Grinnell vs Colby vs Colgate

mcpheevn
Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:23:37 +0000

Also, if you check out the Grinnell Bookstore website (you could google it), the textbook for the intro course in Organic Chem is the one by the British profs at Oxford (Clayden et. al.). This is remarkable because as intro-UNfriendly as it is (~1500 pages, I own one and it is frighteningly MASSIVE on the library shelve; it also requires heavy conceptualization), it requires a true understanding of the material from a mechanistic perspectives (why some reactions work and not others) rather then burdening you with organic functional groups that you have to memorize in other run-off-the-mill intro textbooks. I think this reflects tremendous emphasis on real learning and critical thinking that Grinnell is so famous for. I only know one other school that uses this book for its intro course and it starts with the letter H.

Keep in mind, though that the textbook is just one of many components of the class. Other schools might employ more watered-down books but if the professors use a rigorous approach to the material, the students would learn just as much.

Other schools you may look into with great chemistry departments are Reed, Carleton and Oberlin (it has its own 600-MHz NMR)