<p>I’m not even an undergrad yet, HS senior here. I’m looking at going to Rose-Hulman, but am worried that if I decide to go on to get my PhD that not being at a research institution for undergrad will hurt my chances. Rose is a great school, I know, but does the fact that the professors don’t focuso n research and such hurt my chances of continuing my education after undergrad?</p>
<p>It may be that what you do during your time in college is more important than what kind of college it is. Having profs who are focused on research would help you conduct your own research (by involving you in their specific projects, by providing general guidance and advice for your work, by pushing you in that direction, and by surrounding you with classmates involved in research to lend momentum) but you can complete research on your own, outside of such a system. There are summer internships, library projects that grow out of class term papers, and ways to get involved with other institutions in town and abroad. The problem may be that research and similar opportunities come easy at a research-focused school, whereas at a teaching-focused school you need a lot of drive to seek those opportunities out.</p>
<p>You’ve got lots of time, but don’t worry, going to a primarily undergraduate school shouldn’t hurt you at all come time to apply to grad schools. From my experience, I found it much easier to get close to my professors at my undergrad, William and Mary, than my friends at larger research schools, and since we didn’t have many grad students in my department (chemistry) the undergrads were the ones engaged in research. Since doing research is key for getting into grad school, we had a very good acceptance rates for competitive chemistry phd programs, which is similar to what I’ve heard about other good undergrad focused programs.</p>