small LAC with strong science in New England

[oldfort]

I am surprised no one mentioned Colgate. It has a great science program, 3-2 pre-engineering program. I think one of those engineering school is Columbia. It is voted as one of the prettiest campus.

[JustAMomOf4]

Probably because the OP stipulated New England.
Otherwise - good choice.
Also Ursinus in PA.

[parent56]

Ursinus is an "up and coming" with strong sciences, LAC and if i remember correctly has a 3-2 program They have merit aid

[dadx3]

Not at all in New England, but Lawrence U in Appleton Wisc has a very good physics program and a music conservatory.

[oldfort]

I read the title and I just thought of NE, not just New England. On the other hand, I came to this country when I was 12, I totally skipped over US geography (my kids used to sing that silly song about 50 states and capitals in third grade). But I wonder if OP really means New England, or does he/she mean NE. I know I am trying to cover up for the fact that I don't know much about US geography. Nevertheless, Colgate is a better school than Williams.

[mythmom]

Ursinus's strength is in biology.

Honestly, apart from the merit money, the combination of music and physics is strongest at Williams.

Merit money is hard to come by at top schools, particularly in NE.

You might also look at Tufts which isn't a LAC but does have a LAC feel. Same for Dartmouth.

I think you have to decide which is most important: Location, top school, NE, or merit money. I think it will be difficult to get all these in one school.

Skidmore has a music scholarship -- two per year.

Bard has a science scholarship and absolutely incredible music (a new conservatory and a college prez who's a conductor.)

There are a lot of options.

DD's best friend just graduated from Bard as a physics major. Her dad is a top physicist (runs the particle accelerator at Brookhaven National Labs) and he was satisfied with the program.

[paying3tuitions]

S-1 at Amherst College had a good friend who double-majored in Physics and Music, then went for a PhD in Physics. At the time (5 years ago) he told me his interest was in (then) a new area of String Theory. I realized, talking there, I didn't know to which major he was referring, Music or Physics. But no merit aid there, only need-based. For middleclass students they give all aid in grants, not loans, to maximize post-college career choice.

Also consider a 5-year double major at Oberlin College and Conservatory, resulting in a B.A. and BMusic
if you are really bright and want to work like a dog while meeting great people. That's NE (near Cleveland, Ohio) but not New England. If your audition skills aren't up to the level of the Conservatory, you might find a Major in Music, or Physics Major, within the 4-year B.A. program fits the bill.

Oberlin has long been strong in sciences -- with Physics its strongsuit -- even before it built its new Natural Science Center complex. A high percentage of Oberlin grads go on to PhD's, and some of their Goldwater Scholars come out of the Physics department.

Among the LAC's, though, it's not always called a "small LAC" as in your title. The combined College and Conservatory has 2600-2800 students. Oberlin DOES have some merit aid.

[marite]

Oldfort: Colgate better than Williams? Sez who? The top LACs are usually AWSP: Amherst, Williams, Swarthmore Pomona. Sometimes the combination comes out as WASP, or SWAP.
But whatever one thinks of Colgate, I agree that Williams has an extremely strong math/physics program and also music. I believe it has some deal with Columbia for engineering. We looked at Williams for S but decided he needed to be at a university rather than at a LAC.

[oldfort]

Marite, relax, I went to Colgate. No one is trying to take anything away from Williams.

[marite]

And I did not go to ASWP and neither did my kids. But I don't like partisan bragging.
The OP asked a serious question which merits serious answers.
If the OP's son is willing to look beyond NE, I would second Carleton. It seems to be sending a good number of graduates to top math/physics graduate programs.

[appdad]

Whether or not you require merit aid depends on your income and the college. At Princeton and a number of other colleges cover all demonstrated need. In some cases the FA packages are larger than the merit aid offered by others. As I recall the income cutoff for FA at Princeton $180,000.

[oldfort]

marite - I guess you missed the smiley face, sheesh, should get over yourself. Only YOU give serious answers, which is to pull out NSW ranking. I loved my Colgate experience, and I do not need the ranking to tell me that. I went there as a potential physics major and a violin player. I know nothing about Williams.

[marite]

That was a silly post, smiley face included. I used the rankings because you made a comparison-- I don't know what purpose it could possibly serve.
I do know something of Williams, having looked at it for my mathy kid.
Perhaps others appreciate your levity. That's fine with me. I do try to be helpful.

[oldfort]

I can see that with 12,451 posts.

[mythmom]

Um, oldfort -- I think your levity if fine.

Marite: I'm sure people appreciate you and your advice. I always have.

And people are chiming in with Wes.

I think physics and music just happen to be two of Williams' strongest departments.

Mini is right -- it's weak on languages.

Williams has a professional orchestra (above conservatory level -- the faculty play in it) and a student orchestra which is very casual. If a student is right in between, like my son, it can be wee bit problematical, but it showed he should drop his music major because he definitely didn't want to work for the higher orchestra, preferring to fool around with other kids. Fine with me.

He took an amazing physics class and an astronomy class and then got outclassed (heehee a bit of a pun.) But that's okay. He learned oodles.

Colgate is beautiful and wonderful, and I'm sure it has its own massive strengths.

Wes is good if someone is interested in World Music and jazz, not as good for classical.

I stick by Bard if merit money is wanted. The merit money is only for those agreeing to major in a science (guess they want to attract more science students and have a new facility) and in the top 10% of the class. There are other stipulations, but at the moment I can't remember what they were.

And I think for many serious physics or math students a uni would be preferable because the presence of grad students ensures that there are many really upper level courses.

It really depends on an individual students' needs, but I can totally understand this.

My S really wanted to go on a bit of a spiritual/self-discovery journey and the LAC was great for that. He ended up in Classics, which thank goodness, is also a good department.

Since he takes both Greek and Latin he is busy with that, and I don't think he needs a uni because he wouldn't be any more advanced than he is now. He is looking to grad school. Will you all visit him in the poor house? Really, it's okay with me -- he should "follow his bliss" as Joseph Campbell said.

I'm rambling. Sorry all.