<p>Smith is a national center for genomics research (under Steve Williams), and many students have peer-reviewed papers published as undergraduates. In addition to the normal run of undergraduate research, Smith has 40-50 students with STRIDE research assistantships, paid research positions in science for the first two years. There is, from what I can tell, no other college or university in the U.S. - including all the Ivies and Johns Hopkins - that can say the same. </p>
<p>I think Mt. Holyoke and Wellesley have excellent programs in the sciences. I would be in no position to say which is better or which worse. But I think one can say with some degree of certainty that at Smith there is more of it.</p>