<p>Yeah, I think the name would matter for Ph.D programs and industry. However, I feel that you could end up fine at say, Clemson as long as you take challenging courses (such as grad. level). Regardless, from what I’ve seen on their (Vandy) chemistry website, it appears to be “strong enough”. As I showed another poster asking about this, it at least has decent research opps. (in fact, the Beckman Scholars program is flat out awesome, and they have it), and these opps. matter for grad. school readiness and competition. Also, what would you consider “strong” academically? Course variety, rigor, what? What’s important to you that would make you choose a private over the state schools you are considering. A look on the departmental website will give you an idea of potential courses to be offered and digging around on google for course materials of some of the major classes that chem. majors must take will give you an idea of the rigor. For example, the material or an exam from gatekeeper…I mean “gateway” courses such as general chemistry and organic can often be found for many schools. Even if it’s old it may give you some idea; recent is better though. You can then try to compare it to what you find digging around at other schools you are considering. You’d seriously be amazed how much you can find out by just digging around on google. Apparently this Vanderbilt organic chemistry professor has a course website for example: [Chem</a> 220A, Section 1: T, R ; 9:35-11:00 am](<a href=“http://as.vanderbilt.edu/chemistry/Rizzo/chem220a/Chem220A.html]Chem”>http://as.vanderbilt.edu/chemistry/Rizzo/chem220a/Chem220A.html)
You can find exams for another (apparently one of the difficult professors. Name is Kaszinski I think): [Teaching[/url</a>]</p>
<p>I shouldn’t really bother with gen. chem because it’s kind of the same everywhere (at least at elite schools) but this is all I found: One very old exam from the second semester should be at the very top of the search results: <a href=“Vanderbilt Chem 102b exam - Google Search”>Vanderbilt Chem 102b exam - Google Search](<a href=“http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/Chemistry/omrg/teaching.htm]Teaching[/url”>Teaching)</a></p>
<p>I don’t know if they still do this or ever did it, but people used to claim these gen. chem exams were standardized (you can have a different instructor, but everyone would receive the same exam), so this isn’t necessarily a potential instructor bias so much as a “time” bias.</p>
<p>Now all you have to do is just maybe do the same searches at other schools of interest and hope they have something that is public. I chose those two courses as comparison points because most freshmen interested in chemistry will take 1 of these 2 first and often have the background from AP/IB, whatever to be able to understand what they are seeing and subsequently understand what may be considered difficult to them and what may not be as difficult. As in, it’ll suggest to you your own readiness or even the style that many instructors employ for instruction or testing.</p>
<p>Pancake: Do you know if Vandy organic chemistry professors teach with powerpoint or something? I saw something called a “class pack” on “K’s” website and it appears to list everything to be covered in class. Just kind of wondering what it was and why it’s there.</p>