Wondering how female students fit in at Rose-Hulman?

It's true; there are more male students than female students at Rose-Hulman. It's a statistic that is true in most engineering schools and in the engineering profession. But there is indeed a place for women here at Rose-Hulman. In fact, our future women engineers are some of the strongest engineers out there. How will you fit in at Rose-Hulman? Let's find out from some of your peers.

Natalie Dickman
Hometown: Herscher, IL
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Activities: Sophomore Advisor, Admissions A-Team, Rose Choir, Rose Drama Club, Society of Women Engineers, Alpha Lambda Delta, Biomedical Society of Engineers, and Performing Arts Committee

I chose Rose-Hulman because it is one of the best engineering schools in the country; its small size and community atmosphere attracted me also. I come from a small farm town, so those aspects made my transition into college easier. I needed the small school atmosphere and feel. I also liked the fact that Rose is in Terre Haute, but it's on the outskirts, so Rose is its own separate community. Rose offered me the opportunity to get an excellent engineering education in four years and at the same time be able to take the time to do some of the things that I really enjoyed in high school, like choir and drama club, without them being a huge time commitment. It was also a plus that it is in Indiana, so I'm far enough away from home that I get the full college experience of being on my own, but I can still go home if I need to and during breaks.

The faculty and staff here are always willing to help you in any way they can, and they want to see you succeed. Professors will know your name, usually by the second or third week of class, and they'll remember you even after that class is over. Our open door policy also extends outside the residence halls to them. They have regular posted "office hours" but they are available to you whenever they are in their office throughout the day.

Men vs. Women
The male to female ratio at Rose doesn't really bother me. I've always had more guy friends than girl friends anyway, so that made the transition easy. Rose's ratio of about 80 to 20 is normal for an engineering school, and the engineering world is dominated by men. So the ratio here on campus helps prepare us for what the real world outside of Rose will be like.

Campus security
I feel that RHIT is an extremely safe campus. I am completely comfortable walking around by myself at any hour of the day including the early morning hours. Rose is a close-knit campus and everyone looks out for one another. Theft is taken very seriously here which is why it very rarely happens which, in turn, promotes our open door policy and community atmosphere. Our Public Safety is great, and they'll help you out with whatever they can.

Advice for the high school senior searching for a college
My advice is to go for campus visits to all the colleges that you are considering. I think that how you feel on the campus and the atmosphere of the campus is just as important as what the school has to offer you academically. It's important that you feel comfortable on the campus because you are going to be living there for the next four years of your life.

The down & dirty
Q: What is your least favorite thing about campus?
Though I love the size of Rose, its size does mean that we don't have the advantage of having a huge variety of classes outside of the engineering courses we take. So our choices for humanities to take are limited, and there are some classes on topics that I think are fascinating out there that Rose doesn't offer.

Q: What is your favorite dish in the dining hall?
The Buffalo Chicken Wraps!

Heather Stephens
Hometown: Russiaville, IN
Major: Physics  
Activities: Student Activities Board (SAB), Student Alumni Association (SAA), Admissions A-Team Member, Athletic Training Dept Employee, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Terre Haute, Terre Haute Humane Society

When I was looking at colleges, I was looking for a small school with a close campus community. I wanted to be at a place that valued each student individually and offered ample opportunities for one-on-one help, professor-student relationships, and also had a great reputation.

I knew Rose was the place for me the first time I visited the campus. I immediately felt welcomed and important versus other places I had visited where I was simply a number on campus. After being at Rose for a year, I have noticed it fits exactly my expectations from a school. I have made several personal relationships with faculty and staff, met a number of great friends, and feel that my success is valued. Students don't compete against each other at Rose but are each other's greatest support. The school is challenging but character building and upon graduation I know I will be proud of what I have done and who I have become, not to mention proud of the opportunities being literally handed to me from companies, graduate schools, and research programs begging for Rose-Hulman graduates.

My first year at Rose, I was a Mechanical Engineering major considering either a switch to a double major in Physics. Dr. Joenathan of the Physics Department was looking for a small handful of students to do research with him and other physics professors over the summer. After only being here a short time he offered me a position to do a full-time internship with Dr. Moloney, who is, in my opinion, one of the best professors Rose has to offer. I spent 10 weeks of my summer learning all I could about acoustical physics, and spent some time working with Dr. Duree and the Ultra Short Pulse Laser team doing research about micro-welding with cold plasma. The research was amazing considering only FOUR femptosecond lasers exist in the ENTIRE WORLD - and here I am, a FRESHMAN mechanical engineering major doing ground-breaking research.

You can tell I definitely feel supported by my professors. A lot of it depends on the relationships you choose to make with each professor. In the classes I struggle with I make sure to spend time asking questions in and out of class and when they see I care about understanding the material, they care about making sure I understand it the same. Also, by forming a relationship with my professors, I open more doors for references, letters of recommendations, and internship opportunities. The professors are here to teach you what they love and to help you get to where you want to go.  

Men vs. Women
There is a definite difference in the number of men versus women on campus but I don't notice it being a problem. I have plenty of "girl" friends and don't feel out of place. I feel proud to know that I am one of the few women that not only got into Rose, but decided I was strong enough to take on the challenge that Rose is.  

Campus security
I think Rose is an extremely safe place. I never have to lock my dorm room for fear of any of my things being stolen and always feel safe walking from place to place on campus, even at night!  Public Safety is always just a phone call away for any need, and because Rose is such a close-knit community everyone always looks out for each other.

Advice for the high school senior searching for a college
If I had any advice to give I'd say to not be afraid to look and VISIT as many places that could be possibilities. Don't look only at which schools offer the major you want because your idea of that major might change when you get in. Rather, look at schools that offer an outstanding area, such as engineering or science. Then visit both BIG schools and SMALL schools. I can't stress how extremely different the two are. While there are numerous good schools out there, there is only ONE that you will feel like you belong to. When you find it, you'll know!

The down & dirty
Q: What is your least favorite thing about campus?
A: It would be a lie to say Rose isn't a difficult school. My least favorite thing would have to be the workload at times. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming and frustrating but I have learned each quarter, I make it and I am amazed at how much I have learned. Rose forces students to challenge themselves but each student only grows and becomes better from the challenges and if you use your resources, anyone can make it here.

Q: What is your favorite dish in the dining hall?
A: I really love the Buffalo Chicken Wrap. I eat breakfast every morning as well and the omelet and fresh waffle bar are things I never can pass up.

Amanda Lundahl
Hometown: Lake Forest, IL
Major: Chemical Engineering/Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Activities: Cross Country, Track & Field, Chi Omega-Vice President, work for Homework Hotline and Admissions Office

I found out about Rose-Hulman because I knew that I wanted to go into engineering and saw that it is the top engineering school for an undergraduate degree. For one of my visits, I stayed overnight with one of the girls on the cross country team and from that point on I knew I wanted to come here. I think the biggest difference that separates Rose from other schools is its community environment. The professors are available to help you with any questions, and the students work together to solve homework problems.

I think the support of my professors is one of the main reasons that I've made it through some of my classes. They give you office hours where you can come in and get help on homework or clarify a concept. They really want you to succeed here.

Men vs. Women
At first, it takes a little bit to get used to having more guys in your classes, but after a couple of weeks you don't notice it anymore. I think my dad was more concerned about it than I was.

Campus security
My dad was a police officer for 20 years, so if he approves of the campus then it's safe. I feel very comfortable on campus at any time of the day. We have an open-door policy in the dorms, so most people don't close their doors or lock them. It's a community here, so everyone has trust in each other.

Advice for the high school senior searching for a college
I think the most important thing is to find the best fit for you. I remember visiting here and seeing myself hanging out with the people that I met. Make sure that the college that you decide on has all of the main aspects that you want to get out of college.

The down & dirty
Q: What is your least favorite thing about campus?
My least favorite thing about campus is probably the food options. I love my mom's cooking, so it's hard to be away from it. The best part is our coffee cart though! They make great coffee and it's perfect to get before your first class.

Q: What is your favorite dish in the dining hall?
My favorite dish is waffle fries on every Wednesday.

Sara Hardin
Hometown: Norwalk, CT
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Activities: Delta Delta Delta, Asian Society of Engineers, Society of Women Engineers

Rose-Hulman is the only college/university I applied to. I knew it was my first choice and when I got my answer Oct. 4th I knew I was going where I wanted/needed to be. Although, my other top schools were Georgia Tech, Tufts, RPI, and Stevens, I chose RHIT because of my experience at Operation Catapult mostly. I had a ton of fun at Operation Catapult and fell in love with the environment here and everything about the campus. I also liked the fact that Rose was a small school because my academic career up until then had been in small private schools.

Most of my professors have been extremely helpful and understanding. I've been through a concussion last year from soccer and had to miss classes and my professors were always understanding and willing to give me some extra time to get back to full brain power.

Men vs. Women
It is what it is. Only time will change the ratio of men to women. I am just glad to be one of the women we do have here on campus and to know so many of the others. ☺

Campus security
Rose-Hulman is the safest place to be in Terre Haute. When we had a panel presentation for self defense, the woman running it asked us if there were any places on our campus that we felt unsafe and no one could think of anywhere

Advice for the high school senior searching for a college
Look at as many colleges as you can. Don't just read their profile in some book, actually go and look at them if it's possible. Try and spend as much time on campus like do an overnight because that is how you really get a feel for the place. I spent 2 weeks at Catapult here and really understood how it would be eating in the cafeteria on campus and walking to all the buildings and staying in the dorms.

The down & dirty
Q: What is your least favorite thing about campus?
I wish there were wireless internet in all the buildings including the res halls.

Q: What is your favorite dish in the dining hall?
The pizza/pasta bakes you could make yourself or seeing Mama Lucy at the egg station!