<p>First, can anyone post the rigg’s recommendation for economics?
Then, let’s share our knowledge of liberal arts colleges that promote undergraduate research. I heard lafayette has program for students to conduct research with professors.</p>
<p>THANKS!</p>
<p>Smith’s STRIDE program provides PAID research assistantships to approximately 45 first-year and 45 second-year students (as well as $5k merit scholarships for four years). Research is quite varied - a lot of research in the molecular genetics has been published with students names on it. There are also substantial research opportunities in the humanities and social sciences. In fact, I saw more paid undergraduate research in the humanities and social science being done at Smith among first-year students than I did among students for all four years at UChicago (where I was a graduate student, and taught - I was the one paid to do the research.) My d. had one, and she parlayed her research work into a 5-6 graduate fellowship at Princeton.</p>
<p>…most do, if I’m not mistaken. That’s the big benefit of going to a school with only undergrads.</p>
<p>Dartmouth has many of the attributes of a research U but functions as a liberal arts, undergrad focused college. From wiki:</p>
<p>However, since Dartmouth is ranked in a category for national research universities, some have questioned the fairness of the ranking given the College’s emphasis on undergraduate education.[47][48][49] The 2006 Carnegie Foundation classification listed Dartmouth as the only majority-undergraduate, arts-and-sciences focused institution in the country that also had some graduate coexistence and very high research activity.[50][51]</p>
<p>Williams has a very good program in this area.</p>
<p>Don’t go to Dartmouth unless you want to become the pong champion at your local bar for the next 40 years. Hmom, he specifically asked for LAC’s not faux-Lac’s</p>
<p>Pawn, those pong champs are some of the most successful people everywhere from Hollywood to Wall Street to Washington. And as they say, it’s a small college, but there are those who really love it. Including the Carnegie Foundation. Something about those work hard, play hard people who have a way of loving life!</p>
<p>4,000 undergrads is 3 times as big as many LAC’s…</p>
<p>“Williams has a very good program in this area.”</p>
<p>Really? It was 5 years ago, but my d turned down Williams for Smith precisely (among other reasons) because the former had no research they could name being done by students with faculty outside of the sciences. (Of course, students researched their own papers, etc., but I doubt that’s what the OP is asking about.) I’m sure there is some, but I doubt it is very extensive. </p>
<p>By the way, this isn’t a put-down of Williams, which has absolutely superb academics (there are things I’m not fond of, and I’m an alum, but it wouldn’t be the academics.)</p>
<p>Don’t tell me, the Dartmouth pong naysayer goes to Williams?!</p>
<p>Why would very small size be a benefit of an LAC? Dartmouth is the best of both worlds, small by college standards yet with a huge endowment and research facilities and grants. Williams would be far easier to outgrow before 4 years are over.</p>
<p>Most liberal arts colleges have arrangements where undergrads can do research with professors. I went to a small second-tier liberal arts college, and I got the opportunity to do research with a professor (paid, I might add) and joined a two-year undergraduate research fellowship sponsored by the NIMH (also paid, and very well).</p>
<p>^^ Very small size is indeed a benefit of a true LAC. Dartmouth may be small by university standards, but it’s too big for me–I could manage with a small university but would prefer 1.5-3k students. I view such an insular community as a positive.</p>
<p>Haverford has a huge emphasis on engaging students with faculty on research.</p>
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<p>Princeton and Yale both trump Dartmouth in striking a balance. Why choose Dartmouth?</p>
<p>Wesleyan is very good with undergrads doing reaserch with profs. One of my econ major friends spent the summer in a paid program here doing some sort of research.</p>
<p>Sure, Princeton for sure, Yale for some. But that’s if you can get in. With sub 8% acceptance rates,40% having hooks and ever increasing interest from every corner of the earth, you do the math of what it takes for an unhooked candidate to get in. Dartmouth, however, accepts mere brilliant mortals:)</p>
<p>Interesting tidbit about Dartmouth: Undergrads are actually given priority over graduate students in a professor’s lab. If there is a lab that you want to work in that has no more room, you have the ability to kick out the graduate student(s)!</p>
<p>Pomona has SURP (Summer Undergrad Research Program) which a ton of students do over summers, fully funded. </p>
<p>During the year there’s also a fair amount of coauthoring papers with professors, RA work, etc. Students have done a fair number independent research during the year (myself included), but usually it’s something you want to take on during a summer so that you can fully devote your time. </p>
<p>Nearly everyone graduating within the sciences, and a large proportion (though probably not a majority) across all the other disciplines get some sort of research experience before they graduate.</p>