ST Alpha - "For Reagen: Why undergrad matters if you want to be an elite biologist." (Reading a Post)

SlickerTalk
Search Archives
The Leaderboard
The FAQ

Down to Post

Backboards:

Posts: 168

For Reagen: Why undergrad matters if you want to be an elite biologist.

Posted by loosilu (aka loosilu2) Apr 28 '10, 11:03

Suppose you're at Cornell. Undergrads can easily do projects or get summer jobs in the labs of professors and postdocs, many of whom are big names, have funding, and do cutting edge work. Often this even leads to publication. At a smaller college, even a good quality one, they just don't have these resources.

When it's time to apply to grad school, experience and recommendations like this are a HUGE advantage.

Responses:

I would argue that if you think this is true in bio, you think it true in every field. - workmanda Apr 28, 11:14 5
- I didn't say that or suggest it, and I don't think it. -- nm - loosilu Apr 28, 11:15 1
  - and in fact gave an example below stating the opposite. -- nm - loosilu Apr 28, 11:15
- Yes. It "matters" in that way for every discipline, from fashion to nuclear physics. (nm) - musubi Apr 28, 11:15 2
  - precisely. I don't think you can pick disciplines. -- nm - workmanda Apr 28, 11:18 1
    - I named the one discipline I'm familiar with because I know you always think I'm talking about you, when I'm not. -- nm - loosilu Apr 28, 11:19
Ditto for comp sci and MIT - Beryllium Apr 28, 11:07 14
- Randomly throwing this out there: CMU has a better comp sci dept than MIT does. - decline Apr 28, 11:14 3
  - Well ... MIT also has robotics and engineering ... -- nm - Beryllium Apr 28, 11:18
  - Canada Methodist University? Central Maryland U? Center for Married Unitarians? (nm) - musubi Apr 28, 11:16 1
    - Carnegie Mellon -- nm - Dano Apr 28, 11:17
- I believe ReyRey's point was, reputation matters, but no school (or schools) has a monopoly on quality education. - musubi Apr 28, 11:12 9
  - [deleted]
  - Indeed, you can get the quality education from many places - it's the business opportunity that the big schools unlock. -- nm - Beryllium Apr 28, 11:13 1
    - (The networking, as loosi says) -- nm - Beryllium Apr 28, 11:13
  - I'm not disagreeing with that at all. -- nm - loosilu Apr 28, 11:13 5
    - note: There are great opportunities for undergrads at a lot of state schools as well, since they have the funding. - loosilu Apr 28, 11:14 4
      - The UC's only receive approximately 20% of their funding from the State. The rest is all from fees, patent and research earnings and donations. -- nm - jnine Apr 28, 11:30 3
        
        It's totally irrelevant where they get their funding. that's not the point. A high proportion of research grants is indicative - loosilu Apr 28, 11:39 2
        
        It seemed you were implying they had an advantage because of their guaranteed government funding, when in fact, as you stated above, they receive the - jnine Apr 28, 11:56 1
        
        no no no, absolutely not. Grants are the key. -- nm - loosilu Apr 28, 12:03
and people wonder why top-level Pre-K admissions are so cutthroat in Manhattan. :) -- nm - znufrii Apr 28, 11:06 5
- I think that's rather extreme. :) -- nm - loosilu Apr 28, 11:07 4
  - no offense, but i'm going to trust the opinion of the guy who just went through the admission process. -- nm - TFox Apr 28, 11:08 3
    - z is in kindergarten? -- nm - loosilu Apr 28, 11:08 2
      - They let him finger paint clouds and unicorns. -- nm - Will Hunting Apr 28, 11:09 1
        
        and next year, they'll let me use different colors for the rainbows! -- nm - znufrii Apr 28, 11:09

Post a message top

For Reagen: Why undergrad matters if you want to be an elite biologist.

Replies are disabled on threads older than 7 days.