Liberal Arts Colleges Can Be a Good Choice for STEM Majors
A common myth is that liberal arts colleges don’t have strong science and math programs. The truth is that liberal arts colleges are often strong in the sciences and math, plus students receive more personalized attention due to the smaller size.
What students may not realize is that “name brand” colleges like Harvard often limit undergrads’ interactions with professors. Many world-renowned professors are not teaching freshman biology. Many undergrad classes are taught by teaching assistants. Teaching assistants are typically PhD students and many of them are international students. This is often not the case at liberal arts colleges.
You will find that many liberal arts colleges produce the highest percentages of graduates who go on to medical school because of high MCAT scores. Students who want to earn an advanced degree in a science research field also score well on the GRE. The reasons for this happening are:
- Small classes at all levels (introduction classes to advanced)
- Professors really know the students and advise them accordingly
- Internship programs
- Advisers after freshman year stay with the student for three years
- Strong curriculum in writing and reading
- A tradition of preparing students for graduate school
This is not to say that a student cannot or should not attend a large university if they want to major in science. They may find that opportunities for science research on the undergraduate level may be there, but competition for those positions can be keen. It all depends on what type of campus and classroom environment you want as well as many other factors that come together for making a decision regarding the type of school that is the best fit for you.
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