I Guess I Can Live in Atlanta—Reflections on Three Atlanta Colleges

I still love visiting colleges. It somehow makes me feel young and old at the same time, but it’s just so important in my work that I see college students in their element. So much of what I discuss with my students is theoretical, but whenever I’m on a college campus, I see theory in practice. I started writing this post at a coffee shop in Decatur, Georgia, just outside of Agnes Scott College. I traveled to Atlanta for a conference and stuck around for a few extra days to visit Georgia Tech, Emory University, and Agnes Scott—three very different schools. I have some thoughts about each school and overall impressions of Atlanta.

Stop 1: Georgia Tech 

First impressions: Large, urban, bustling, impressive engineering facilities

I walked to GA Tech from my hotel and ended up walking through the athletics facilities where a track meet was taking place. Despite working at USC for years, I’ve seen very few DI athletics competitions in person, mostly a handful of football/basketball games and the occasional tennis match. It was a really festive atmosphere. From there, I somehow ended up in fraternity row where ping pong tables were prominently placed and then on a central green where yet another event was taking place. By this point, I had rented a Lime scooter, one of approximately a billion that are available in the city. I had a much easier time navigating the campus and I didn’t feel like I was in anyone’s way. Scooters seem like kind of a thing there. There was a lot happening on a Saturday afternoon.

I did get to see the more academic side of campus and it’s no wonder why GA Tech is considered one of the top engineering universities in the country. Their facilities were impressive, and innovation, research, and entrepreneurship are all points of emphasis there. It seems to be a place that loves ideas and solving problems. Of the three colleges I visited, this was by far the largest and most urban, right in the middle of the city. Honestly, it had some USC vibes going for it, but with an even greener campus. I was actually surprised by how green Atlanta was in general.

If you are already considering other public state universities like Michigan, Wisconsin, Berkeley, UCLA, Purdue, Texas, or Washington, I would seriously consider GA Tech. Even private universities like Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, or either of the two major “Institute of Technology” schools (Cal and Mass) share similar academic characteristics. I did not take an official tour, but they have a self-guided tour that you can access on your phone and it’s excellent.

For additional info, here’s a link to GA Tech’s Rankings and Stats.

Stop 2: Emory University

First impressions: Beautiful campus, almost suburban, size feels just right

To anyone who has visited Occidental College, it is located in LA, but it also doesn’t feel like LA. I got the same initial impression of Emory. It’s still Atlanta, but we were further away from the hustle and bustle of the city. That will be a pro or con depending on who you are, but the city is still right there. This was the only official info session and tour I did because quite frankly, this was the college I was most interested in. Among the three colleges I visited, I’ve had the most students attend Emory. I can see why it’s so popular.

I was really surprised at how many people had registered for the admissions program. I guess it was still spring break on the east coast. We were broken off into smaller groups and on my tour alone, there were at least three families from New York. Something very unique about Emory is their dual campus system. You can apply to their Oxford (not UK) campus that is much smaller and after two years, you can finish at Emory’s main Atlanta campus. I think there’s a perception that Oxford is the campus you are admitted to if you can’t get into Emory, but we were told the admission rates are actually similar. I do think it allows Emory to enroll more students that way. And while Emory doesn’t have an engineering program, they do have a dual degree engineering partnership with GA Tech. Two degrees in five years, and a nice way to establish a strong liberal arts foundation with the added engineering component. I know small colleges like Tufts, Swarthmore, and Trinity (CT) have their own in-house engineering programs, but it’s nice to see two prominent institutions collaborating in this way.

Emory’s residential program and student life seem to be strengths. It’s a little easier to establish community in this way. Colleges that struck me as being similar to Emory are Rice, Wash U in St. Louis, Vanderbilt, Northwestern, Tulane, and Johns Hopkins. Maybe Wake Forest as well, but I’ve never seen the campus so I can’t say for sure. I will also add that Emory has become quite selective, a sub 10% admit rate. That would surprise those less familiar with the school, but it shouldn’t be surprising to anyone who works in higher ed. Emory is an absolute gem.

For additional info, here’s a link to Emory’s Facts and Figures.

Stop 3: Agnes Scott College 

First impressions: Very small, charming, historic feel, women-focused

My last stop was just outside Atlanta in Decatur, another self-guided tour. When I got to campus, I was a little confused. I saw all these signs for “Baird College” and was wondering why my Lyft driver took me here and why I hadn’t even heard of the college. It turns out the Hulu show “Tell Me Lies” was filming and Baird College was a fictitious school. I walked across campus to the real-life admissions office and picked up a self-guided tour map and then realized that I had already seen much of the campus. Liberal arts colleges are notably small to begin with, but Agnes Scott was small even for small.

I am a huge supporter of the women’s college experience. I previously posted a link to the value of a women’s college from the perspective of a Scripps College student, but here’s what members of the Agnes Scott community has to say. A smaller campus usually has a strong sense of community and I definitely felt that here. Lots of students were saying hi to each other in the quad, as in THE quad. Because of the smallness of campus, I was able to take more time inside the buildings and I saw posters in the student union building that gave me a sense of what was happening. Despite the proximity to Atlanta, which is a huge plus for a small college, it seems like there’s enough going on to not get bored. I would imagine this would be the toughest sell for my California students, but never say never. I can certainly understand the regional appeal. There were also renovations happening in one of the main buildings, always a good sign of financial stability.

I have some lazy comparisons which include Bryn Mawr, Scripps, and Mount Holyoke. But one other college that seems very similar is Cedar Crest College in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley, another college that has more regional than national appeal.

For additional info, here’s a link to Agnes Scott’s Rankings at a Glance.

Final Thoughts 

I liked all three of these colleges, and yet, none of them are perfect for everyone. Even though I saw similarities to other colleges I’ve visited over the years, each of them still had their own unique atmosphere and identity. I think I was equally struck by the city of Atlanta itself. What a town. I have a number of students who have immediately ruled out the South and that is partly the geographically challenged SoCal mindset, but there’s a cosmopolitan vibe in Atlanta and so much history and culture to soak in. Attending college in the area would have as many benefits outside of campus. On my last day, I was able to visit a former student who will be graduating from Emory next month. He already has a job and will be sticking around for at least a few years. And why not? He’s found his element and I once again feel young and old at the same time.