to go into genetics?). I've been taking AP classes and doing extracurriculars to make my application better; is there a chance that I can get into Yale or Duke or should I wait and apply to one of them for a graduate's degree? I can provide more info (3.9 GPA, 32 ACT, top 5%), but i'm short on time at the moment. Thanks!

By Interesteddad (Interesteddad) on Sunday, June 13, 2004 - 02:32 pm: Edit

Duke and Yale are certainly among the hundred or more excellent undergraduate colleges and universities that could prepare a student for a PhD program in the sciences.

See the following article from Thomas Cech (Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry) on undergrad preparation for PhD's in science/engineering.

http://www.collegenews.org/prebuilt/daedalus/cech_article.pdf

His table on page 6 lists the top 25 colleges and universities in terms of number of science/engineering PhDs awarded per 100 undergrads at each school.

I think Cech's lists show that there are many schools and many types of schools that produce successful PhD candidates in the sciences. I would not overlook the many other issues that should play a role in undergrad college selection -- urban/suburban/rural, large/med/small, south/north/midwest/west, frats/no frats, and so on and so forth.

This link gives the same kind of ranking, but for PhDs in ALL fields (excluding MD, Law, etc.)

http://web.centre.edu/ir/student/OverallBaccOrigins.pdf

It would be difficult to pinpoint "genetics" because bio, chem, and biochem majors could all lead to grad school in "genetics".

By Madelinemay11 (Madelinemay11) on Monday, June 14, 2004 - 04:09 am: Edit

Interestedad - you have got to stop trolling this daedauls article...it's more of an essay than a serious article...I don't know of too many reputable sources that cite that essay.

Seahorsekid - typically the pretige of the undergrad is a big boost in grad admissions. Someone from a top school, with a good GPA, won't have any problems placing in a top grad school.

However, since you're interested in a scientific field, research is critical. Universities (that is, schools that are not arts colleges) have a ton of research opportunities for most of their students, and if you do research for a professor, his/her letter of recommendation can place you into a top grad program.

By Interesteddad (Interesteddad) on Monday, June 14, 2004 - 01:00 pm: Edit

>> Interestedad - you have got to stop trolling this daedauls article...it's more of an essay than a serious article...I don't know of too many reputable sources that cite that essay.

Why? Dr. Cech's article happens to have some very useful charts based on NSF grad school data. It seems to me that an pre-eminent research scientist (Nobel Prize in Chemistry) who has been educated at a liberal arts college (Grinnell) and a large R1 research insitute (Berkeley) and teaches at a large university (U Colorado) is in a position to have a worthwhile viewpoint on undergrad science education. He does a good job of laying out the pros and cons of science education at both kinds of undergrad schools.

I am a firm believer that high school students should make informed choices about college selection. IMO, you can get a fantastic college education at any one of at least 100 to 200 colleges and universities. By understanding the pluses and minuses, students can best decide which type of school and which specific schools best "fit" their particular needs.

Certainly, if the career path is a career in science, then examing the percentage of undergrads that successfully complete a PhD program is a vital piece of information. When you sit at freshman orientation looking at all those smiling faces, wondering how many fellow future scientists will go on complete a PhD, you hope it's a big percentage.

By Bee_Bee (Bee_Bee) on Monday, June 14, 2004 - 01:39 pm: Edit

Seahorse - Also consider liberal arts colleges, such as Amherst or Carleton, which have excellent science programs. They can prepare you for graduate schools in genetics. You can also find opportunities for research in these types of schools too. And considering the small classes at LACs