tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-97947582899206598.post3631183461743306117..comments2024-01-19T19:28:16.564-08:00Comments on ScientistMother: raising my own little experimentS: American Science Women - help a girl out!ScientistMotherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02540317551396323613noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-97947582899206598.post-46579131806584273622009-05-11T11:34:00.000-07:002009-05-11T11:34:00.000-07:00SLACs are great places for nurturing women scienti...SLACs are great places for nurturing women scientists. Oberlin would be awesome, so would Bryn Mawr; other less famous names would be good too. I mention Bryn Mawr because women's colleges are good at producing confident well-educated women who go on to do well in graduate school, and a disproportionate percentage of their undergrads do go on to grad school in science. Smith College has a trulyZuskahttp://www.scienceblogs.com/thusspakezuskanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-97947582899206598.post-60351388669357526082009-05-09T19:45:00.000-07:002009-05-09T19:45:00.000-07:00This post from (astro)physicist Sean Carroll of Co...<A HREF="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/10/16/unsolicited-advice-part-three-choosing-an-undergraduate-school/" REL="nofollow"><br />This post</A> from (astro)physicist Sean Carroll of Cosmic Variance offers some good advice on this topic. There are also views from some 50 or so commenters who chimed in with varied stories and opinions.Hopenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-97947582899206598.post-52820313226396420492009-05-09T08:03:00.000-07:002009-05-09T08:03:00.000-07:00It is so hard to say without knowing the individua...It is so hard to say without knowing the individual; it really varies. But, I have to agree with Eugenie; a SLAC can be good for science and for mentoring talented undergrads in general. I would suggest looking at acceptance rates into grad schools, and at research opportunities for undergrads; if those two things are good, then it will be a good choice. I've seen women from all sorts of Tinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08269459040611070827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-97947582899206598.post-72313682683121260532009-05-09T07:02:00.000-07:002009-05-09T07:02:00.000-07:00I'm at a SLAC in the biological sciences. It's a s...I'm at a SLAC in the biological sciences. It's a small public university (its dirt cheap to attend out of state and instate). It's become really competitive lately (I've heard many stories of students being rejected by my school and accepted at ivys). <br /><br />The bio dep. is strong (for reference, we have high 90's percent acceptance rate into professional schools like med,vet, dental etc). Eugeniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01312243477847551650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-97947582899206598.post-63123870349924743092009-05-07T08:32:00.000-07:002009-05-07T08:32:00.000-07:00I received my bachelor's degree from a small liber...I received my bachelor's degree from a small liberal arts college on the east coast, and just completed my PhD at the largest undergraduate institution in the US. I had a wonderful experience as a undergrad where I really got to know my professors (in all disciplines) and never felt like I was just a number. I know that it was these experiences and connections that helped me to get through Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-97947582899206598.post-11781647156637430072009-05-06T20:23:00.000-07:002009-05-06T20:23:00.000-07:00I can't be of much help I'm afraid as my only expe...I can't be of much help I'm afraid as my only experiences in the US have been in big R1 schools and before my move to Really Big U I'd had no contact with any undergrad programs. At this early stage, I think it's important that the student keep her school and career options open as she's only 16 and will likely change her mind several times between now and when she needs to declare her undergrad Professor in Traininghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10903558307394806532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-97947582899206598.post-47934641516585244152009-05-06T17:25:00.000-07:002009-05-06T17:25:00.000-07:00Yes I completely agree about the Large Universitie...Yes I completely agree about the Large Universities in Canada. I did my PhD at one and with all the budget cuts that are happening, the first things to go are the labs. One cell and molecular biology course that I TA'd went from having microscopy labs to tutorials with no hands on experience. Many students only get theory and like you said, hands on only if they volunteer. But even then, the unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05949487275042211766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-97947582899206598.post-86887937376169803252009-05-06T17:11:00.000-07:002009-05-06T17:11:00.000-07:00Have to recommend my alma mater--Oberlin College. ...Have to recommend my alma mater--Oberlin College. They have a long history of educating women in science.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-97947582899206598.post-6609897188877594212009-05-06T17:09:00.000-07:002009-05-06T17:09:00.000-07:00This is in contrast to the LargeUniversity where I...<I> This is in contrast to the LargeUniversity where I am doing my PhD. Here biology students NEVER enter a lab unless they are volunteering, doing co-op or an honors thesis.</I> <br /><br />Wow … I am surprised. Is this in Canada? I think that in most US institutions, undergraduate science courses typically have lab requirements.Hopenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-97947582899206598.post-90566706973734198202009-05-06T16:49:00.000-07:002009-05-06T16:49:00.000-07:00I wouldn’t rule out the big name schools. I did my...I wouldn’t rule out the big name schools. I did my undergrad in physics at Harvard. I know that a lot of people have major issues w/this school (including people without first-hand experience of the environment!), but for the most part, I found my profs very approachable. I was involved in research projects during my sophomore, junior, and senior years, which led to a publication. Opportunities Hopenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-97947582899206598.post-5953562960752657382009-05-06T16:37:00.001-07:002009-05-06T16:37:00.001-07:00so does a boy, btw.so does a boy, btw.Arlennahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04199564304824250359noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-97947582899206598.post-14633898602683526712009-05-06T16:37:00.000-07:002009-05-06T16:37:00.000-07:00There are a bunch of really nice small universitie...There are a bunch of really nice small universities in the Twin Cities in MN (St. Thomas, Augsburg, Hamline and Macalester) that have good programs and lots of research opportunities. There's also Carleton and St. Olaf--both in MN too. See, I'm a little MN-biased. All of those are the kind of place where a student can get really involved and have a lot of quality time with professors, where they Arlennahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04199564304824250359noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-97947582899206598.post-26013348051427016472009-05-06T14:38:00.000-07:002009-05-06T14:38:00.000-07:00I would recommend the University of Rochester as o...I would recommend the University of Rochester as one very scientist-friendly and small college. I'm a senior biochemistry major there, just about to graduate, and among my apartment mates, there are two physics and two biology (biochem and microbiology) majors, all female, and all of us are going on to PhD programs at very good universities. All four of us (and all of my female science friends Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com