Agnes Scott College
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: Mathematics
Minor: Philosophy
Student Self Identifies as: White Lesbian Female
Summary
I work as a resident assistant. I’m active in Hillel and the Association for Women in Mathematics.
Background
Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: White
Sexual Orientation: Lesbian
High School Experience: Public high school in West Hartford, Connecticut with 500 students in the graduating class. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: Mathematics
Minor: Philosophy
Extracurricular Activities: I work as a resident assistant. I’m active in Hillel and the Association for Women in Mathematics.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience?
Being part of Hillel for four years helped me find a place at Agnes Scott. I have so many friends from it and we’ve gotten to build up the Jewish community here which has been really fun.
Academic Experience
Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
Typically with Math classes, we’ll have a problem set due every week and two to three tests per semester. The tests are usually more calculation-based and the problem sets have more proofs. I’ve also done an independent study and am working on a senior thesis right now, which is super exciting. I’ve also taken a Mathematics class over at Georgia Tech.
Is there anything you feel your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
I love our Math department. It’s really great because it’s a pretty small department. It’s amazing how close I’ve been able to become with all of my professors. There are so many undergraduate research opportunities and I’ve been doing Math research at Agnes Scott since my sophomore year. [In 2018, about 5% of the degrees conferred were in the Mathematics and Statistics category.]
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
For the classes that I’ve been in, it’s been more collaborative. The Math classes are really hard, so it’s a lot of getting together with other people in the class and working through problems together.
How accessible are your professors?
Super accessible. They’re really good about having office hours and if you go and it’s too crowded or you can’t make the office hours, all the professors are amazing about setting up appointments outside of office hours. They’re also really fast at responding to emails, which is nice.
How has going to a historically female college impacted your experience?
I think it’s been such an amazing experience, especially as a woman in a male-dominated field. Last semester I took a class a Georgia Tech, and I was one of three women in a class of thirty and the confidence I had from going to Agnes Scott and not being constantly talked over by men and all of that definitely manifested itself last semester. I’m going to start my Ph.D. in the fall, and I’m looking forward to using the skills I learned at Agnes in that.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I’m super happy and I really like math. I came in knowing what I wanted to do and declared my second week here. It’s something I’ve always been interested in.
Reasons to Attend
1) We have such a great community and really amazing professors.
Reasons Not to Attend
1) If you’re looking for a larger school with Greek life or a large social scene.
Around Campus
Where have you lived on and around campus?
Freshman: Walters Hall with one roommate
Sophomore/Junior/Senior: RA in Walters Hall in a single
How was transitioning from your hometown in West Hartford, CT to Decatur, GA?
I love Decatur. It’s been nice living just outside of Atlanta. The public transport isn’t great, but if you know how to get around on it you can go to most places. I didn’t have a car my first year here so it’s been cool learning the city.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I feel really safe on campus. I’ve never had issues on campus or in downtown Decatur.
Social Opportunities
What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
I’m not big on nightlife. A lot of times my friends and I will hang out, watch TV, and play board games. Agnes Scott isn’t known for having a big party culture. I know people go to fraternity parties at Georgia Tech, but I personally don’t. On the weekends I study a lot, and my friends and I will go hiking sometimes. There are some good hiking trails just outside of Atlanta.
What have been some of your favorite times at Agnes Scott?
Decatur has a book festival, and I’ve been volunteering at it since my first year. It’s one of the largest book festivals in the southeast and it’s a good time even if you’re not a volunteer. Some of my best memories have been hanging out with the friends I’m made here. I’ve made such good friendships over the past few years, and Agnes Scot really fosters that into the community.
How happy are you with the weekend options? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I’d change the dining hall. On the weekends, they don’t have as many options out. Especially if you have dietary restrictions, it’s not that easy to eat there.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
One of them I met during freshman orientation. My other friends work with me in the [Resource Center for Math and Science].
How would you describe the overall social scene at Agnes Scott?
We don’t have any Greek life on campus. There’s a lot of on-campus events, possibly too many. There’s always something going on which is nice.
To what extent do you think people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
There’s a lot of mixing of people from different backgrounds. It’s common to see diverse groups of friends around campus. [The undergraduate population is 12% Hispanic, 7% Asian, 29% Black, and 35% White.]
How do you like the size of Agnes Scott in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How was transitioning to a school with [about 1,000] students?
You don’t know everyone, but you know of everyone. On one hand, it’s nice walking to class and run into all of my former residents. I’ve also only been an RA in the freshman dorm, so at one point half of the campus were my residents. On the flip side, if you’re having a bad day and don’t want to talk to anyone, you’re going to see people you know that’ll try to talk to you.
How would you describe the LGBTQ community on campus? How strong is it?
I think we’re a slight majority of the campus. There are a lot of LGBTQ students, so it’s been pretty cool.
What is the impact of going to a historically female college on your social experience?
It hasn’t had much of an impact on my social experience. I’m gay, so I’m not trying to find a boyfriend [laughs]. It’s really common to see people in the dining hall in their pajamas, and I didn’t realize that wasn’t a universal college experience. I love going to a women’s college.
Do people generally seem happy with Agnes Scott by senior year? Do people leave loving Agnes Scott?
I think if you’ve made it to senior year you’re happy. A lot of people transfer after a semester. [The first to second-year retention rate is 85%.]
Careers
Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
It’s been nice applying to graduate schools because I can reach out to other Agnes Scott students who went to different graduate programs to see what they thought about them. That helped me choose which schools to apply to.
Have you learned any computer programs or computer languages that will be helpful professionally?
I took a Python class, and I’ve also learned how to use Maple.