Evaluating Astronomy Colleges

[frankminiaci]

(this might be more of an Ask the Professionals topic; if I get few responses here, I may relocate it) When I look at a college for a major in astrophysics/astronomy, I always keep in mind the advice that I should can determine the strength of a program based on the research exhibited by the faculty.

Well, I don't really know how to interpret the worth of their research -what's evident of a strong program, or that of a weak one To give myself an idea, though, I did try Googling each university name + "astronomy" set to search cnn.com, and I did come up with some interesting results.

I began with a college in which I was sure of its reputation -University of Chicago had many pages worth of links. So then I picked a college I wasn't sure of, such as Case Western Reserve University, which brought up only three links in all, one or two of which were irrelevant to astronomical research. (Northwestern University also revealed few links.)

How accurate an interpretation of a college's program could I make using that system, do you think I suppose not all research is special enough to make it to the headline news, but don't my findings suggest something

[skywalker]

Hey,
For an undergraduate education you want to get a really good breadth of knowledge all across the arts and sciences. Undergraduate education will provide the broad fundamental base on which you will build your career(s).

One way to evaluate a college's undergraduate reputation is to look at faculty CV's (they usually show where the professores got their undergraduate and graduate degrees) from other institutions. You may find that many of the top tier college professors came from top tier graduate and top tier undergraduate programs. [If you are interested in college A, check out colleges B, C, D, and E and see how many of their professors got their undergrad degree from A.] Looking at the research that goes on is also a good way to evaluate the colleges graduate level research. But it may be difficult to evaluate quality vs. quantity when using search engines. Also remember that larger univerity departments will have more professors and should be pumping out more papers in the literature.

When reading astronomy articles, (on the Web, in popular astronomy magazines, Science News, Nature, Science, etc.) you may find certain professors and institutions mentioned. You may also see that the articles were written by professors in colleges that are on your list. See what topics interest you and how they are written. I firmly believe that the greatest teachers are able to take the most complicated subject and break it down so that it is easily understandable. These are the mentors you want to find.

[frankminiaci]

Good point; I hadn't considered the size factor in websearch results.

You recommend that I compare professors' Cvs to help determine the reputation of another college, and to my dismay I'm finding that Case (CWRU) yields few astronomers into other colleges. Admittedly, most of the professors there actually -attendedCase in obtaining one of their degrees.

I suppose I need to broaden my spectrum and actually visit some of the other colleges I'm interested in, but meanwhile, should that simple fact send Case teetering over the edge Or are there other facts to consider Thanks for putting up with all my questions. =) You've been a great help!

[Gamma986]

I can't give you an unbiased opinion on Case. I visited there when I was checking out colleges.

But the fact that the faculty seems somwehat inbred should raise at least a small warning flag. [Most science programs strongly discourage getting an undergraduate and graduate degree at the same institution. Getting a professorship at one of the granting institutions has less of a stigma attached but still should remain a somewhat rare occurance.] You should definitely visit as many colleges as possible. Get the general tour, but also try to meet with a few professors. Try to get a feel for what it would be like on and off campus. Allow a few hours of "wandering around" time. (And sneak into a big lecture hall for an intro level if you can.) How do you like the local area Try to see what undergraduate life will be like. Is everyone happy and overworked, or sad and overworked How are the textbooks for the undergraduate classes (found in the campus bookstore) Do the textbooks for the science fundamentals (math, physics, chemistry, biology) seem waaay unintelligible, or just mildly unintelligible Is there a good humanities program Is the curriculum broad or too tightly focused How easy is it to switch around (For example: pretend you've taken the required courses for astronomy as described in the course catalog, you're in your third year and you want to switch to biology/pre-med; how bad would it be) Don't forget the social aspect as well. Is there a good intramural sports program to help blow off steam Ways to easily mix with people in other classes/departments Are the parties open or closed Most scientific disciplines are tiny little communities. Try to get a feel for how you will get along with future classmates in your chosen department. The people you meet in college (and grad school) will be in your professional career circle for a very long time. (One more reason why it's important to tread lightly during scientific disagreements). You will be surprised at how often "a friend of a dude I went to school with" wrote the key paper in your research field.

College is very important for professional, educational and personal development. It's important that your chosen institution have opportunities for all three facets.

Many things to think about, but you are way ahead of the game in your analysis.

[admin]

Here's my two cents... Cent one: While certain colleges may have strong reputations in some fields, that's not to say that the degress offered by any other college are not just as good. A PhD is a PhD no matter where you study it. That is after all the reason that there are internal and external examiners so that the required standard is maintained everywhere you go. (The external examiner for my PhD was German). Even for my graduate degree there was an external examiner from another university to ensure that the papers being set were not too easy or too tough. At the end of the day, a good degree or PhD should always be good no matter where it comes from. (Having said that, I do get the impression that in the US the college you choose has a greater degree of importance than, say, in Europe. Is this true, anybody) Cent two: The social aspect is vitally important. Study the brochures and take a good look at what activites are available. Is there a student astronomy club, for example Is church important to you Do they have the sports facilities you would like Is the college based in a city or is the campus more self contained outside of a town center What would you prefer Would you prefer to be closer to home to allow easier travel to see family It's hard to study well if you are not happy spending four or more years in some place.

[david m]

I would like to add to the comment that in the U.S. the pedigree (where you went to school, who you worked for) is [unfortunately]important.

In a perfect world, that fact that you were able to complete a Ph.D. should mean that you are able to generate a proposal, generate a research plan, carry out the experiment and interpret the results no matter what the research topic.

Sadly, (disclaimer in my hiring experience in my field) the subject matter is evaluated as well as the who you worked for and where you obtained your degree.

The resumes that will be looked at twice will have a prestigious university as well as a presitgious name with a hot research area as thesis topic. (I'll also admit that I'm guilty of this as well when evaluating resumes.) This happens even though the candidate at the lesser-known school with the lesser-known advisor in a less-exciting research area may be a perfectly capable scientist. (Our resume evaluation committee calls these less-pedigreed candidates "diamonds in the rough"). There is an element of an aristrocratic nature at every institution (industrial as well as academic) even in the so-called egalitarian field of science.