My daughter is a sophomore at Goucher College and they’ve just eliminated their astrophysics tracks. She is considering applying to Agnes Scott.
Does anyone out there have any sage insight into physics/astrophysics/hard science at Agnes? My kid ultimately wants a PhD.
Also, any insight into HOW liberal the campus is? She was born and raised in the south and southerners more or less scare her to death. Especially this election season. She is a complete and total science nerd who does calculus for fun, but would likely not survive if she had to derive near Trump people.
My S is also a sophomore a Goucher and I my D is a 1st year at Agnes Scott, so I think I can provide some insights. I heard about Goucher eliminating the astrophysics program and was really surprised, but I think they are trying to streamline their programs. Agnes Scott and Atlanta in general is not typical of the South from what I can tell. The school is very, very diverse, and I would say liberal but also laid back and comfortable. D loves Agnes, and is really, really happy there. Decatur is very cool, and just having access to Atlanta really opens up the world for students. Also, they have a very strong astrophysics program, with a great observatory on campus. I would encourage her to check it out - visiting is the key - the campus is so beautiful.
I’m a current Agnes Scott student - your daughter does not need to be worried about campus climate. I’ve heard second hand that a few students voted for Trump, but on the whole the campus is really liberal. I mean, it’s a women’s college. We’re a bunch of feminists, and a lot of us are queer or people of color. We’re pretty much firmly in the liberal voting block. Agnes Scott is a very supportive and inclusive environment. People here are also really friendly! That’s the reason I chose Agnes, and I’m glad I did.
I don’t know too much about our astrophysics major. I’m not a STEM major, but it seems like those who are get pretty busy with studying.