<p>North Carolina State University has a program called WISE…Women in Science and Engineering
<a href=“http://www.ncsu.edu/wise/[/url]”>http://www.ncsu.edu/wise/</a></p>
<p>As does UMich. Very attractive program when D visited as an accepted student four years ago. </p>
<p>[Women</a> In Science and Engineering | University of Michigan](<a href=“http://www.wise.umich.edu/]Women”>http://www.wise.umich.edu/)</p>
<p>I’ll add that the guy who invented string theory went to Brandeis and majored in journalism, then went to grad school at Princeton in physics. I don’t know what kind of record he had, though. Some people are so smart it is clear they have a lot of promise wherever they go or whatever their trainign is.</p>
<p>One of MIT’s Nobel Laureates in physics went to Amherst, and I knew theoretical physics graduate students at MIT who went to Amherst. </p>
<p>So you can get good undergraduate training at a good LAC. I don’t know what impact the GRE has as an equalizer in physics and math, though. I know it is fairly difficult in physics, which is good for people from less well-known schools, as they can show they are competitive. I don’t know if the GRE math is as difficult, as I guess it is mostly applied stuff. There is always the Putnam, although that is a very difficult exam. A decent score on the Putnam will impress people.</p>
<p>Someone who prefers a small LAC but is concerned about limitations on the course selection at more advanced levels may want to prefer those which have convenient cross registration access to a nearby larger research university. That might be the best of both worlds, if the cross registration does not involve inconvenient commuting, calendar, or administrative hassles.</p>
<p>^To expand on this post, I know the Claremont Colleges (not sure the proper term for this, but the sister LACs to Claremont College) provide the ability for cross-registration with each other and Caltech.</p>
<p>Commuting for a class from Claremont to Caltech sounds pretty miserable to me. 27 miles taking the 210 in the morning, :barf: :barf: :barf:. Occidental over in Eagle Rock isn’t too bad of a ride, but would be pretty difficult without a car.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Can you tell me what engineering school has an approximately 70-30 female-male gender balance?</p>
<p>^^^ Even Mudd, which crows about achieving 50-50 M/F balance, has women over-represented in bio and under-represented in engineering. You can read what Mudd (and other schools) are doing to entice women into CS in this [NYTimes</a> article](<a href=“Giving Women the Access Code - The New York Times”>Giving Women the Access Code - The New York Times).</p>
<p>According to the AAUW report linked in #77, women made up the following percentage of these STEM majors in 2006:</p>
<p>59.8% of biological and agricultural sciences
51.8% of chemistry
44.9% of mathematics
41.2% of earth, atmospheric, and ocean sciences
20.7% of physics
20.5% of computer science
19.5% of engineering</p>
<p>Looks like my D will be adding to the statistic by starting CS classes this semester and liking it so much I believe she will either major or minor in CS. She started out thinking Biochem but switched this term. 
I am rooting for Bioinformatics.</p>
<p>She is at a women’s LAC and will likely end up cross-classes with another school to complete a degree in CS.</p>
<p>Here’s an interesting article from The Chronicle discussing the gender gap in STEM fields from a few viewpoints, including the female president of Mudd. It appears to be available to non-subscribers. I found the comments just as interesting. </p>
<p>[Why</a> STEM Fields Still Don’t Draw More Women - Diversity in Academe - The Chronicle of Higher Education](<a href=“Why STEM Fields Still Don’t Draw More Women”>Why STEM Fields Still Don’t Draw More Women)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>At UT-Austin, my profs back in the EARLY 80s were happy to have us. I remember one prof telling the guys they’d better listen to us, because we brought a lot to the table.</p>
<p>I never had any problems in STEM, even 30 years ago. The guys treated me like one of them. And even back then, there WERE women in my classes. Maybe I just try to see the positives in everything, but I just don’t get the angst. I tell girls to work hard and have fun! I had all the support I needed, even while getting a master’s degree in engineering. Mixing and testing polymer concrete was no fun, but I never encountered any problems from guys or profs.</p>
<p>Once again, STEM subjects are not all the same in the characteristic being discussed.</p>
<p>I know my D has experienced some gender issues, from a small minority of peers, and some of the old stodgy professors, however, he wasn’t in engineering department but did teach engineering students.</p>
<p>One male told her "girls shouldn’t be in engineering they just don’t “get it”. D who has a strength at project management, would be delegated to get food/coffee when in working groups junior and senior projects.
The professor told the girls in the class “why don’t you do female majors like nursing”</p>
<p>Yes he said it. </p>
<p>the other news item I recently saw was males in nursing on average make 16% more in salary than female nurses with exact same experience and education. Gender bias is alive and well in 2013 whether one choses to believe it or not.</p>
<p>[Welcome</a>, Women in Science - Wesleyan University](<a href=“http://www.wesleyan.edu/wis/index.html]Welcome”>Home, Women in Science - Wesleyan University)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>One guy I encountered who used to be a nurse did mention that he was sometimes in demand at work to help with heavier patients because he was stronger than the other (mostly female) nurses.</p>
<p>This does not mean that there is not gender bias, but it could be that the pay disparity is not entirely gender bias. To the extent that physical strength matters, it can be improved with strength exercise, whether one is female or male.</p>
<p>Thanks for the link, Sabaray. Candid and interesting article.</p>
<p>Samiamy, It’s infuriating that your daughter has to put up with that attitude. Was this in high school or college?</p>
<p>Can those of you who work in the industry or who are more familiar with it than I, give some examples of what specific jobs in computer science and or engineering? One of the faculty members in the article Sabaray posted upthread acknowledges that part of the problem is that students don’t understand what jobs in STEM entail, yet the author neglects to give examples.</p>
<p>My D experienced this in college. Biomedical/biomechanical for joint implants, shoe design for athletes etc, sports equipment design(football helmets etc.) Cardiac pacers.</p>
<p>
Success is the best revenge, Samiamy 
</p>
<p>Thanks for the examples. They all have a creative edge to them, which would appeal to both of my kids.</p>
<p>Interesting article about a $3M grant received by UVa aimed at boosting women faculty in sciences:
</p>
<p>[UVa</a> hoping to boost women in sciences - Stafford County Sun: News](<a href=“http://www.staffordcountysun.com/news/article_610796b4-7ba1-11e2-8c54-0019bb30f31a.html]UVa”>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/news/article_610796b4-7ba1-11e2-8c54-0019bb30f31a.html)</p>
<p>Students in UVa SEAS are 32% women, were the national average is 20%.</p>